Life

Arnold's origins are not definitively known. It is assumed he came from the lower Rhenish nobility. He became 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. Andreas in Cologne in about 1124, and was elected the new Archbishop of Cologne in December 1137, after two archbishops had died in that year. After participating in the second election of Conrad III

Conrad III of Germany

Conrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...

 as King of Germany in Coblenz on 7 March 1138, Arnold received his consecration on 3 April 1138. Some time after this date he had a castle built on the Drachenfels

Drachenfels (Siebengebirge)

The Drachenfels is a mountain in the Siebengebirge mountain range near Bonn, Germany. The ruined castle atop the mountain bears the same name...

 ("Dragon's Rock") in the Siebengebirge

Siebengebirge

The Siebengebirge is a German range of hills to the East of the Rhine, southeast of Bonn, consisting of more than 40 mountains and hills. It is located in the municipalities of Bad Honnef and Königswinter. It is of volcanic origin and came into being between 28 and 15 million years ago...

 mountain range near Bonn

Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....

.

In 1146 during the Second Crusade

Second Crusade

The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...

, when the monk Radulphe

Radulphe

Radulphe was a French monk who, without permission from his superiors, left his monastery in France and travelled to the Rhine Valley during the Second Crusade where he preached "that the Jews should be slain as the enemies of the Christian religion."At Cologne Simon "the Pious" was murdered and...

 left his monastery in France and travelled to Cologne and the Rhine Valley

Rhine Valley

The Rhine Valley is a glacial alpine valley, formed by the Alpine Rhine , i.e. the section of the Rhine River between the confluence of the Anterior Rhine and Posterior Rhine at Reichenau and its mouth at Lake Constance....

 to preach pogroms against the Jews, Arnold was one of the churchmen who tried most actively to protect them. He made available to them the castle of Wolkenburg, near Königswinter

Königswinter

Königswinter is a town and summer resort in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, opposite to Bonn, at the foot of the Siebengebirge.- Main sights :...

, which had been built in 1118 by his predecessor archbishop Frederick I to secure his region in the south; and permitted the Jews to arm themselves. He also wrote to Bernard of Clairvaux

Bernard of Clairvaux

Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...

, the influential head of the Cistercians, appealing for his help. Bernard replied with a strong denunciation of Radulphe, and demanded an end to violence against the Jews. When Radulphe continued his campaign Bernard came in person to Germany, "protested energetically against the unchristian behavior of Radulph", and forced the monk to return to his monastery.

Arnold was present for visit of Pope Eugene III

Pope Eugene III

Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...

 to Trier

Trier

Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....

 on 10 November 1147. But in 1149 Eugene III suspended him, on accusations of simony

Simony

Simony is the act of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or for positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus , who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24...

and neglect of his official duties.

Arnold died in Cologne on 3 April 1151, and was buried in the Church of St. Andreas.