Saint Gall

St Gallus (Latin for the Celt ) (c. 550 in Ireland, or in space Vosges - Alsace, † 16 October 640, according to other sources 620 or 646-650 in Arbon, Switzerland ) was a monk and missionary, before all worked in the Lake Constance area. He is considered the founder of the city of St. Gallen and is, together with Otmar, patron saint of the city and diocese.

Life

The hagiography of St. Gallus survives in three versions. The Urvita from the late 7th century - the so-called Vita Sancti Galli vetustissima - is not completely preserved; the two edits from the 9th century by the monks of Reichenau Wetti and Walahfrid Strabo are fully preserved. Content, the authors have not changed the oldest version and is limited in its processing mainly on linguistic improvements. The third and final version by Walahfrid learned the widest distribution.

Origin

The origin of St. Gallus is controversial. As the hagiographies of the Reichenau monks Wetti and Walahfrid report from the 9th century, he came from Ireland and came in the wake of the wandering monk Columbanus of Luxeuil on the European continent. Also a genealogy from the 9th century suggests the Irish origin of the holy Gallus and so was this for granted before it was provided by the research in question until the second half of the 20th century. The resulting therefrom and still current discourse first brought forth two theories. The first provides Gallus as Irish, and explains this with his Irish environment. The second denies his Irish ancestry. The Romanist Gerold Hilty believes that this would come from the bilingual space Vosges Alsace due to its investigations of Gallus ' language skills. A two interpretations linking approach yielded the historian and theologian Max archipelago. In his opinion, the holy Gallus was a man of Irish descent, who was born in a bilingual region, probably in Alsace, and grew up.

Missionary activity

To 590 the Abbot Columba founded the monastery of Luxeuil in the Vosges Mountains, where the holy Gallus was one of his students. From Luxeuil from the two moved around the year 610, together with other monks into Allemania. There is disagreement, however, where Gallus and Columbanus be met for the first time. The hagiographies report that was born in Ireland Gallus had entered the monastery of Bangor, Northern Ireland today, from where he moved to Luxeuil with Columban and other brothers. Recent research by Gerold Hilty, however, assumes that Gallus was born in eastern France, and thus only while Columbanus activity in Luxueil joined the Irish and became his disciple.

The mission trip was the Community Columban Metz up the Rhine and Zurich and finally Tuggen in the room Bregenz at Lacus Brigantinus, today's Lake Constance. In Bregenz, they met a Christian community that had partially turned to paganism. Here and previously in Tuggen destroyed the faith people the statues of local deities and threw them into the lake. This brought the missionaries to the inhabitants against him; missionary failed.

Also in Arbor Felix (today Arbon ), there was a Christian settlement. After a few years broke Columban of Luxeuil, together with his companions, to Bobbio in Italy. The Gallus legend, Gallus had to stay because of a serious illness in Arbor Felix. In fact, it was probably a serious rift with Columban, who had his students occupied by a measurement and forbidden to preach, the Gallus during the life of Columbanus did not dare to disobey.

After a long stay in Arbor Felix Gallus to follow in the Brigantinus Lacus (Lake Constance) which opens the river Steinach 612 decided, along with his companions Hiltibod. They moved along the creek in the forest in Arbon ( the whole area from Lake Constance to the Appenzell region was then jungle ) and came to the waterfall at the Mühleggschlucht. Here Gallus stumbled and fell into a bush. This he interpreted as a divine sign to stay here. Many representations of Gallus therefore are subtitled with the Latin Bible verse:

" Haec requies mea in saeculum saeculi [ hic habitabo Quoniam elegi eam ] "

"This is the place of my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I like that. ( After LUT) "

The Legend of Gallus and the bear

A well-known legend of St. Gallus reports on the following night: While Hiltibod slept, Gallus was still awake, when suddenly a bear. Gallus not let himself be intimidated, even when the bear stood up. Gallus commanded the bear in the name of the Lord, to throw a piece of wood into the fire. The bear obeyed and carried the wood to the fire. Then Gallus gave the Bears a loaf of bread, under the condition that he let himself look any more. Hiltibod, who had been listening, said to Gallus: " Now I know that the Lord is with thee, when even the animals of the forest obey your word. " Bear never showed up again. The bear was later the heraldic animal of the city of St. Gallen. ( → History of the city of St. Gallen)

The bear is also Gallus ' foremost insignia, he is almost always shown with a bear at his side.

Life in the hermitage and death

Gallus and further subsequent companions built a hermitage, which was dedicated to Mary, the Holy Burgundy Desiderius and Mauritius. Gallus lived as a hermit, but gained many disciples around him and fought against pagan customs.

In the year 612, the Alemanni Duke Gunzo convened a synod of all the tribal chiefs and important cleric to fill the vacant seat of the Bishop of Constance again. He wanted to make Gallus bishop, perhaps because he had his daughter cured of a serious illness. Gallus did not want this, and already came up with another monk, John, to this meeting to propose him as a bishop. The Duke spoke about this desire, and after three years of training by Gallus John Bishop of Constance have become. Gallus but continued to live an ascetic life withdrawn.

On October 16, 640 (according to other sources: 620 or 646-650 ) died, St. Gallus after his last sermon in Arbon. This day, the Saint Gall is still celebrated today. His grave became a place of pilgrimage and he was venerated especially in southern Germany, Alsace and German-speaking Switzerland, its main impact area.

Afterlife

Around 1350, the head of St. was. Gallus transferred from St. Gallen to Prague, where it ( Havla Kostel sv. ) Is preserved in the Old Town of Prague as a relic in the same church.

Even more places and churches were named after Gallus.

• Gallen, St. Gallen Kirch, Gallneukirchen, Rüeterswil, bile Weiler
• Gallus Church

Name-day

The day of St. Gallus coincides with the holy Hedwig on October 16. The Bauer rule for this day rhymes: Hedwig and St. Gall ' make the snow weather all'. This Memorial Day is found in the calendars of the Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Swell

• Raphael Baer ( ed.): St Gallus. Biography by the Latin Vita sancti Galli (Intellectual Heritage Switzerland, Volume 4 ) Publisher Bear, Niederuzwil 2011, ISBN 978-3-9523212-7-0, pp. 9-56.
• Bruno Krusch (ed.): Vita S. Galli auctore Wettino (MGH Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 4 ), Hannover 1902, reprint 1977 ( pp. 256-280 ).