Jutta of Kulmsee
Encyclopedia
Saint Jutta or Saint Judith or Jutta of Kulmsee or Jutta of Sangerhausen or Jutta of Thuringia (born c. 1200 at Sangerhausen
in Thuringia
(now Sachsen-Anhalt); d. 1260 at Kulmsee, Prussia
(now Chełmża, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
, Poland
) was a Prussia
n anchoress
and saint
.
She imitated the life of Elizabeth of Hungary, who was the Duchess of Thuringia during her lifetime, and is also a canonized
saint. She was married at the age of fifteen to a nobleman and bore children by him. She convinced her husband of, and raised her children in, a contemplative and mystical
form of Christianity
. He died (while they were on a pilgrimage
to Jerusalem, and Jutta became a single mother. Each child eventually entered a monastery
or convent
upon reaching a suitable age, and this left Jutta able to pursue a more austere religious way of life.
She gave away or sold her property and lived the rest of her life in contemplation and in caring for the poor and the sick. She chose as her base a derelict building at Bildschön (now Bielyczny), near Kulmsee in Prussia, in the area governed by the Teutonic Knights
, whose Grand Master, Anno von Sangershausen, was a relative of hers. There the knights sheltered her. Visitors came to her to receive counsel and prayers, and she quickly established a reputation as a saint. She said that there were three things that can bring one near to God
: painful sickness, exile from home, and poverty voluntarily accepted for God. Living on the frontier of Christian Europe, she dedicated her final days to praying for the non-Christian population of the region.
She died around 1260. According to her wishes, her priest at the local Kulmsee chapel Heidenreich
von Kulm (earlier archbishop of Armagh
, Ireland) had her buried at Kulmsee chapel. A cultus developed around her immediately and Kulmsee chapel became a destination for pilgrims. In the Roman Catholic Church
, she is the patron saint
of Prussia, and her feast day is May 5.
Sangerhausen
Sangerhausen is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, without being part of it.It is situated southeast of the Harz, approx. 35 km east of Nordhausen, and 50 km west of Halle...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
(now Sachsen-Anhalt); d. 1260 at Kulmsee, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
(now Chełmża, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
-Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) was a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n anchoress
Anchorite
Anchorite denotes someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society so as to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, and—circumstances permitting—Eucharist-focused life...
and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
.
She imitated the life of Elizabeth of Hungary, who was the Duchess of Thuringia during her lifetime, and is also a canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
saint. She was married at the age of fifteen to a nobleman and bore children by him. She convinced her husband of, and raised her children in, a contemplative and mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
form of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. He died (while they were on a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Jerusalem, and Jutta became a single mother. Each child eventually entered a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
or convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
upon reaching a suitable age, and this left Jutta able to pursue a more austere religious way of life.
She gave away or sold her property and lived the rest of her life in contemplation and in caring for the poor and the sick. She chose as her base a derelict building at Bildschön (now Bielyczny), near Kulmsee in Prussia, in the area governed by the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, whose Grand Master, Anno von Sangershausen, was a relative of hers. There the knights sheltered her. Visitors came to her to receive counsel and prayers, and she quickly established a reputation as a saint. She said that there were three things that can bring one near to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
: painful sickness, exile from home, and poverty voluntarily accepted for God. Living on the frontier of Christian Europe, she dedicated her final days to praying for the non-Christian population of the region.
She died around 1260. According to her wishes, her priest at the local Kulmsee chapel Heidenreich
Heidenreich
Heidenreich is a German surname which may be translated as "Land of the Heather," or "Power of the Heathens," or "Realm of the Heathens":* Heidenreich of Chełmno, first bishop of the Bishopric of Chełmno, 1245–1263...
von Kulm (earlier archbishop of Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
, Ireland) had her buried at Kulmsee chapel. A cultus developed around her immediately and Kulmsee chapel became a destination for pilgrims. In the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, she is the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Prussia, and her feast day is May 5.
External links
- Brief biography from Heiligenlexikon.de (in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
)