Thiemo (''Thimo'', also called ''Dietmar'' or ''Theodinarus''; 28 September 1101/02) was

Archbishop of Salzburg The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg ( la, Archidioecesis Salisburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. The archdiocese is one of two Austrian archdioceses, serving alongside the Archdiocese ...

from 1090 until his death. He is venerated as a

Christian martyr In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at t ...

Life

A scion of the Bavarian comital House of Vornbach (Formbach), Thiemo reportedly was a talented painter and sculptor. He entered the

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 ...

abbey of Niederaltaich and in 1077 became abbot of the St. Peter's Monastery in

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

. Under Archbishop Gebhard, he was caught up in the fierce

Investiture Controversy The Investiture Controversy, also called Investiture Contest ( German: ''Investiturstreit''; ), was a conflict between the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops ( investiture) and abbots of mona ...

as a papal supporter in opposition to German king Henry IV. While Henry had the archbishop expelled, Thiemo likewise, in 1081, went into exile, at first to Mönchsdeggingen and

Hirsau Abbey Hirsau Abbey, formerly known as Hirschau Abbey, was once one of the most important Benedictine abbeys of Germany. It is located in the Hirsau borough of Calw on the northern slopes of the Black Forest mountain range, in the present-day state of ...

in Swabia, later to

Admont Admont is a town in the Austrian state of Styria. It is historically most notable for Admont Abbey, a monastery founded in 1074. Gesäuse National Park, in which Admont lies, is an area of outstanding beauty. The town is situated in the middle of ...

, Styria. In 1086 Thiemo was able to return to Salzburg, together with Gebhard, whom he succeeded after his death two years later. Elected archbishop on 25 March 1090, he received the holy orders on April 7, confirmed by Pope Urban II. In 1095 Thiemo attended the

Council of Piacenza The Council of Piacenza was a mixed synod of ecclesiastics and laymen of the Roman Catholic Church, which took place from March 1 to March 7, 1095, at Piacenza. The Council was held at the end of Pope Urban II's tour of Italy and France, which he m ...

, while a domestic conflict with anti-bishop Count Berthold of

Moosburg Moosburg an der Isar (Central Bavarian: ''Mooschbuag on da Isa'') is a town in the ''Landkreis'' Freising of Bavaria, Germany. The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy, it lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m (1381 ft). ...

, who had been appointed by Henry IV in 1085, continued. He was defeated by Berthold's troops in 1097 and escaped to Carinthia, where he was arrested at

Friesach Friesach ( sl, Breže) is a historic town in the Sankt Veit an der Glan (district), Sankt Veit an der Glan district of Carinthia (state), Carinthia, Austria. First mentioned in an 860 deed, it is known as the oldest town in Carinthia. Geography ...

by the forces of the Gurk bishop. Freed by a loyal monk, Thiemo found a refuge in the diocese of befriended Bishop

Gebhard of Constance Gebhard of Constance ( la, Gebhardus Constantiensis; german: Gebhard von Konstanz; 949 995 AD) was a bishop of Constance from 979 until 995. He founded the Benedictine abbey of Petershausen Petershausen is a municipality in the district of Dac ...

Petershausen Abbey Petershausen Abbey (Kloster, Reichskloster, Reichsstift or Reichsabtei Petershausen) was a Benedictine imperial abbey at Petershausen, now a district of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History It was founded as an exempt abbey named aft ...

. In 1101 Thiemo decided to join Duke

William IX of Aquitaine William IX ( oc, Guilhèm de Peitieus; ''Guilhem de Poitou'' french: Guillaume de Poitiers) (22 October 1071 – 10 February 1126), called the Troubadour, was the Duke of Aquitaine and Gascony and Count of Poitou (as William VII) between 1086 an ...

on his crusade to Palestine and did not return. Several traditions concerning his death exist. He may have been taken captive by the Seljuqs of Rûm at Ereğli (Heraclea) in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

in September 1101 or was imprisoned by the Fatimid Caliphate at

Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border wit ...

in the following year. His martyrdom is described being tortured and killed by pulling the intestines out of his body with a spindle. He was never formally

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...

but is commemorated as a martyr by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. His

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...

is 28 September.Namenstag Thiemo
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References

External links

* {{Authority control Roman Catholic archbishops of Salzburg Benedictines 11th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the Holy Roman Empire 12th-century Roman Catholic martyrs 1040s births