Sigfrid Of Pannonhalma
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Sigfrid ( hu, Szigfrid; 1300s – 11 March 1365) was a Hungarian
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
friar and prelate in the 14th century, who served as Abbot of Garamszentbenedek from 1330 to 1355, then Abbot of Pannonhalma from 1355 until his death. He was a leading figure of the 14th-century Benedictine reformist movement in Hungary.


Early life

Sigfrid began his ecclesiastical career as a member of the royal chapel in the court of King
Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert ( hu, Károly Róbert; hr, Karlo Robert; sk, Karol Róbert; 128816 July 1342) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of ...
. Later, Charles' son and successor
Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 ...
also referred to Sigfrid as his chaplain. By 1327, Sigfrid became abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Széplak (Krásna, present-day a borough of
Košice Košice ( , ; german: Kaschau ; hu, Kassa ; pl, Коszyce) is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of app ...
, Slovakia). In this capacity, he was among those five abbots in Upper Hungary, who requested the cathedral chapter of Nyitra (Nitra) in October 1327 to transcribe the 1225 papal bull of
Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...
, which calls to hold annual Benedictine chapters.


Abbot of Garamszentbenedek

Sigfrid was elected as abbot of the Garamszentbenedek Abbey (present-day Hronský Beňadik, Slovakia) sometime between 13 August 1329 and 13 July 1330, most likely in the latter year. John, his successor as abbot of Széplak was already mentioned by the last
will and testament A will or testament is a legal document that expresses a person's (testator) wishes as to how their property ( estate) is to be distributed after their death and as to which person ( executor) is to manage the property until its final distributi ...
of
William Drugeth William Drugeth (also Druget, hu, Druget Vilmos, sk, Viliam Druget, uk, Вілмош Другет; 1300s – September 1342) was a distinguished Neapolitan-born Hungarian baron and military leader in the first half of the 14th century. Along w ...
on 9 August 1330. While serving in Garamszentbenedek, Sigfrid proved to be a leading figure of the 14th-century Benedictine reformist movement in Hungary.
Pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...
supported the abbot in his efforts. In his two letters (June 1332), the pope ordered to summon cathedral and collegiate chapters annually and entrusted Sigfrid and Nicholas III of Pannonhalma to organize and conduct the first such meeting in the next year. Simultaneously, Pope John XXII also instructed
Mieszko of Bytom Mieszko of Bytom (b. ca. 1305 – d. bef. 9 August 1344), was a Duke of Siewierz during 1312–1328 (from 1315 only formally), Bishop of Nitra 1328–1334 and Bishop of Veszprém from 1334 to his death. He was the fifth and youngest son of Duke Ca ...
, the Bishop of Nyitra to restore the privileges and revenues of the Garamszentbenedek Abbey upon the request of Sigfrid. According to historian Kristóf Keglevich, Sigfrid resided in the Roman Curia at
Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...
at the time, when these papal bulls were sent to Hungary, thus, he was actively involved in the elaboration of the reform points.
Pope Benedict XII Pope Benedict XII ( la, Benedictus XII, french: Benoît XII; 1285 – 25 April 1342), born Jacques Fournier, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1334 to his death in April 1342. He was the third Avignon pope. Benedict was a careful p ...
continued to support the reformist Benedictine movement. His bull ("''Summi magistri''") also prescribed the holding of annual chapters within the order and instructed four abbots in Hungary – including Sigfrid – to supervise it in 1336. On the other hand, Sigfrid had endeavored to recover of former Benedictine monasteries for the order, which had previously fallen into foreign hands (secular or other ecclesiastical order). In the name of the pope, Sigfrid sent a letter to
Nicholas Dörögdi Nicholas Dörögdi ( hu, Dörögdi Miklós; died 1361) was a Hungarian prelate in the first half of the 14th century. He was elected Archbishop of Esztergom between 1329 and 1330, then Bishop of Eger from 1330 until his death. Ancestry and earl ...
, the
Bishop of Eger The Archdiocese of Eger ( la, Archidioecesis Agriensis) is an archdiocese in Northern Hungary, its centre is the city of Eger. History * 1000: Established as Diocese of Eger * August 9, 1804: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Eger Ordi ...
in 1337 to reclaim former Benedictine monasteries – Kolozsmonostor, Bulcs (Bulci), Bizere, Garáb,
Mogyoród Mogyoród is a small traditional village in Pest County, Hungary. The Battle of Mogyoród took place here on 14 March 1074, between Solomon, King of Hungary and his cousins Géza and Ladislaus, who were claiming rights to the throne. To commemo ...
– unlawfully usurped by others in the territory of his diocese for the Benedictine friars, in addition to the Priory of Béla (Bijela) in the Diocese of Zagreb. Upon the request of Sigfrid and Daniel, the abbot of
Visegrád Visegrád (; german: Plintenburg; la, Pone Navata or ; sk, Vyšehrad) is a castle town in Pest County, Hungary. It is north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend. It had a population of 1,864 in 2010. The town is the s ...
, Archbishop
Csanád Telegdi Csanád Telegdi ( hu, Telegdi Csanád; died 1349) was a Hungarian prelate in the first half of the 14th century. He served as Bishop of Eger from 1322 to 1330, then Archbishop of Esztergom from 1330 until his death. Descending from an old Hungaria ...
transcribed Pope Benedict's letter in June 1338. In the document, Sigfrid was styled as "visitor to the Holy See" ("''visitator per sedem deputatus apostolicam''") which proves his leading role in the Hungarian Benedictine reformist movement. A general council of the Benedictine Order was held in Visegrád between 2 and 6 June 1342, which was co-chaired by Sigfrid alongside William Hammer, the abbot of Pannonhalma. One of the resolutions confirms that Sigfrid successfully recovered the aforementioned abbeys for the Benedictines. During this process, however, the Garamszentbenedek Abbey was forced to incur severe financial expenses. The general council ruled that the superiors of the five recovered abbeys had to compensate Sigfrid and his convent with 400 golden
florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
s. In the spring of 1344, Sigfrid traveled to Avignon and petitioned three cases at the court of
Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bla ...
. Upon his request, the pope instructed the Benedictines in Hungary to strive to save the approximately 40 abbeys that have been declining since the
Mongol invasion The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire ( 1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
by implementation of a common budget and appointment of ''procurator''s in order to perform the necessary tasks. Sigfrid also managed to reach the Benedictines to take over the abandoned Greek-ryte abbey of Szávaszentdemeter in
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
(present-day Sremska Mitrovica,
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
), when Pope Clement instructed Vid Vasvári, Bishop of Nyitra to accomplish it. Sigfrid and his allies were committed to establish an informal connection and a common political position among the Benedictine abbeys in Hungary. Beyond Garamszentbenedek, Sigfrid selflessly defended the interests of the minor and more modest income monasteries, using his influence and personal connections either in the Hungarian royal court or the Holy See. He also maintained good relationship with the professional staff of the judicial courts and the royal chapel. With his efforts, Sigfrid also gained opponents for himself: in June 1340, Boleslaus, the abbot of
Báta Báta is a village in Tolna County, Hungary. References Populated places in Tolna County {{Tolna-geo-stub ...
that he had illegally and unjustly squandered the money of the Benedictines in Hungary. Boleslaus withdrew the charges before witnesses were present at Avignon, possibly under duress. Nevertheless, the momentum of the Hungarian Benedictine reform movement seems to be breaking after 1344. Beside his requests at Avignon, Sigfrid also performed papal mandates in Hungary during his abbacy. Along with
Nicholas Neszmélyi Nicholas Neszmélyi de Poroszló (died 25 July 1360) was bishop of Pécs in the Kingdom of Hungary from 30 March 1346 to 26 March 1360, not long before his death. Life Nicholas was born into a Polish noble family from Silesia. He was a cleric ...
,
Bishop of Pécs A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
and Daniel, the abbot of Visegrád, he was entrusted to investigate circumstances in favor of the establishment of the Diocese of Szepes (Spiš) by Pope Clement VI in April 1348. Subsequently, the investigators summoned all stakeholders in the region to examine the conditions for ascension in December 1348. Despite the efforts, Szepes remained a provostry for centuries. Sigfrid was a confidant of King Louis I. According to historian Sarolta Homonnai, the experience gained during the reform of the Benedictines in Hungary provided him with sufficient legal and diplomatic knowledge to prove himself suitable and to have a place in creating the diplomatic background for the young Hungarian monarch's first Neapolitan campaign. In the preparatory phase, Sigfrid was sent to the court of King
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...
at the turn of 1345 and 1346 in order to gain the political alliance and support of English monarch. According to Edward's charter issued in March 1346, he had negotiated with the abbot and sent his envoy, friar Walter de Mora together with Sigfrid into Hungary. Walter's cost accounting narrates that the English legation had was forced to procrastinate because of Sigfrid, who had spent several days in the cities of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
and Hungary –
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,
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
and
Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; german: Stuhlweißenburg ), known colloquially as Fehérvár ("white castle"), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the regional capital of Central Transdanubia, and the centre of Fejér ...
– during the church holidays, but it is also possible that he completed a diplomatic mission in Germany. They arrived to
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, where Louis' royal camp was set up during the
Siege of Zadar The siege of Zara or siege of Zadar ( hr, Opsada Zadra; hu, Zára ostroma; 10–24 November 1202) was the first major action of the Fourth Crusade and the first attack against a Catholic city by Catholic crusaders. The crusaders had an agree ...
. During his abbacy, Sigfrid has in several cases achieved the confirmation and renewal of the old privileges, rights and proprietary of the Garamszentbenedek Abbey, for instance in 1347 in the occasion of altogether eight royal charters by Louis I. He was also involved in various lawsuits over the lawful possession of landholdings with his neighbors. For instance, the town of Bars (present-day Starý Tekov, Slovakia) contested the abbey's ownership over the surrounding lands Zengő and Szőlen in the 1330s. After a lengthy lawsuit,
Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
Thomas Szécsényi Thomas (I) Szécsényi ( hu, Szécsényi (I.) Tamás; died 1354) was a Hungarian powerful baron and soldier, who rose to prominence during King Charles I's war against the oligarchs. He belonged to the so-called "new aristocracy", who supported th ...
ruled in favor of the Garamszentbenedek Abbey in 1341. Sigfrid also acquired the thirds of duty at Bars for his abbey in 1335, after the decision of
Palatine A palatine or palatinus (in Latin; plural ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
William Drugeth during a general assembly in the province. Sigfrid also became embroiled in conflict with the influential Becsei family; during the same diet, he accused ''
ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
'' Töttös Becsei that his late father Emeric arbitrarily modified the boundaries of their neighboring estates at Kovácsi (today Kozárovce, Slovakia). According to the verdict, Emeric Becsei usurped several lands and revenues of the abbey unlawfully during his lifetime. The abbey land of Knyezsic (today Žitavany, Slovakia) was stormed and looted by the troops of the neighboring Kistapolcsányi (or Tapolcsányi) family – including Nicholas, the king's former tutor, while several serfs were murdered or assaulted. Sigfrid had numerous conflicts with the Tapolcsányis thereafter, for instance in Malonya (present-day a borough of Tesárske Mlyňany, Slovakia). Sigfrid successfully recovered the village Barátka in
Bars County Bars (Latin: ''comitatus Barsiensis'', Hungarian: ''Bars'', Slovak: ''Tekov'', German: ''Barsch'') was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central and southern Slovakia. Today in Slovakia, Teko ...
for the Garamszentbenedek Abbey in 1347, after a long-standing trial. The abbot also tried to defend the monastery's interests and possessions in
Tiszántúl Tiszántúl or Transtisza (literal meaning: "beyond Tisza") is a geographical region of which lies between the Tisza river, Hungary and the Apuseni Mountains, Romania, bordered by the Maros (Mureș) river. Alongside Kiskunság, it is a part of Gre ...
(Transtisia), mostly laid in
Csongrád County Csongrád ( ro, Ciongrad; tr, Conğrad sr, Чонград, Čongrad, archaically also ''Црноград/Crnograd'') is a town in Csongrád County in southern Hungary. History At the time of the Hungarian Conquest (the end of 9th century) the ...
. During the litigation processes, Sigfrid hired professional lawyers, primarily a certain Mikó, son of Hippolytus, who acted in this capacity throughout from 1340 to 1365.


Abbot of Pannonhalma

Sigfrid was transferred to the most important Benedictine monastery, the Pannonhalma Abbey in late 1354 or early 1355.
Pope Innocent VI Pope Innocent VI ( la, Innocentius VI; 1282 or 1295 – 12 September 1362), born Étienne Aubert, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 December 1352 to his death in September 1362. He was the fifth Avignon pope a ...
confirmed his election on 13 April 1355. His abbacy in Pannonhalma proved to be more passive due to his advanced age. In 1356, Pope Innocent VI ordered Sigfrid to install Nicholas Zsigrai, a canon of Esztergom as the new of provost of the collegiate chapter of Hánta (present-day a borough in
Kisbér Kisbér (german: Beer) is a town in northern Hungary, in Komárom-Esztergom county. It is the administrative centre of Kisbér District. The town was first mentioned in 1277. Royal Stud Kisber was home to the Imperial-Royal Stud where a Thoro ...
). In 1358 and 1361, at his request, Louis I of Hungary annulled all previous measures that undermined the monastery's property and rights. His name is associated with the late
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
reconstruction of the abbey building in the local Benedictine historiography, but later excavations contradict this tradition. Sigfrid died on 11 March 1365. His ornate red marble tombstone has survived.


References


Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sigfrid of Pannonhalma 1300s births 1365 deaths 14th-century Hungarian people Hungarian abbots Benedictine abbots Year of birth unknown