Solomon III (died 919) was the
Bishop of Constance
The Prince-Bishopric of Constance, (german: Hochstift Konstanz, Fürstbistum Konstanz, Bistum Konstanz) was a small ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-12th century until its secularisation in 1802–1803. In his du ...
from 890 to his death. In 885, the
Emperor Charles III made him
archchancellor
An archchancellor ( la, archicancellarius, german: Erzkanzler) or chief chancellor was a title given to the highest dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, and also used occasionally during the Middle Ages to denote an official who supervised the ...
of the Empire, for Konstanz was then the greatest diocese in
Swabia
Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.
The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
, which had been Charles' original kingdom and was still his home most of the time. As well as bishop, he was also abbot of
Reichenau and
Saint Gall
Gall ( la, Gallus; 550 646) according to hagiographic tradition was a disciple and one of the traditional twelve companions of Columbanus on his mission from Ireland to the continent. Deicolus was the elder brother of Gall.
Biography
The ...
, immensely powerful abbeys in
Swabia
Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.
The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
. Solomon founded a church in honour of
Saint Magnus at Saint Gall.
Solomon was a warlike prelate, originally an ally of both King
Louis the Child
Louis the Child (893 – 20/24 September 911), sometimes called Louis III or Louis IV, was the king of East Francia from 899 until his death and was also recognized as king of Lotharingia after 900. He was the last East Frankish ruler of the Car ...
and Count Palatine
Erchanger
Erchanger (or Erchangar) (c. 860/880 – 21 January 917) was the duke of Swabia from September 915 to his death. He was the son of Berthold I, count palatine of Swabia, who is sometimes called Erchanger as well, in which case the duke is Erchanger ...
in the wars for the Swabian dukedom against the Burchards. He was influential in the execution of
Burchard I in 911, but he left his alliance with Erchanger when the latter allied with King
Conrad I. Erchanger even imprisoned Solomon in 914. Conrad, however, supported the bishop and freed him.
Conrad later had Erchanger beheaded.
Switzerland
by Hug, Lina, Mrs, Published 1920
Notes
External reading
*
919 deaths
Roman Catholic bishops of Constance
Bishops in the Carolingian Empire
10th-century German bishops
Abbots of Saint Gall
Year of birth unknown
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