Benno II of Osnabrück
Encyclopedia
Benno II, Bishop of Osnabrück
was born at Luningen in Swabia
and died 27 July 1088, in the Benedictine monastery of Iburg near Osnabrück
.
His parents sent him at an early age to the monastic school
of Strasburg
where the learned Herman Contractus of Reichenau
was then teaching. Having completed his education and made a pilgrimage to Palestine
, he taught for some time at Speyer
in Rhenish Bavaria.
On account of his skill in architecture he was made imperial architect by Emperor Henry III and, as such, supervised the construction of numerous castles and churches in the empire. When the Rhine, which flowed close to the Cathedral of Speyer, threatened to undermine its foundations, Benno saved the structure by changing the course of the river.
In 1047 he became teacher at the Benedictine school of Goslar
(Hanover
) and, shortly after, was made head master of the cathedral school at Hildesheim
. In 1051 he accompanied Azelin, bishop of Hildesheim, on the emperor's Hungarian campaign and upon his return was made provost of the Cathedral of Hildesheim and archpriest
at Goslar.
In 1069 Benno was consecrated Bishop of Osnabrück, then vacant through the death of Benno I. During the conflict between Pope Gregory VII
and Emperor Henry IV, Benno for a long time sided with the emperor. When, at the Synod of Worms
, in 1076, Gregory VII was deposed, Benno, like most other German bishops, signed the formula of deposition and incurred ecclesiastical excommunication. With some other excommunicated bishops, Benno hastened to Italy, where the pope freed them from the ban at Canossa
, before Henry himself arrived there.
After the emperor's second excommunication, Benno tried to bring about a reconciliation. With Liemar, Archbishop of Bremen
he commissioned the anti-papal polemic of Wido of Osnabrück, around 1085. (However, he did not author the Gesta Romanae ecclesiae contra Hildebrandum of Cardinal Beno.)
He retired to the monastery of Iburg, which he had founded in 1070. In a little house near the monastery he lived according to the rule of the monks during the week, while on Sundays and holidays he assisted at his cathedral in Osnabrück.
Strunck and Heitemeyer include him in the list of saints. Kerler says that he is invoked against grasshopper
s, because he once dispersed them by his prayers.
Bishop of Osnabrück
The Bishop of Osnabrück is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück, the current incumbent is Franz-Josef Hermann Bode. Theodor Kettmann is his auxiliary bishop.- List of Bishops of Osnabrück :*Paul Ludolf Melchers...
was born at Luningen in Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
and died 27 July 1088, in the Benedictine monastery of Iburg near Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
.
His parents sent him at an early age to the monastic school
Monastic school
Monastic schools were, along with cathedral schools, the most important institutions of higher learning in the Latin West from the early Middle Ages until the 12th century. Since Cassiodorus's educational program, the standard curriculum incorporated religious studies, the Trivium, and the...
of Strasburg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
where the learned Herman Contractus of Reichenau
Reichenau Island
Reichenau Island lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany, at approximately . It lies between Gnadensee and Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was completed in 1838...
was then teaching. Having completed his education and made a pilgrimage to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, he taught for some time at Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
in Rhenish Bavaria.
On account of his skill in architecture he was made imperial architect by Emperor Henry III and, as such, supervised the construction of numerous castles and churches in the empire. When the Rhine, which flowed close to the Cathedral of Speyer, threatened to undermine its foundations, Benno saved the structure by changing the course of the river.
In 1047 he became teacher at the Benedictine school of Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
(Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
) and, shortly after, was made head master of the cathedral school at Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
. In 1051 he accompanied Azelin, bishop of Hildesheim, on the emperor's Hungarian campaign and upon his return was made provost of the Cathedral of Hildesheim and archpriest
Archpriest
An archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
at Goslar.
In 1069 Benno was consecrated Bishop of Osnabrück, then vacant through the death of Benno I. During the conflict between Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
and Emperor Henry IV, Benno for a long time sided with the emperor. When, at the Synod of Worms
Synod of Worms
The Synod of Worms was an ecclesiastical synod convened by the Emperor Henry IV in January 1076, at Worms, Germany. It was intended to agree a condemnation of Pope Gregory VII, and Henry's success in achieving this outcome marked the beginning of the Investiture Controversy.Of the 38 German...
, in 1076, Gregory VII was deposed, Benno, like most other German bishops, signed the formula of deposition and incurred ecclesiastical excommunication. With some other excommunicated bishops, Benno hastened to Italy, where the pope freed them from the ban at Canossa
Canossa
Canossa is a comune and castle town in Emilia-Romagna, famous as the site where Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did penance in 1077, standing three days bare-headed in the snow, in order to reverse his excommunication by Pope Gregory VII...
, before Henry himself arrived there.
After the emperor's second excommunication, Benno tried to bring about a reconciliation. With Liemar, Archbishop of Bremen
Liemar, Archbishop of Bremen
Liemar was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1072 to 1101, and an important figure of the early Investiture Contest.He was a supporter of Emperor Henry IV from 1073...
he commissioned the anti-papal polemic of Wido of Osnabrück, around 1085. (However, he did not author the Gesta Romanae ecclesiae contra Hildebrandum of Cardinal Beno.)
He retired to the monastery of Iburg, which he had founded in 1070. In a little house near the monastery he lived according to the rule of the monks during the week, while on Sundays and holidays he assisted at his cathedral in Osnabrück.
Strunck and Heitemeyer include him in the list of saints. Kerler says that he is invoked against grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s, because he once dispersed them by his prayers.