Rupert I, Elector Palatine

Ruprecht I, the Red, of the Palatinate ( born June 9, 1309 Wolfratshausen, † February 16, 1390 in Neustadt on the Wine Route ) was Count Palatine and Elector of the Palatinate ( 1329-1390 ) and founder of the University of Heidelberg.

Life

His parents were Rudolf I Duke of Upper Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine, and his wife Matilda of Nassau, daughter of King Adolf of Nassau. About his father came from Ruprecht directly from Rudolf von Habsburg, the founder of the dynasty of the same name, which was his great-grandfather.

The father died in 1319, when Rupert was one of only 10 years. After his death, he stood with his mother and his brothers Adolf ( † 1327 ) and Rudolf II under the tutelage of Count John of Nassau. Ludwig IV the Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate took on the basis of contracts concluded with his brother Rudolf I on February 26, 1317 agreement by force of arms in possession. The war ended in August 1322, but only after Mechthild's death in June 1323, their hatred of Louis IV had made a lasting reconciliation impossible, it came between that and the three nephews to reconciliation.

In the House Treaty of Pavia reached Ruprecht and his brother Rudolf II in 1329 with her uncle Louis of Bavaria, the Palatinate an independent principality was. First, both ruled the territory together with her nephew Ruprecht II and took the votes of the Palatinate Electorate alternately as true; on Kurverein of Rhense Ruprecht had participated in the election of Günther Schwarz Petersburg, however, Rudolf had led the electoral vote. In 1338 they divided their principality.

1349 supported the brothers Günther von Schwarzburg as a counter- king Charles IV as Ruprecht in 1353 after the death of Rudolph inherited his property and sole Count Palatine of the Rhine, was Charles triggered a part of the Upper Palatinate from this rule composite and verleibte them as Neuböhmen the Luxembourg possessions one. For the election of Wenceslas Roman-German King Ruprecht 1376 again received substantial payments and large areas of Charles IV, including Oppenheim, Nierstein, Ingelheim and parts Bolan dens. In addition, Ruprecht earned Kaiserslautern in 1357 and starting from Bolanden until his death almost the whole county Zweibrücken.

By the Golden Bull of the Palatinate in 1356, the right to vote to elect the Roman King, the Kurrecht awarded, (hence the name Palatinate ). Ruprecht belonged from 1379 to the members of the Urban League, in the front hand the four Rhenish electors the interests of Pope Urban VI. wanted to represent Teutonicum in Regnum, but also served to strengthen their own positions of power.

The General German Biography characterizes the major rulers as follows:

"Even among his contemporaries was I. Rupprecht in high esteem, he was outwardly a respect commanding figure, a gallant appearance. In fact, ruthless force, he was considered mild, benevolent Lord, as a patron of the church and the priesthood, as a friend of the widows and orphans. The Jews whose financial power, he knew perfectly exploit, honored him as a just, humane protector. "

Without having a higher school, Elector Ruprecht was nevertheless formed and religiously interested. The historian Ludwig Hausser commented: " In Ruprecht without this was every school knowledge through a great practical talent prevailed and replaced by an open sense of all that is spiritual. " So he was as precious parchment manuscripts the World Chronicle of Rudolf von Ems and a biography of St. Elizabeth finished. For him and his wife Elizabeth of Namur also specifically 62 sermons of the Franciscan Berthold of Regensburg were recorded. He founded the pin in Neustadt on the Wine Route, he laid himself down the hours prayers for the day and night. In the Memorandum, he described in 1356 as a motivation, in addition to the ostensible purpose of the grave and laying Memoria, concern about a possible ceremonial worship, frequent and godly. Ruprecht I. pilgrimage over many years and always on Patroziniumstag walk to Michael monastery on the Heidelberg Allerheiligenberg there to offer up his donations.

The Elector had a Jewish personal physician named Gottlieb, whom he greatly appreciated as he ever offered protection to the Jews in his country in pursuit and she took willingly.

Establishment of the University of Heidelberg

On October 1, 1386 founded Elector Ruprecht I named after him Heidelberg University; it exists today, making it the oldest university in the bottom of today's Germany. The main reason for its founding by the church dedicated Elector was the Western Schism of 1378, after the death of the returned from Avignon to Rome, Pope Gregory XI. , Mainly French cardinals its Roman successor Urban VI. ignored and in the person of Clement VII chose an anti-pope acceptable to France. Therefore that country and of the German high traffic Sorbonne in Paris were on the side of the Avignon Pope, during the Palatinate strongly supported the Roman pope and did not allow followers of the counterparty to ecclesiastical offices. Although there was also the University of Prague on the part of Rome, but it was dissatisfied with the local curriculum; also wanted to spare the students from the west of the Empire all the way and the expensive stay. In this position, decided Elector Ruprecht I, supported by the learned clergy Marsilius of Inghen, who represented the same positions, establishing an Palatinate University in Heidelberg. On October 18, 1386, the university opened with a solemn Mass, the day after the lectures began. The obtained university seal from that year - leading the Heidelberg University today as the logo - are cause and program's inception back pictorially: In the middle of St. Peter sits a powerful key holding, as a symbol of the papacy on a throne. Elector Ruprecht I, with a beard, kneels right next to it and keeps him courting the Palatine coat of arms with the lion contrary. To the left of the Prince of the Apostles kneeling co-regent and successor Elector Ruprecht II, Peter in the same way the Bavarian diamond crest offereth.

Marriages

Prince Elector Ruprecht I of the Palatinate married in 1350 Countess Elizabeth of Namur ( 1330-1382 ), daughter of Count John I of Flanders and Namur from the house of Dampierre and his wife Countess Marie d'Artois. The marriage remained childless.

His second wife he married in 1385 Princess Beatrix von Berg ( 1360-1395 ), daughter of Duke William II of Berg and his wife Princess Anna, daughter of the Elector Ruprecht later II of the Palatinate. The marriage remained childless.

Rupert died in 1390, was succeeded by his nephew Ruprecht II

Commemoration

1356 pins tete Prince Elector Ruprecht I. due to the testamentary will of his predecessor and brother Rudolf II, the Blessed Virgin Mary, collegiate Neustadt as Memoria for the common family. He had to rebuild the parish church of St. Giles and expand with a glorious choir to the east. The choir area of ​​this new church, today's Neustadter collegiate church, was built according to a pillar inscription 1368. There were buried Elector Ruprecht with his second wife Beatrix of the mountain.

Both tombs and epitaphs are still preserved. The tombs are located in the center aisle of the choir of the collegiate church catholic today, characterized by modern bronze inscriptions. The historical cover plates were removed to protect from the floor and placed it - standing up - to the back wall of the Catholic Church part ( septum to the Protestant area). When the grave was found in 1906 opening a brick made ​​of sandstone shaft before, in the state of the existing of a single hollowed oak trunk coffin. Inside were the bones of the electors and the remains of the Franciscan habit in which he had buried himself as a member of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Around 1910 was pastor Dr. Michael Glaser ( 1863-1915 ) four large statues of the ruler buried here Palatinate Rudolf II and Ruprecht I., and buried at her side wives Beatrix of Berg and Margaret of Sicily -Aragon finished. They were created by the renowned Munich sculptor Professor Hubert Netzer white Kelheimer limestone and are located at the north and south wall of the nave of the Catholic Church part. The sculptures in the style of historicism are modeled on ancient representations. Prince Elector Ruprecht I. carries as the founder of the model Neustadter collegiate church in his hand.

In the Collegiate Church of Neustadt on the Wine Route Wittelsbach two fairs are held every year since 2010 in which the double grave of church founder Elector Ruprecht I. and his wife Beatrice of mountain is solemnly blessed.

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