Konrad III of Scharfenberg
Encyclopedia
Konrad von Scharfenberg (c. 1165 – 24 March 1224) came from a family of knights that served the Holy Roman Empire
. He came from the area around Trifels Castle
. His family castle was Scharfenburg Castle (today Burg Münz).
. In 1187 he entered royal service during the reign of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
. Altogether, he served four emperors and kings in the imperial chancellery, where he made his career in both the worldly and the spiritual.
First he was the provost
of Saint-Gervais. In 1198 he became Dekan of the chapter
. He became a follower of the Staufer Philip of Swabia
during the struggle for the throne between the House Hohenstaufen and the House of Welf, which broke out after the death of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
.
and master of the imperial cathedral. In 1208 he was named chancellor, although this office was normally filled by the archbishop of Mainz in the Holy Roman Empire. After the murder of King Philip (which had nothing to do with the struggle for the throne) in 1208, Konrad managed the imperial insignia
.
When the Welf king Otto IV
was generally recognized, Konrad served him and accompanied him to Rome
for his crowning by Pope Innocent III
.
, Guillaume de Joinville
, who was the candidate of the French
king Philip Augustus
.
In 1220 he accompanied the Staufer king Frederick II
to Rome for his crowning by pope Honorius III. On his journey he learned of the new religious order
s, the Dominican Order
and the Franciscan
Order. This opened the way into Germany for these orders.
, and foremost to the bishopric of Speyer and his cathedral. There he laid the legs of Philip of Swabia to rest. He also arranged for the reconstruction of the Metz Cathedral
.
Konrad's final resting place is next to King Philip in the Speyer Cathedral
.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. He came from the area around Trifels Castle
Trifels Castle
Trifels Castle is a medieval castle at an elevation of near the small town of Annweiler, in the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. It is located high above the Queich valley within the Palatinate Forest on one peak of a red sandstone mountain split into three...
. His family castle was Scharfenburg Castle (today Burg Münz).
Early life
Konrad was raised and educated at the cathedral school in SpeyerSpeyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
. In 1187 he entered royal service during the reign of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
. Altogether, he served four emperors and kings in the imperial chancellery, where he made his career in both the worldly and the spiritual.
First he was 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 Saint-Gervais. In 1198 he became Dekan of the chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
. He became a follower of the Staufer Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
during the struggle for the throne between the House Hohenstaufen and the House of Welf, which broke out after the death of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
.
Bishop of Speyer
In 1200 Konrad was named bishop of SpeyerBishopric of Speyer
The Bishopric of Speyer was a state, ruled by Prince-Bishops, in what is today the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was secularized in 1803...
and master of the imperial cathedral. In 1208 he was named chancellor, although this office was normally filled by the archbishop of Mainz in the Holy Roman Empire. After the murder of King Philip (which had nothing to do with the struggle for the throne) in 1208, Konrad managed the imperial insignia
Imperial Regalia
The Imperial Regalia, insignia, or crown jewels are the regalia of the Emperors and Kings of the Holy Roman Empire. The most important parts are the Imperial Crown, the Holy Lance and the Imperial Sword...
.
When the Welf king Otto IV
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
was generally recognized, Konrad served him and accompanied him to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
for his crowning by Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
.
Bishop of Metz
In 1212 Konrad was elected bishop of Metz despite the competition from the bishop of LangresBishopric of Langres
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Langres is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite diocese in France. The diocese comprises the département of Haute-Marne. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Reims having been a suffragan of Lyon until 2002. The current Archbishop is Philippe Jean Marie Joseph...
, Guillaume de Joinville
Guillaume de Joinville
Guillaume de Joinville was a French archbishop of Reims.He was Bishop of Langres from 1209, making him pair de France, and then archbishop of Reims 1219–1226. He was the candidate of Philip Augustus to become Bishop of Metz in 1212, but lost out to Konrad III of Scharfenberg.-External links:*...
, who was the candidate of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
king Philip Augustus
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
.
In 1220 he accompanied the Staufer king Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
to Rome for his crowning by pope Honorius III. On his journey he learned of the new religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
s, the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
and the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Order. This opened the way into Germany for these orders.
Final years
In the last years of his life, Konrad dedicated himself exclusively to his two DioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, and foremost to the bishopric of Speyer and his cathedral. There he laid the legs of Philip of Swabia to rest. He also arranged for the reconstruction of the Metz Cathedral
Metz Cathedral
Saint Étienne de Metz , also known as Metz Cathedral) is a Gothic, Catholic cathedral in the city of Metz, capital of Lorraine, France...
.
Konrad's final resting place is next to King Philip in the Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral
The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae in Speyer, Germany, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St...
.