Berowulf or Berowelf (died 26 September 800) was the
bishop of Würzburg
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
from 768 or 769 until his death. Since the 11th century, his name has appeared as ''Bernwelf''. It may also be spelled ''Berowolf'', ''Bernwulf'' or ''Bernulf''. Berowulf's predecessor,
Megingoz, retired in 768.
The first reference to Berowulf as bishop comes from April 769. Prior to his election he was a monk from the local monastery of Sankt Andreas. As bishop, he introduced the rule of
Chrodegang
Chrodegang ( la, Chrodogangus; german: Chrodegang, Hruotgang;Spellings of his name in (Latin) primary sources are extremely varied: Chrodegangus, Grodegandus, Grodegangus, Grodogangus, Chrodogandus, Krodegandus, Chrodegrangus, Chrotgangus, Ruotga ...
to replace that of
Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...
. He had a close relationship with
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
(reigned 768–814), who charged him with the evangelisation of the
Slavs in the upper
Main
Main may refer to:
Geography
* Main River (disambiguation)
**Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany
* Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province
*"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries
...
region.
In 779 he was commissioned to establish a new missionary diocese, the
bishopric of Paderborn
The Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn (german: Fürstbistum Paderborn; Hochstift Paderborn) was an ecclesiastical principality (Hochstift) of the Holy Roman Empire from 1281 to 1802.
History
The Diocese of Paderborn was founded in 799 by Pope ...
, in the east. The first two bishops of that see,
Hathumar and
Badurad, were sent to
Würzburg Cathedral
Würzburg Cathedral (german: Würzburger Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Wür ...
to be educated at the school Berowulf had established. He also grew the
scriptorium
Scriptorium (), literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the writing, copying and illuminating of manuscripts commonly handled by monastic scribes.
However, lay scribes an ...
, and the first catalogue of books in the cathedral library dates from his episcopate. The main part of the list was written in an
Anglo-Saxon hand around 800. A later addition, in a German hand, notes five books which had been lent to
Holzkirchen and
Fulda Abbey
The Abbey of Fulda (German ''Kloster Fulda'', Latin ''Abbatia Fuldensis''), from 1221 the Princely Abbey of Fulda (''Fürstabtei Fulda'') and from 1752 the Prince-Bishopric of Fulda (''Fürstbistum Fulda''), was a Benedictine abbey and ecclesiastic ...
. In all, it contains thirty-five books. It was compiled after 787—since the manuscript fly-leaf contains a copy in the same hand of Charlemagne's letter ''
De litteris colendis
The is a well-known letter addressed by Emperor Charlemagne to Abbot Baugulf of Fulda, probably written sometimes in late 780s to 800s (decade), although the exact date is still debatable. The letter is a very important witness to the Carolingian ...
'' of that year—but probably before 800.
In October 788, Berowulf brought the relics of
Saint Kilian
Kilian, also spelled Cillian or Killian (or alternatively ga, Cillín; la, Kilianus), was an Irish missionary bishop and the Apostle of Franconia (Franconia is nowadays the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labours in the latter h ...
to the cathedral which now bears the saint's name. In 787, he tried unsuccessfully to assert episcopal control over Fulda. His successor in Würzburg was the obscure Liuttrit (800–803).
Notes
Sources
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{{Authority control
800 deaths
Roman Catholic bishops of Würzburg
Year of birth unknown