Henry of Nördlingen
Encyclopedia
Henry of Nördlingen was a German Catholic priest from Bavaria
, who lived in the 14th century, his date of death being unknown. He was the spiritual adviser of Margaretha Ebner (died 1351), the mystic nun of Medingen
.
, where Henry was the beloved director of a group of mystics which included his mother. In 1335 he set out for Avignon
on a voluntary exile in consequence of the dispute between the pope and the emperor.
He wrote to, or visited, Margaretha Ebner, Johannes Tauler
, Christina Ebner
, Henry Suso
, Rulman Merswin
and other. He translated into High German the book of Mechtilde of Magdeburg and urged other mystics, such as Margaretha Ebner, to write their visions.
His visits and instructions were received by the Cistercians of Kaisheim
, the Dominican nuns of Engelthal
and Medingen, the Bernardines of Zimmern
, and by the Benedictine nuns of Hohewart. To his correspondents he sends books now of theology (Thomas Aquinas
), now of mysticism, with relics, etc.
In 1339, a short while after his return to Nördlingen, his fidelity in abiding by the interdict brought him into a critical position, and he went by way of Augsburg
and Constance
to Basel
, where he found Tauler and where several of the Gottesfreunde followed him from Bavaria.
At Basel (January, 1339), which he now made the centre of his activity, his success in the confessional and pulpit brought crowds to him, especially in 1345. Letters to Margaretha Ebner give an idea of his work, fears, and hopes; in 1346-7 he made several trips to Cologne and Bamberg; then he left Basel, much regretted by the Gottesfreunde, and after a wandering life of preaching in Alsace
(1348-9), while the Black Death
was raging in Germany, he returned to his country (1350), a little before the death of Margaretha Ebner. We then find him in communication with the aged Christina Ebner of Engelthal, but after 1352 nothing more is heard of him.
To his letters must be joined the translation from Low German into High German of the work of Mechtilde, now at Einsiedeln.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, who lived in the 14th century, his date of death being unknown. He was the spiritual adviser of Margaretha Ebner (died 1351), the mystic nun of Medingen
Medingen
Medingen is a village in the commune of Contern, in southern Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 102....
.
Life
The life of Henry is only known from his correspondence and the writings of the Ebners during the period between 1332 and 1351. Of these nineteen years, the first three were spent in or about NördlingenNördlingen
Nördlingen is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, Germany, with a population of 20,000. It is located in the middle of a complex meteorite crater, called the Nördlinger Ries. The town was also the place of two battles during the Thirty Years' War...
, where Henry was the beloved director of a group of mystics which included his mother. In 1335 he set out for Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
on a voluntary exile in consequence of the dispute between the pope and the emperor.
He wrote to, or visited, Margaretha Ebner, Johannes Tauler
Johannes Tauler
Johannes Tauler was a German mystic theologian.- Life :He was born about the year 1300 in Strasbourg, and was educated at the Dominican convent in that city, where Meister Eckhart, who greatly influenced him, was professor of theology in the monastery school...
, Christina Ebner
Christina Ebner
Sister Christina Ebner, O.P., , was a German Dominican nun, writer and mystic.-Biography:...
, Henry Suso
Henry Suso
Henry Suso was a German mystic, born at Überlingen on Lake Constance on March 21, c. 1300; he died at Ulm, January 25, 1366; declared Blessed in 1831 by Gregory XVI, who assigned his feast in the Dominican Order to March 2...
, Rulman Merswin
Rulman Merswin
Rulman Merswin was a German mystic, leader for a time of the Friends of God.He was originally a successful merchant in Strasbourg. In 1347, he retired from business to join the Friends of God as one of mystic Johannes Tauler's disciples....
and other. He translated into High German the book of Mechtilde of Magdeburg and urged other mystics, such as Margaretha Ebner, to write their visions.
His visits and instructions were received by the Cistercians of Kaisheim
Kaisheim
Kaisheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany. It was the location of the Imperial abbey, Kaisheim Abbey.-History:...
, the Dominican nuns of Engelthal
Engelthal
Engelthal is a municipality near Nürnberg in the Frankenalb . The municipality has a population of approximately 1100 people. It was established as a cloister around 1250 AD and has retained many of the original cloister buildings...
and Medingen, the Bernardines of Zimmern
Zimmern
Zimmern may refer to places in Germany:*Zimmern, Thuringia, in the Saale-Holzland district*Zimmern ob Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg*Zimmern unter der Burg, in Baden-Württemberg*Groß-Zimmern, in Hesse-Surname:...
, and by the Benedictine nuns of Hohewart. To his correspondents he sends books now of theology (Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
), now of mysticism, with relics, etc.
In 1339, a short while after his return to Nördlingen, his fidelity in abiding by the interdict brought him into a critical position, and he went by way of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
and Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, where he found Tauler and where several of the Gottesfreunde followed him from Bavaria.
At Basel (January, 1339), which he now made the centre of his activity, his success in the confessional and pulpit brought crowds to him, especially in 1345. Letters to Margaretha Ebner give an idea of his work, fears, and hopes; in 1346-7 he made several trips to Cologne and Bamberg; then he left Basel, much regretted by the Gottesfreunde, and after a wandering life of preaching in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
(1348-9), while the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
was raging in Germany, he returned to his country (1350), a little before the death of Margaretha Ebner. We then find him in communication with the aged Christina Ebner of Engelthal, but after 1352 nothing more is heard of him.
Works
His works consist of a collection of fifty-eight letters, of which but one manuscript remains (British Museum). It is the first collection of letters, properly so called, in German literature, as the letters of Henry Suso, which are an earlier composition, are practically sermons, a title which they bear in many manuscripts. They are not speculative, or deep meditations on mysticism; with him all was sentiment.To his letters must be joined the translation from Low German into High German of the work of Mechtilde, now at Einsiedeln.