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The Abbey of Fulda (; ), from 1221 the Princely Abbey of Fulda () and from 1752 the Prince-Bishopric of Fulda (), was a
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
abbey and ecclesiastical principality centered on
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
, in the present-day German state of
Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
. The monastery was founded in 744 by
Saint Sturm Sturm ( – 17 December 779), also called Sturmius or Sturmi, was a disciple of Boniface and founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery and abbey of Fulda in 742 or 744. Sturm's tenure as abbot lasted from 747 until 779. Life Sturm w ...
, a disciple of
Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
. After Boniface was buried at Fulda, it became a prominent center of learning and culture in Germany, and a site of religious significance and pilgrimage through the 8th and 9th centuries. The ''
Annals of Fulda The ''Annales Fuldenses'' or ''Annals of Fulda'' are East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840) to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Francia with the ...
'', one of the most important sources for the history of the
Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...
in the 9th century, were written there. In 1221 the abbey was granted an
imperial estate An Imperial Estate (; , plural: ') was an entity or an individual of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise signi ...
to rule and the abbots were thereafter
princes of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...
. In 1356, Emperor Charles IV bestowed the title "Archchancellor of the Empress" () on the prince-abbot. The growth in population around Fulda resulted in its elevation to a
prince-bishopric A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to ''Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the Bi ...
in the second half of the 18th century. Although the abbey was dissolved in 1802 and its principality was secularized in 1803, the diocese of Fulda continues to exist.


History


Carolingian period

In the mid-8th century,
Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
commissioned
Saint Sturm Sturm ( – 17 December 779), also called Sturmius or Sturmi, was a disciple of Boniface and founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery and abbey of Fulda in 742 or 744. Sturm's tenure as abbot lasted from 747 until 779. Life Sturm w ...
to establish a larger church than any other founded by Boniface. In January 744, Saint Sturm selected an unpopulated plot along the Fulda River, and shortly after obtained rights to the land. The foundation of the monastery dates to March 12, 744. Sturm travelled to notable monasteries of Italy, such as that of
Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic Church, Catholic, Benedictines, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient ...
, for inspiration in creating a monastery of such grand size and splendor. Boniface was proud of Fulda, and he obtained autonomy for the monastery from the bishops of the area by appealing to
Pope Zachary Pope Zachary (; 679 – March 752) was the bishop of Rome from 28 November 741 to his death in March 752. He was the last pope of the Byzantine Papacy. Zachary built the original church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, forbade the traffic of sla ...
for placement directly under the Holy See in 751. Boniface was entombed at Fulda following his martyrdom in 754 in Frisia, as per his request, creating a destination for pilgrimage in Germany and increasing its holy significance. Saint Sturm was named the first abbot of the newly established monastery, and led Fulda through a period of rapid growth.(1878). "The Monastery of Fulda". ''The Catholic World, A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science'', 28 (165). 301-309. The monks of Fulda practiced many specialized trades, and much production took place in the monastery. Production of manuscripts increased the size of the library of Fulda, while skilled craftsmen produced many goods that made the monastery a financially wealthy establishment. As Fulda grew, members of the monastery moved from the main building and established villages in the outlying territories to connect with non-monastery members. They established themselves based on trade and agriculture, while still remaining connected to the monastery. Together, the monks of Fulda created a substantial library, financially stable production, and an effective centre for education. In 774, Carloman placed Fulda under his direct control to ensure its continued success. Fulda was becoming an important cultural center to the Carolingian Empire, and Carloman hoped to ensure the continued salvation of his population through the religious activity of Fulda. The school at the Fulda monastery became a major focus of the monks under Sturm's successor, Abbot
Baugulf Baugulf (died 8 July 815) was a prominent Benedictine abbot in the Carolingian church. He was the second abbot of the Abbey of Fulda in present-day Germany. He served from 779 to 802 CE and was succeeded by Ratgar. Despite his contemporary prom ...
, at the turn of the century. It contained an inner school for Christian studies, and an outer school for secular, including pupils who were not necessarily members of the monastery. During Boniface's lifetime he had sent the teachers of Fulda to apprentice under notable scholars in Franconia, Bavaria, and Thuringia, who returned with knowledge and texts of the sciences, literature, and theology. In 787 Charlemagne praised Fulda as a model school for others, leading by example in educating the public in secular and ecclesiastical matters. Around the year 807, an epidemic claimed much of Fulda's population. During this time, the third abbot of Fulda, Ratgar, was carrying out construction on a new church started by
Baugulf Baugulf (died 8 July 815) was a prominent Benedictine abbot in the Carolingian church. He was the second abbot of the Abbey of Fulda in present-day Germany. He served from 779 to 802 CE and was succeeded by Ratgar. Despite his contemporary prom ...
.Raaijmakers. ''Sacred time, sacred space, history and identity in the monastery of Fulda''. 93–134 According to the "Supplex Libellus", an account of Fulda's history written by the monks, Ratgar was overzealous, exiling monks opposed to the excessive attention being given to the new church, and punishing those attempting to flee the epidemic that was spreading amongst the population. This prompted a discussion in Fulda as to how the monastery was to be properly run, and the nature of the responsibilities of the monks. Until this point, a focus of the monks had been remembering and recording the lives of the deceased, specifically those who were members of the Fulda monastery, in what was known as the "Annales Necrologici". They sang psalms for their dead to ensure their eternal salvation. Under Ratgar, the focus of the monastery had shifted to that of construction and arbitrary regulation; monks were being exiled for questionable reasons, or punished in seemingly unjust ways. Another matter of concern included who was permitted into the inner monastery; Ratgar was at the time hosting a criminal in the living quarters. The concept of private and public property was also in contention. With the land of Fulda expanding, the monks desired all property to be public rather than create a contention for private land, while Ratgar opposed this perspective. The "Supplex Libellus" also attempted to address the issue of the growing secular responsibilities of the monastery. As the school grew and the communities around Fulda expanded, the monastery was feeling the strain of balancing ecclesiastical obligations with its newfound secular prominence. The monks were successful in their grievances against Ratgar, and Louis the Pious sympathized with them. Agreeing that Ratgar's plans were too ambitions for Fulda, and his punishments too extensive, he exiled Ratgar from Fulda in 817, and Eigil became the fourth Abbot of Fulda. Under Abbot Eigil's leadership, construction of the new church continued at a more moderate pace. He sought to stylize the church after St. Peter's in Rome, adding a notable western transept in the same fashion. The transept was a new architectural style, and in mimicking it, Fulda demonstrated their support to the papacy through tribute. This unique architectural tie, as well as the growing intellectual importance of Fulda, created strong ties with the Roman papacy. Coupled with the tomb of Saint Boniface, Fulda attracted much religious pilgrimage and worship, a site of great significance. In 822, Rabanus Maurus became the fifth abbot of Fulda. He was previously educated at the monastery, and was very academically inclined, becoming both a teacher and head-master at the school before becoming abbot. Understanding the importance of education, the school became the main focus of Fulda under his leadership, and he led Fulda to the height of its importance and success. He established separate departments for the school, including those for sciences, theological studies, and the arts. Rabanus made an effort to collect various additional holy relics and manuscripts of historical significance to Fulda and the surrounding the areas to fortify their prominence in the Frankish Empire. With each relic, the significance of Fulda grew, and more gifts and power were bestowed upon the abbey. Power was, however, not Rabanus's only intent; the increased holiness of the lands also served to bring his monks and pilgrims closer to God. The collection accumulated under Rabanus was largely lost during the looting of Fulda by the Hessians during the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
.


Imperial principality

Succeeding abbots carried the monastery down the same path, with Fulda retaining a place of prominence in the German territories. With the decline of the Carolingian rule, Fulda lost its security and relied increasingly on patronage from independent sources. The abbot of Fulda held the position of primate over all Benedictine monasteries in Germany for several centuries. From 1221 and onwards, the abbots also served as Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, given this rank by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, and resulted in increased secular as well as monastic obligations. The increased importance of Fulda resulted in much patronage and wealth; as a result, the wealthy and noble eventually made up the majority of the abbey's population. The wealthy monks used their positions for their own means, going as far as to attempt to turn monastic lands into their own private property. This caused great unrest by the 14th century, and Count Johann con Ziegenhain led an insurrection, alongside other citizens of Fulda, against Prince-Abbot Heinrich VI, 55th abbot of the monastery. The combination of responsibilities to the empire and corruption of traditional monastic ideals, so highly valued by Boniface and the early abbots, placed great strain on the monastery and its school. In the later Middle Ages, a dean of the monastic school functionally replaced the abbot concerning scholastic management, once more granting it relative independence concerning ecclesiastical functions of Fulda. However, the monastery (and surrounding city) would never regain its status as a great cultural center it once held during the early medieval years. The monastery was dissolved in 1802. The spiritual principality was secularized in 1803 after the ''
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss The ' (formally the ', or "Principal Conclusion of the Extraordinary Imperial Delegation"), sometimes referred to in English as the Final Recess or the Imperial Recess of 1803, was a resolution passed by the ' (Imperial Diet) of the Holy Roman Em ...
'', but the episcopal see continued.Lins, J. (1909)
Fulda
in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved October 20, 2013
The secular territory of Fulda was joined the
Principality of Orange-Nassau The House of Orange-Nassau (, ), also known as the House of Orange because of the prestige of the princely title of Orange, also referred to as the Fourth House of Orange in comparison with the other noble houses that held the Principality of O ...
along with several other mediatized lands to form the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda. Prince William Frederick refused to join the
Confederation of the Rhine The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austrian Empire, Austria ...
and, following the
dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire The dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire occurred on 6 August 1806, when the last Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, abdicated his title and released all Imperial estate, Imperial s ...
in August 1806, fled to Berlin. Fulda was taken over by the French. In 1810 it was given to the
Grand Duchy of Frankfurt The Grand Duchy of Frankfurt was a German satellite state of Napoleonic creation. It came into existence in 1810 through the combination of the former territories of the Archbishopric of Mainz along with the Free City of Frankfurt itself. Histo ...
, but was occupied by
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
from 1813 and by
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
from 1815. the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
resurrected it as the Grand Duchy of Fulda and gave it to the
Electorate of Hesse The Electorate of Hesse (), also known as Hesse-Kassel or Kurhessen, was the title used for the former Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel after an 1803 reform where the Holy Roman Emperor elevated its ruler to the rank of Elector, thus giving him ...
in 1815.


Library and scriptorium

The library held approximately 2000 manuscripts. It preserved works such as
Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...
' ''
Annales Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts. List of works with titles contai ...
'',
Ammianus Marcellinus Ammianus Marcellinus, occasionally anglicized as Ammian ( Greek: Αμμιανός Μαρκελλίνος; born , died 400), was a Greek and Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquit ...
' ''Res gestae'', and the
Codex Fuldensis The Codex Fuldensis, also known as the Victor Codex (, ''Codex Bonifatianus I''), designated by F, is a New Testament manuscript based on the Latin Vulgate made between 541 and 546. The codex is considered the second most important witness to the ...
which has the reputation of serving as the cradle of
Old High German Old High German (OHG; ) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally identified as the period from around 500/750 to 1050. Rather than representing a single supra-regional form of German, Old High German encompasses the numerous ...
literature. It was probably here that an Italian book-hunter in 1417 discovered the last surviving manuscript of Lucretius's
De Rerum Natura (; ''On the Nature of Things'') is a first-century BC Didacticism, didactic poem by the Roman Republic, Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius () with the goal of explaining Epicureanism, Epicurean philosophy to a Roman audience. The poem, writte ...
, which then became enormously influential in humanist circles. Its abundant records are conserved in the state archives at
Marburg Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...
. the Fulda manuscripts have become widely dispersed; some have found their way to the
Vatican Library The Vatican Apostolic Library (, ), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City, and is the city-state's national library. It was formally established in 1475, alth ...
. A notable work that the monks of Fulda produced was the "Annales necrologici", a list of all the deceased members of the abbey following the death of Saint Sturm in 744.Raaijmakers, J. E. (2012) ''The Making of the Monastic Community of Fulda, c. 744 – c. 900''. New York: Cambridge University Press. 292 The monks offered prayer for the dead listed in the Annales to ensure their eternal salvation. While at first this record only contained the names of those at Fulda, as the power and prominence of Fulda grew, so too did the scope of who was to be included in the Annales. Patrons, citizens, and nobles of the area all came to be recorded in this piece of Fulda and its concept of community. The documenting of dates of passing, beginning with Sturm, created a sense of continuity and a reference for the passage of time for the monks of Fulda.Raaijmakers. ''Sacred time, sacred space, history and identity in the monastery of Fulda''. 21-56


List of rulers


Abbots

*
Saint Sturm Sturm ( – 17 December 779), also called Sturmius or Sturmi, was a disciple of Boniface and founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery and abbey of Fulda in 742 or 744. Sturm's tenure as abbot lasted from 747 until 779. Life Sturm w ...
744-779 *
Baugulf Baugulf (died 8 July 815) was a prominent Benedictine abbot in the Carolingian church. He was the second abbot of the Abbey of Fulda in present-day Germany. He served from 779 to 802 CE and was succeeded by Ratgar. Despite his contemporary prom ...
779-802 * Ratgar 802-817 * Eigil 818-822 *
Rabanus Maurus Rabanus Maurus Magnentius ( 780 – 4 February 856), also known as Hrabanus or Rhabanus, was a Frankish Benedictine monk, theologian, poet, encyclopedist and military writer who became archbishop of Mainz in East Francia. He was the author of t ...
822-842 * Hatto I. 842-856 * Thioto 856-869 * Sigihart 869-891 * Huoggi 891-915 * Helmfried 915-916 * Haicho 917-923 * Hiltibert 923-927 * Hadamar 927-956 * Hatto II. 956-968 * Werinheri 968-982 * Branthoh I. 982-991 * Hatto III. 991-997 * Erkanbald 997–1011 * Branthoh II. 1011–1013 * Poppo 1013–1018, also Abbot of Lorsch (Franconian Babenberger) * Richard 1018–1039 * Sigiwart 1039–1043 * Rohing 1043–1047 * Egbert 1047–1058 * Siegfried von Eppenstein 1058–1060, also Archbishop of Mainz * Widerad von Eppenstein 1060–1075 * Ruothart 1075–1096 * Godefrid 1096–1109 * Wolfhelm 1109–1114 * Erlolf von Bergholz 1114–1122 * Ulrich von Kemnaten 1122–1126 * Heinrich I. von Kemnaten 1126–1132 * Bertho I. von Schlitz 1132–1134 * Konrad I. 1134–1140 * Aleholf 1140–1148 * Rugger I. 1148 * Heinrich II. von Bingarten 1148–1149 * Markward I. 1150–1165 * Gernot von Fulda 1165 * Hermann 1165–1168 * Burchard Graf von Nürings 1168–1176 * Rugger II. 1176–1177 * Konrad II. 1177–1192 * Heinrich III. von Kronberg im Taunus 1192–1216 * Hartmann I. 1216–1217 * Kuno 1217–1221


Prince-Abbots

* Konrad III. von Malkes 1221–1249 * Heinrich IV. von Erthal 1249–1261 * Bertho II. von Leibolz 1261–1271 * Bertho III. von Mackenzell 1271–1272 * Bertho IV. von Biembach 1273–1286 * Markward II. von Bickenbach 1286–1288 * Heinrich V. Graf von Weilnau 1288–1313 * Eberhard von Rotenstein 1313–1315 * Heinrich VI. von Hohenberg 1315–1353 * Heinrich VII. von Kranlucken 1353–1372 * Konrad IV. Graf von Hanau 1372–1383 * Friedrich I. von Romrod 1383–1395 * Johann I. von Merlau 1395–1440 * Hermann II. von Buchenau 1440–1449 * Reinhard Graf von Weilnau 1449–1472 * Johann II. Graf von Henneberg-Schleusingen 1472–1513 * Hartmann II. Burggraf von Kirchberg 1513–1521/29 * Johann III. Graf von Henneberg-Schleusingen 1521/29–1541 * Philipp Schenk zu Schweinsberg 1541–1550 * Wolfgang Dietrich von Eusigheim 1550–1558 * Wolfgang Schutzbar (named Milchling) 1558–1567 * Philipp Georg Schenk zu Schweinsberg 1567–1568 * Wilhelm Hartmann von Klauer zu Wohra 1568–1570 * Balthasar von Dernbach, 1570–1606 (exiled 1576–1602) ** Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, Bishop of Würzburg, administrator 1576–1602 * Johann Friedrich von Schwalbach 1606–1622 * Johann Bernhard Schenk zu Schweinsberg 1623–1632 * Johann Adolf von Hoheneck 1633–1635 * Hermann Georg von Neuhof (named Ley) 1635–1644 * Joachim Graf von Gravenegg 1644–1671 * Cardinal Gustav Adolf (Baden) (Bernhard Gustav Markgraf von Baden-Durlach) 1671–1677 * Placidus von Droste 1678–1700 * Adalbert I. von Schleifras 1700–1714 * Konstantin von Buttlar 1714–1726 * Adolphus von Dalberg 1726–1737 * Amand von Buseck, 1737–1756, Prince-Bishop after 1752


Prince-Bishops/Prince-Abbots

* Adalbert II. von Walderdorff 1757–1759 * Heinrich VIII. von Bibra, 1759–1788 * , 1789–1802, remained bishop until 1814


References


Further reading

* ''Germania Benedictina'', Bd.VII: Die benediktinischen Mönchs- und Nonnenklöster in Hessen, 1. Auflage 2004 St. Ottilien, S. 214–375


External links


History of the Bishopric of Fulda

Geschichtsquellen im Netz
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