Widukind of Corvey

Widukind of Corvey (* 925 or 933/35; † February 3 after 973 in Corvey ) was a Saxon historian. He is the author of the Res gestae Saxonicae, a "Saxon history ", which is one of the most important and most discussed sources of Ottonian.

Life and work

You may Widukind is a descendant of the Saxon duke Widukind, an opponent of Charlemagne because of the name similarity. Widukind stepped in front of 942, still under Abbot Volkmar I., in the Benedictine monastery of Corvey one. After the earlier research, it was assumed that he has entered the age of 15 to the monastery. His year of birth was therefore set to 925. According to another opinion Widukind has been registered " as a boy 6-8 years " in the Corveyer list. Therefore, his birth year is also dated to about 933/35. Prior to Saxony history Widukind had written other works that are lost. In the monastery he wrote 967-968 ( then continued to 973 ) The history of Saxony Widukind of Corvey in three books (Latin: Widukindi monachi Corbeiensis rerum libri tres gestarum Saxonicarum ), dedicated to the daughter of Otto I, Matilda, the first Abbess of the Quedlinburg. Otto I should have Widukind to 30 seen about 28 times.

Saxony history

Content

The Saxons story consists of three books. Each book has a preface. The prefaces are also overrides dedication and addressed to the Abbess Mathilde. The first book of the Saxon story reported on the early history of the Saxon tribe to the death of Henry I (936). The second book describes the events of the royal collection of Otto I to the death of his first wife Edgitha ( 946 ). The third book originally extended only to the year 967, by Widukind until the death of Otto I (May 7, 973) but was then continued. Characteristic of Widukind's historical thinking and his work was the influence of the Roman historian Sallust.

In his work, he handed the master saga of Saxony and was also the most vivid testimony to the time of Henry I. and Otto I, the latter is the main focus of his work. Widukind is imbued with the size and importance of the Saxon tribe in the past and his ascended to the East Frankish kingdom rulers of his time. Hagen Keller has worked out the biblical reference points in the history of Saxony. After the basement are the words which the kings Henry and Otto resulted in Saxony history before the fight Hungary, guided by the Maccabees.

Widukind be central events such as the coronation of Emperor Otto I in 962 Rome, the founding of the dioceses of Brandenburg and Havel mountain and the establishment of the archbishopric of Magdeburg 968 unmentioned. Nevertheless, Widukind's work is the central source for the early Ottonian period and the historian takes for the time almost the status of a " star witness " a. Widukind was not only used for questions about the workings of the Ottoman state and society, but also for issues and topics of national defense, the military organization as well as gestures and rituals explored. His work is highly controversial because of its strong tendency prosächsischen and a number of dubious statements from late retrospect in his source value. Be hotly debated his statements to the transition of the reign of Conrad I to Henry I ( 918) and coronation of Otto I (936).

Dating

The exact date of composition of the work has been controversial for a long time. The imperial coronation of Otto I in Rome and the establishment of the archbishopric of Magdeburg can Widukind unmentioned. The fact is actually to be drawn conclusion this version was created before 962, does not fit together with the mention of other events and was finally rejected by Edmund E. Stengel, by working out the concept of a " romfreien " Empire. So also the never emperor Henry I. crowned him Imperator (I 39) and Otto I, this term is obtained after the victorious battle against the Hungarians in 955 (III 49). Recently took John Laudage another attempt at dating and intention of Widukind. In his view, Widukind have written the history of Saxony for Archbishop William of Mainz, when he was still opposed to the formation of Magdeburg, so the work was created before 965. When Wilhelm changed his mind, Widukind wrote the work order for the emperor's daughter Mathilde.

Tradition

Widukind's work survives in five manuscripts from the 11th to the 16th century and in the 10th century and also rezipiert later by numerous historians.

History of Research

For a long time remained the picture of good faith, almost naive, but in any case non-political monk predominant, the addition barely glanced over his monastery walls. An image that was not dispelled entirely today. Due to the great importance of the Saxons history as a source, Widukind is often interpreted as intellectually outstanding personality. 1950 represented Helmut Beumann his vision of a stringent historiographical conception, a more nuanced political worldview and political objectives Widukind who would not shrink before a subtle criticism of the ruler. Starting from the fact that historiography never " immediate precipitation historic event ," but " always in perspective (s), if not tendentious (s)" is representation, Beumann asked consistently for the " intellectual horizon of the author ", understood history as " immediate precipitation of intellectual discussion of individual contemporaries with the historical events. " For Widukind research Beumann made ​​still valid knowledge since it was first comprehensively examined the source and was able to gain critical business insights into presentation purpose and intentions of Widukind. Beumanns work is fundamental in terms of Widukind's narrative, plant structure and political world of thought until today.

Modern research characterizes Widukind with the ambiguous review " game man in the cassock" because fiction and reality have interwoven indistinguishable in its presentation.

Widukind's portrayal of King Henry I. Survey solved by the frontal critique of Johannes Fried in 1993 a fundamental controversy about the performance of a memory culture. After the keep -derived ethnological work thesis on unwritten cultures, the representation of the historian adapted flexibly to " the circumstances of the particular place and moment on, in which it was told ." The develops thereby view of the past was "with the actual story never identical ." According to Fried's conclusion you have with Sachsen story a " fail- saturated construct" in front of him.

In contrast, Gerd Althoff Widukind tried to save as source. After Althoff the freedom to change and thus also to the deformation had been very limited when it came to matters in which the powerful had a current interest. Any modifications were therefore not possible. The expectations of the powerful, of course also led to euphemisms and idealizations. Secondly the objects of numerous anecdotes, dreams and visions, which are often found in the Ottonian historiography mention a argumentative core, is practiced with the criticism of the powerful. After Althoff the Saxons history had the character of a handbook. After the death of Archbishop William of Mainz 968 Mathilde was the only representative of the Ottonenhauses north of the Alps. The Saxons history should the young emperor's daughter Matilda with the contemporary historical information supply ( Saxon self-image, performance of the Ottonian kings, knowledge of the conflict between the King and the Great). Taking away the character of a mirror for the Prince of Saxony history, so also the focus of the work and the omissions ( Italian policy and of the Missionary and church politics ) for the tasks Mathilde would explain after 968 Althoff. Althoff's conclusion is therefore: " The witness is trustworthy. " Althoff was also from new research findings, such as those for Memorial tradition and its " rules of the game to the medieval conflict management ", confirm the most important statements of Widukind.

Hagen Keller reported on fundamental concerns of being able to win by ethnology research on oral Tradierungstechniken in almost preliterate cultures on an author as Widukind, who had formed a literary transferred. Keller has pointed out that it is 967/68 were still eyewitnesses who had witnessed from the time of Henry I. the events. At her memory could not be told over.

To date, it remains controversial whether " has been filled in the past history of Saxony imaginatively with content " or a " well- thought-out overall design " exists.

Text output

Critical Edition

• Paul Hirsch, Hans -Eberhard Lohmann (eds.): Widukindi monachi Corbeiensis rerum libri tres gestarum Saxonicarum. Hannover 1935 (MGH Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum separatim editi, Volume 60 ). ( Digitized )

Translation

• Albert Bauer, Reinhold Rau ( ed.): The Saxons history of Widukind of Korvei. (lat. / dt. ). In: sources on the history of the Saxon Empire. 5th edition. University Press, Darmstadt 2002, ISBN 978-3-15-007699-6, pp. 1-183. ( = Selected sources on German history of the Middle Ages. Freiherr- vom-Stein Memorial Edition, Volume 8).

Secondary literature

Monographs

• Helmut Beumann: Widukind of Corvey. Studies on the history and the history of ideas of the 10th century. Weimar 1950 ( basic study).
• Franz Josef Schroeder peoples and rulers of eastern Europe in the world view of Widukind of Korvei and Thietmar of Merseburg. Dissertation, Münster 1975.

Papers

• Gerd Althoff: Widukind of Corvey. Witness and challenge. In: Early medieval studies. 27 (1993 ), pp. 253-272. (Also:. . Staged rule historiography and political action in the Middle Ages Darmstadt 2003, pp. 78-104 )
• Helmut Beumann: Historiographical Conception and political objectives of Widukind of Corvey. In: La storiografia altomedievale. Spoleto 1970, p 857-894.
• Hagen Keller: Widukind's report on the Aachener election and coronation of Otto I in: Early medieval studies. 29 (1995 ), pp. 390-453.
• John Laudage: Widukind of Corvey and the German historical scholarship. In: ders: (ed. ): From facts and fictions. Medieval histories and their critical analysis. Böhlau. Cologne, inter alia, 2003, ISBN 3-412-17202-2, pp. 193-224.
• Bernd Schneidmüller: education and politics. For Saxony Widukind of Corvey history. In: Reports of the Minden Historical Society, Volume 53 (1981 ), pp. 143-150.
• Bernd Schneidmüller: Widukind of Corvey, Richer of Reims and the changing political consciousness in the 10th century. In: Carl Richard Brühl, Bernd Schneidmüller (ed. ): Contributions to the medieval empire and nation-building in Germany and France. Munich 1997, pp. 83-102. ( Historical Journal. Beihefte NF 24)
• Helmut Vester: Widukind of Korvei - an example of the influence of Sallust. In: A Classics teaching. 21/1 (1978 ), pp. 5-23.

Encyclopedias

• Gerd Althoff: Widukind of Corvey. In: Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Vol 9, Munich 1998, Sp 76-78.
• Wattenbach: Widukind. In: General German Biography (ADB ). Volume 42, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1897, pp. 369 f
• Klaus wet: Widukind. In: Author lexicon. Vol 10, 1000-1006 Sp.
• Matthias Springer: Widukind of Corvey. In: Lexicon of Germanic Antiquity ( RGA). 2nd edition. Volume 33, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2006, ISBN 978-3-11-018388-7, pp. 586-592.