Saint Sturm

Sturmius (rarely also Sturmio, in the sources but mostly not in Latinized form Sturmi, Sturmis, occasionally Styrmi, Styrme in older secondary literature usually called storm ); * Well after 700 scion " of a West Bavarian landowner family from the Sempt - Isengebiet far from Freising ," according to a local tradition in Aiglsdorf market Nandlstadt; † ca December 17 779 in Fulda) was a missionary, founder and first abbot of the monastery of Fulda.

Church History circumstances of the time

Sturmis life in the era of Anglo-Saxon Mission of the 8th century on the continent. As a student of the most important in the Anglo-Saxon missionaries, who at that time as monachi peregrini ( pilgrim monks ) to spread the Christian faith among the still unconverted or only superficially with Christianity -down in contact Germanic tribes of the Bavarians, Alemanni, Franconia, Thuringia, Frisians and Saxons to the continent came of Winfried Boniface, he supported this in building a church organization and infrastructure in the main Frankish- Thuringian region. The key was his role as a founding abbot of the later imperial abbey of Fulda, which played an important role as a base of Saxony mission and also in the military security of Charlemagne conquered Saxony ( Eresburg ) as well as a cultural center in the east of the Rhine Germania north of the Main. Important for the future of the monastery Sturmis was successful struggle for its independence and to the relics of St. Boniface, which were also of Mainz as his official residence and Dokkum, his place of death, claimed.

Life

Most of the information about the life of Sturmius come from the written by Sturmis kindred and later Fulda Abbot Eigil of Fulda Vita Sturmi, for their much-discussed, important for the interpretation of dating a later approach seems to enforce in the period 818-820, with the result that the review is carried out on the founding figure and founding story from the perspective of the initiated by Abbot Ratgars fall 817 monastic reform. The early Sturmi chronology is uncertain. There is a dispute in which the three voyages of Winfried Boniface after Bayern came to the meeting with Sturmi that was him still as a boy (probably as puer oblatus ) entrusted by his parents. Most likely is the first trip (around 719 ), while also contemplated heading during one of the later voyages of probably 734 and 738, as former the reorganization of church organization in the Bavarian and Austrian region performed (foundation of bishoprics of Salzburg, Regensburg and Passau and Freising ), would bring different chronological difficulties. He joined Boniface and was educated at the Benedictine abbot at Fritzlar Wigbert. In northern Hesse room he was traveling as a missionary, where he, but probably only 742/743 in Haerulfisfeld (today Bad Hersfeld ) established a monastic hermitage by uncertain tradition 736. At an unspecified time, he was ordained a priest in Fritzlar. In the year 744 he was commissioned by Boniface, in an area called Eichloha (presumably it was the name of a centering mark or hundred in Altgau Buchonia ) to found a monastery. The land, four miles to the new monastery, was a gift of the Frankish mayor of the palace, Carloman, which was supplemented on the initiative of the local landowners. Since the latter are said to have been handed down to Sturmi, and the receiver is likely that, rather than Boniface, have been the Karl Mann Foundation. The monastery was built Sturmi at a ford over the Fulda, where presumably a about 50 years ago devastated by Saxony manor had found.

After the establishment phase Abt Sturmi was sent in the years 747 and 748 for a longer stay in the monastery of St. Benedict of Nursia Monte Cassino in Italy, there to meet the supposedly urbenediktinischen consuetudines ( life forms ) and to be able to introduce in Fulda. 751 reached Boniface, who must have been concerned about his dwindling influence and uncertainty regarding his succession to the future of his mission and work of reform through which procured on his behalf by Lull called Zacharias privilege of Pope Zacharias I. a limited exemption for the Abbey, the so - rather symbolic - directly to the Pope, and thus became independent of episcopal and secular violence. Responsible for ordinations and other episcopal acts, however, remained the diocesan, in whose district the official act was to be made. However, he was not allowed to act on its own initiative, but had to wait for the invitation ( Invitatio ) by the abbot and convent. This should be after the death of Boniface to violent clashes between the two Boniface students lead the bishop and later archbishop of Mainz Lull and Sturmi.

Despite these circumstances, it was possible Sturmi to assert themselves against the bishops of Utrecht and Mainz and to let bury Boniface in Fulda. This increased the importance of the abbey of Fulda strong. The Abbey thereby received many donations and was made a pilgrimage to an important place of pilgrimage in the East Frankish kingdom, to the many Anglo-Saxons.

Sturmi could hold their own against the bishops of Mainz (or after older conception of Würzburg), who tried to make the exemption of the abbey reversed. Sturmi was denounced in this connection at the house Meier Pippin deposed of this and 763 sent to 765 in the Abbey Jumièges (Normandy) in exile, while the monastery of Fulda, was subordinated under confiscation of Zacharias privilege, Bishop Lull of Mainz. However, he was rehabilitated 765, and Zacharias privilege was refunded. 774 received the abbey of Fulda from Charlemagne the king protection and thus the status of a royal monastery or an imperial abbey. This year Sturmi received a mission area at the Diemel and the Weser for the Abbey. The Abbey of St. Bonifatii in Hameln was founded by Sturmius. Also Minden belonged in this mission area. 779 accompanied Sturmi Charlemagne on a campaign to Saxony, where he fell ill. Soon after his return to Fulda he died.

Cultic worship

Recognize early choice of the prominent burial place of the east choir of Salvator Basilica in Fulda, where shortly afterwards the niece of Boniface, which was later also as a saint venerated abbess Leoba of Tauberbischofsheim († 782 ) buried, lets, that a gradual transition offing of Memoria to cultic worship. The further steps were driven by Eigil abbot of Fulda, a relative Sturmis, who had been more than twenty years in Fulda under Sturmius monk. After the 818 became necessary because of the Kryptenbaus in the new Ratgerbasilika reburial of the two " spiritual children " of Boniface, was 820 whose solemn translation in the south aisle to the altar Ignatius. At least from this point on was Sturmi as a saint and had a prominent place in the landscape of Salvator altar Basilica, which was conceived as an image of salvation history and the history of monasticism. Eigil was also the author of the well- written in terms of the translation and reorganization of Anniversarfeier 820 Vita Sturmi and also prompted the design of a Sturmi fair for the Anniversartag, probably by Rabanus Maurus. In the well going back to Carolingian models illuminated the Fulda Sacramentary of Göttingen ( to 975 ) Sturmi appears in an eschatological image composition for All Saints' Day as a spiritual guide of his monks and kommendiert on the frontispiece, nimbiert as a holy abbot, the Rabanus Maurus the popes Gelasius I and Gregory the Great .. Sturmi thus became the figurehead of the ascetic beginnings of the monastery and its supposedly urbenediktinischen tradition. While Leoba 836 was reburied again and her final resting place in St. Peter on the Petersberg, the relics Sturmis are to this day in the cathedral at Fulda, but due to the construction of the 18th century no longer in its original location. In 1139, Pope Innocent II Sturmi, the first of his relatives Abbot Eigil († 822) seems to have faded into the background so decided funded cult later by officially sacred at the second Lateran Council in Rome. End of October 2009 was inaugurated on the newly designed Fulda Borgiasplatz a life-size bronze statue of the saint, replica of an old wooden sculpture in Malkes district. So finally, a plan was implemented, which as early as 1879 to 1100. Sturmius death had been taken by the city council and citizens' committee.

Remembrance

The Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox feast day is December 17, the day of St. Ignatius, on the Anniversarfeier Sturmis had been moved to this holy festival of Abbot Eigil because of the proximity of his death.

Iconography

.. than holy abbot, nimbiert, barefoot in the Habit on the frontispiece of the Fulda Sacramentary ( saec. X 3/4, Göttingen, Lower Saxony State and University Library 2 Ms. theol 231 Cim, fol 1v; . cf. Gereon Becht - Jördens: Litterae illuminatae the history of a literary form type in Fulda: .. Gangolf Schrimpf (ed.). monastery of Fulda in the world of Carolingian and Ottonian [ Fulda studies 7] Joseph Knecht, Frankfurt am Main 1996, pp. 326-364, here p 355-361; Fig. 5).
As a holy abbot, nimbiert and with book at the top of the Fulda monks of Fulda Sacramentary ( saec. X 3/4, Göttingen, Lower Saxony State and University Library 2 Ms. theol. 231 Cim. , fol. 111r (See Becht - Jördens, Litterae illuminatae the history of a literary form type in Fulda: Gangolf Schrimpf (ed.): monastery of Fulda in the world of Carolingian and Ottonian (see below literature ), pp. 348-351; Christine Sauer, Allerheiligenbilder in book painting.. . Fulda in: Gangolf Schrimpf (ed.): monastery of Fulda in the world of Carolingian and Ottonian (see below literature ), pp. 365-402; Fig. 1).
As a holy abbot, nimbiert and Banner, together with St. Boniface on the frontispiece of the Codex Eberhardi ( saec. XII. , Marburg, State Archives, K. 426 ms, fol 6r. , see Becht - JördensLitterae illuminatae. On the history of a literary. the form type in Fulda: Gangolf Schrimpf (ed.): monastery of Fulda in the world of Carolingian and Ottonian (see below literature) p 357; Fig. 7).
Later representations: see Konrad Kunze, Sturmius of Fulda. In: Encyclopedia of Christian iconography, Vol 8, Herder, Freiburg 1976, Sp 410