Hezel of Hildesheim
Encyclopedia
Hezel of Hildesheim, also known as Hezilo, Hezelo, Hettilo or Ethilo (betw. 1020 and 1025–1079), was Bishop of Hildesheim from 1054 to 1079.
family and is likely to have received his theology
training in Bamberg
. Under Emperor Henry III he was a member of the court chaplaincy (Hofkapelle) in 1051/52, initially as the provost
of St. Simon and Jude
in Goslar
and then in 1053 as Chancellor
of Italy
. In 1054 he became the successor to Azelin as Bishop of Hildesheim.
Hezel was concerned to maintain the position of Hildesheim in and around Goslar, the heart of the Salian royal estate, where he and other leading members of the episcopate
(including Adalbert of Bremen and Anno of Cologne) could exploit the situation whilst Henry IV was still a minor. In Goslar, he founded the Church of St. James the Elder.
Hezel's efforts culminated in the Goslar Precedence Dispute
with Abbot
Widerad of Fulda, which escalated at Pentecost
in 1063 in Goslar Cathedral into a bloody massacre in the presence of the young king. According to Lambert of Hersfeld
, a supporter of Widerad, Hezel personally incited the fighters.
During the Saxon Rebellion
and Investiture Controversy
Hezel played a part, sometimes vacillating, sometimes mediating. Initially aligning himself probably more closely with the Saxon opponents of the king, he went over in 1075 more to the side of the king's followers, probably due to Henry's military successes, and was a signatory to the anti-Gregorian Declaration of Worms on 24 January 1076.
Whilst Bishop of Hildesheim Hezel emerged as one of the great builders and patrons of the arts. Hildesheim Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 1046 and which his predecessor, Azelin, had wanted to replace with a large, new building, Hezel had rebuilt on the foundations of the cathedral built by Altfrid
, a former Bishop of Hildesheim. He donated the Hezel Lights in the cathedral and the Hezel Cross for the Church of the Cross (Kreuzstift) founded by him.
Emperor Henry IV granted forest rights (Forstbann) at Coppenbrügge
to Bishop Hezel of Hildesheim in 1062.
Hezel died on 5 August 1079 at Hildesheim and was buried in the Mauritius Church there.
Life
Hezel probably came from a FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
family and is likely to have received his theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
training in Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
. Under Emperor Henry III he was a member of the court chaplaincy (Hofkapelle) in 1051/52, initially as the provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of St. Simon and Jude
Goslar Cathedral
The church known as Goslar Cathedral was the Collegiate Church of St. Simon and St. Jude in the town of Goslar in central Germany. It was built between 1040 and 1050 and stood in the district of the Imperial Palace of Goslar. It was demolished in 1819–1822. Today only the porch of the north portal...
in 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...
and then in 1053 as Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 1054 he became the successor to Azelin as Bishop of Hildesheim.
Hezel was concerned to maintain the position of Hildesheim in and around Goslar, the heart of the Salian royal estate, where he and other leading members of the episcopate
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
(including Adalbert of Bremen and Anno of Cologne) could exploit the situation whilst Henry IV was still a minor. In Goslar, he founded the Church of St. James the Elder.
Hezel's efforts culminated in the Goslar Precedence Dispute
Goslar Precedence Dispute
The Goslar Precedence Dispute escalated at Pentecost in 1063 in the Goslar Collegiate Church of St. Simon and St. Jude from a dispute over the order of seating into an armed confrontation which resulted in several deaths...
with Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
Widerad of Fulda, which escalated at Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
in 1063 in Goslar Cathedral into a bloody massacre in the presence of the young king. According to Lambert of Hersfeld
Lambert of Hersfeld
Lambert of Hersfeld was a medieval chronicler, probably a Thuringian by birth. His work represents a major source for the history of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire in the eleventh century....
, a supporter of Widerad, Hezel personally incited the fighters.
During the Saxon Rebellion
Saxon Rebellion
The Saxon Rebellion or Rebellion of the Saxons refers to the struggle between the Salian royal family and the rebel Saxons during the reign of King Henry IV. This reached its climax in the period from summer 1073 until the end of 1075, in a rebellion that involved armed conflict...
and Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
Hezel played a part, sometimes vacillating, sometimes mediating. Initially aligning himself probably more closely with the Saxon opponents of the king, he went over in 1075 more to the side of the king's followers, probably due to Henry's military successes, and was a signatory to the anti-Gregorian Declaration of Worms on 24 January 1076.
Whilst Bishop of Hildesheim Hezel emerged as one of the great builders and patrons of the arts. Hildesheim Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 1046 and which his predecessor, Azelin, had wanted to replace with a large, new building, Hezel had rebuilt on the foundations of the cathedral built by Altfrid
Altfrid
Saint Altfrid was a leading figure in Germany in the ninth century. A Benedictine monk, he became Bishop of Hildesheim, and founded Essen Abbey. He was also a close royal adviser to the East Frankish King Louis the German.He is a Roman Catholic saint...
, a former Bishop of Hildesheim. He donated the Hezel Lights in the cathedral and the Hezel Cross for the Church of the Cross (Kreuzstift) founded by him.
Emperor Henry IV granted forest rights (Forstbann) at Coppenbrügge
Coppenbrügge
Coppenbrügge is a municipality in the Hamelin-Pyrmont district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximatively 15 km east of Hamelin.The Municipality covers the following villages:* Bäntorf* Behrensen* Bessingen* Bisperode* * Coppenbrügge...
to Bishop Hezel of Hildesheim in 1062.
Hezel died on 5 August 1079 at Hildesheim and was buried in the Mauritius Church there.
Sources
- Lambert of HersfeldLambert of HersfeldLambert of Hersfeld was a medieval chronicler, probably a Thuringian by birth. His work represents a major source for the history of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire in the eleventh century....
: Annalen. Lamperti monachi Hersfeldensis Annales. Neu übersetzt von Adolf Schmidt. Erl. von Wolfgang Dietrich Fritz. (= Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr vom Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe; 13). Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1957,