Irmgard of Chiemsee
Encyclopedia
Frauenchiemsee
The island Frauenchiemsee is the second largest of the three islands in Chiemsee, Germany. It belongs to the municipality of Chiemsee in Upper Bavarian district of Rosenheim, which is the smallest municipality in all of Bavaria. The large and car free Fraueninsel houses 300 permanent residents as...
) was a daughter Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
, King of East Francia, and his wife Hemma
Hemma
Emma of Altdorf, also known as Hemma was the wife of Louis the German, and Queen consort of Eastern Francia.Her father was Welf, Count of Altorf; her mother was Heilwig of Saxony , the daughter of Count Isanbart...
. She was the first Abbess of Chiemsee from 857. During her reign the chapter for noble ladies developed into a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
convent.
Irmgard's cult was officially recognised only in 1928 by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. Her feast day is 16 July. In Frauenchiemsee, Irmengardstag is celebrated the Sunday nearest to 16 July. In paintings Irmgard is portrayed in a Benedictine habit either crowned with Bible and abbot's staff or with heart in her hand.