Willehad

Willehad, originally Vilhaed, (* about 740 in Northumbria, † November 8 789 in Blexen on the Weser ) was for about 770 as a missionary in Frisia and Saxony in the field of active and became the first Bishop of Bremen. Its name means " the strong-willed fighter ."

Life

For about 772 Willehad initially worked in Friesland in the area of Dokkum. Since 780 he proselytized on behalf of Charlemagne on the lower Weser in Gau Wigmodi, then had to take flight, however, the Saxons revolt of 782. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome. He then spent two years in Echternach monastery.

After the baptism of the Saxon leader Widukind in 785 to Willehad immediately went back to his former mission area. Bremen became the center of his ministry. On 13 July 787, he was ordained at Worms in the presence of Charlemagne bishop. Following the example of the Northumbrian church being Willehad let the pastoral care of the Saxons in the district Wigmodi carried out by itinerant priests. Church foundations in the Elbe-Weser area were initially rare.

On All Saints' Day (November 1 ) 789 he consecrated the first cathedral of Bremen, which was a wooden building. A week later he died in Blexen from a severe fever. He was initially buried in a grave chapel at the cathedral. Later, the Wilhadikapelle was built to accommodate the bones Willehads. On November 8, 860, Archbishop Ansgar the remains of the increasingly revered as a saint Willehad patient transfer from the chapel in the cathedral. This day was determined by Ansgar as the feast of the saint, he was a member in 1230 in the Cathedral of the six highest-ranking public holidays and is still known as the Church Remembrance Day. Between North Jutland and Wittenburg, near Hildesheim, the Holy least eighteen churches and chapels were consecrated. . His venerated as relics bones went into the Reformation period however - with the exception of a Kokosnussreliquiar from the Cathedral of Münster - lost. Willehad was also part of the secular city's founding legend of Bremen. The city seal of the 13th century, the famous mural in the upper hall hall and on Domlettner, he poses at eye level against the Emperor Charles, the claimed Bremer in the late Middle Ages as the founder of their city. The 1035 Imperial privileged fair in Bremen was long Wilhadi market until the name of free market prevailed.

Our knowledge of the life Willehads are essentially based on the two following texts treated in the early Middle Ages, which have survived in Latin manuscripts of the 12th century:

Vita Sancti Willehadi

The description of his life ( " Vita " ) was created after 838, but probably not until the middle of the 9th century, probably in the monastery of Echternach, where the Bishop 738/784 stayed. The author is unknown. A formation in Bremen is ruled out, because Archbishop Ansgar, the author of the miracle reports, they did not know. The author presents a model Willehad out, and it is believed that the emphasis on monastic and ascetic features aimed specifically at the Echternach monastery inmates. The presentation contains pleasing concrete information on them based life above data at all time typical usual idealization. In addition, it contains two important statements. The first line of thought concerns the description and the imperial coronation of Charlemagne Rating: " It is the earliest reference to [ the ] ... transmission of the continuing Roman Empire the Franks, a thought that should characterize the history of Central Europe sustainable" (A. Röpcke ). Secondly, the Vita is of particular importance for the history of Bremen, which is mentioned here for the first time, his appreciation for the bishopric and mission center from which the bishopric of Bremen arose, as well as hints for the first cathedral construction can be developed.

Miracula Willehadi

The Miracle of Saint Willehad wrote Archbishop Ansgar to between 860 and his death in 865. He describes in 36 individual cases that seeing his grave blind, lame and crippled, the deaf and dumb were healed. Exact provenance of the sick call a number of place names from the Bremen area for the first time.