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Saint Germanus of Granfelden (* ca. 612 in
Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
; † 675 near
Moutier Moutier () is a municipality in Switzerland. Currently, the town belongs to the Jura bernois administrative district of the canton of Bern. On 28 March 2021, the population voted to secede from the canton of Bern and join the Canton of Jura; the ...
(today in
canton of Bern The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...
, Switzerland) was the first
abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...
of
Moutier-Grandval Abbey Moutier-Grandval Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near the villages of Moutier and Grandval in today's Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was founded around 640, when Grandval already existed; Moutier grew ...
.


''Vita''

The "Life" of Saint Germanus appears in the eleventh century " Codex of Saint-Gall". It was written about 695 by Bobolène, a priest probably of
Moutier-Grandval Abbey Moutier-Grandval Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near the villages of Moutier and Grandval in today's Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was founded around 640, when Grandval already existed; Moutier grew ...
and later at
Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings ...
. It was composed at the request of the religious brothers Chadoal and Aridius, contemporaries of Abbot Germanus.


Life

Germanus was the second son of Optardus, a wealthy senator in
Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
. His older brother became a courtier, while his younger brother Numerianus eventually succeeded Modoald as Bishop of Trier. Optardus entrusted the young Germanus to Modoald to be educated. At the age of seventeen, Germanus decided to take up the monastic life. He left to join
Arnulf Arnulf is a masculine German given name. It is composed of the Germanic elements ''arn'' "eagle" and ''ulf'' "wolf". The ''-ulf, -olf'' suffix was an extremely frequent element in Germanic onomastics and from an early time was perceived as a mere ...
, who had retired from the bishopric of Metz to a hermitage at a mountain site in his domains in the Vosges to become a monk.Boillon, Claude. "Saints Germano and Randoaldo", Santi e Beati, February 19, 2018
/ref> Germanus stayed for some time with Arnulf who gave him the tonsure and then sent him, with his younger brother Numerian who had come to join him, to the recently founded monastery Remiremont monastery. Driven by a desire for greater perfection, he left with his brother and some religious for
Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings ...
, where Abbot Waldebert received him, conferred on him the priesthood, then around 640 sent him, to organize and govern the monastery of Granfeld (Monasterium Grandis Vallis) or Moutier-Granval, recently founded by
Gundoin, Duke of Alsace Gundoin was the first Duke of Alsace in the middle of the seventh century. He was a Frankish nobleman from the Meuse-Moselle basin. He was, according to the author of the ''Vita Sadalbergae'', an "illustrious man (''vir inluster''), opulent in wealt ...
. Germanus served as abbot for 35 years. His history with Remiremont, Luxeuil, and Granval show his connection to the network of Columbanian establishments. His contacts with Modoald, Arnulf, and Gundoin suggest he supported the Arnulfings. According to legend, Gundoin's successor,
Boniface, Duke of Alsace Bonifacius, often shorteened to Boniface, was the second Duke of Alsace, in the mid 7th century. He is an obscure figure and his background is unknown, but charter evidence and onomastics make him a relative of the families of Gundoin and Wulfoald ...
had trouble keeping the people of the Sornegau from revolting. The situation became worse under his successor
Eticho Adalrich ( la, Adalricus; reconstructed Frankish: ''*Adalrik''; died after 683 AD), also known as Eticho, was the Duke of Alsace, the founder of the family of the Etichonids and of the Habsburg, and an important and influential figure in the pow ...
who wanted to subdue the area around
Delémont Delémont (; fc, D'lémont; german: Delsberg, ) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 12,000 inhabitants . History The area of the municipality was already settled in the middle Bronze Age. Fifteen urn buria ...
. Germanus and his prior Randoald met him for negotiations near
Courtételle Courtételle is a municipality in the district of Delémont in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. History Courtételle is first mentioned in 1178 as ''Curtetele''. Geography Courtételle has an area of . Of this area, or 55.6% is used for ag ...
(southwest of Delémont). After discussions Germanus and Randoald were slain on their way back by supporters of the Duke. The following night the religious collected the bodies and buried them first in
Saint-Ursanne Saint-Ursanne is an old town and a former municipality of the district of Porrentruy in the canton of Jura, Switzerland which has preserved much of its medieval character. The town contains many historical buildings, including a Romanesque abbey c ...
, then in Moutier-Granval.


Veneration

Germanus and Randoald are regarded as martyrs and became very popular. Miracles reportedly took place at their tomb, which became a center of pilgrimage. The remains of the martyrs were then in 1477 transferred under the high altar. Their cult extended throughout the diocese of Basel and throughout the province of Besancon. The progress of Protestantism and a fire at the abbey which had become a collegiate church, of which nothing remains, led the canons to withdraw and transport the relics of the two saints to Délémont in the canton of Bern, where they continue to be venerated. The cult of Saint Germanus is still alive in the Catholic Bernese Jura, where many churches are dedicated to him. His day is 21 February. His
crosier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Cathol ...
, one of the oldest remaining, is kept at ''Musée jurassien d'art et d'histoire'' in Delémont."Germain (saint)", Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz
/ref>


References


External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20140630203258/http://www.abbaye-saint-benoit.ch/saints/germain/index.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Germanus Of Granfelden 675 deaths Medieval Swiss saints Medieval German saints 7th-century Christian clergy German abbots 7th-century Christian saints Year of birth unknown 7th-century Christian monks