Walter () was a Hungarian prelate in the 12th century, who served as

Bishop of Transylvania The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia (); ) is a Latin Church archdiocese in Transylvania, Romania. History It was established as a bishopric, the diocese of Transylvania also called Erdély (in Hungarian), or Karlsburg alias Siebenbür ...

around from 1156 to 1157 (or 1158), during the reign of

Géza II of Hungary Géza II (; ; ; 113031 May 1162) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1141 to 1162. He was the oldest son of Béla the Blind and his wife, Helena of Serbia. When his father died, Géza was still a child and he started ruling under the guardia ...

Career

It is uncertain whether he is identical with that namesake prelate, who was Bishop of Várad from around 1124 to 1138. Walter was elected Bishop of Transylvania sometime after 1139, when his last known predecessor Baranus is mentioned in this capacity. The name of Walter appear four royal charters in the period between 1156 and 1157. He was among the testimonies in 1156, when Martyrius, Archbishop of Esztergom donated the

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

of surrounding 70 villages to the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

Esztergom Esztergom (; ; or ; , known by Names of European cities in different languages: E–H#E, alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the righ ...

. His name is also mentioned, when King Géza II confirmed this donation in the same year. Walter again acted as a testimony in March 1157, when

Gervasius, Bishop of Győr Gervasius (; died after 1157 or 1158) was a Hungarian prelate who served as Bishop of Győr from 1156 to 1157 or 1158. Career Gervasius or Geruasius started his ecclesiastical career as a member of the royal chapel during the reign of Géza II o ...

interceded with Géza II to grant the collection right of salt duties to the archdiocese at Nána and Kakat (present-day Štúrovo,

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

). A non-authentic royal charter allegedly issued in 1158, which contains that Géza II reissued the lost privilege letters of the

Pécsvárad Abbey The Pécsvárad Abbey was a Benedictine monastery established at Pécsvárad in the Kingdom of Hungary in the first decades of the 11th century. Its patrons were the Virgin Mary and Saint Benedict of Nursia. Foundation (1015–1038) The Rom ...

, mentions Walter as bishop too. According to the 18th-century historian Miklós Schmitth, Archbishop Martyrius asked Walter to embrace and support the

Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler dialect, Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sa ...

, who were settled during the reign of Géza II. Walter held his dignity until 1166 at the latest, when

Vilcina Vilcina was a Hungarian prelate in the 12th century, who served as Bishop of Transylvania around the years from 1166 to 1169, during the reign of Stephen III of Hungary. Vilcina or Wulcina was elected bishop sometime after 1157 (or 1158), when ...

is first mentioned as bishop.

Notes

Sources

* * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Walter, Bishop of Transylvania 12th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Hungary 12th-century Hungarian people Bishops of Transylvania