Lambert of Hersfeld
Encyclopedia
Lambert of Hersfeld (also called Lampert) was a medieval chronicler, probably a Thuringia
n by birth. His work represents a major source for the history of Germany
and the Holy Roman Empire
in the eleventh century.
What little is known of his life is revealed in scattered details from his own historical writings. He became a monk in the Benedictine Hersfeld Abbey
in 1058. At the time of his entry into the monastery, he was also ordained as a priest at Aschaffenburg
and therefore sometimes called Lampert of Aschaffenburg. After his elevation to the priesthood, he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
, and visited various monasteries of his order. However, he is most famous as the author of an extensive historical chronicle known as the Annals as well as a number of other minor works, including a hagiography
of the founder of Hersfeld Abbey, archbishop Lullus
of Mainz
(c. 710-786).
A variety of circumstantial evidence compiled by the German medievalist Edmund E. Stengel suggests that towards the end of his life, Lampert served as abbot of Hasungen Abbey
in Hesse, near Kassel.
from the creation of the world until about 1040. This portion of the work is drawn largely from other, earlier annalistic works, particularly those of Venerable Bede, Isidore of Seville, and regional German traditions like the Annals of Quedlinberg and Weissembourg. From about the date of 1042 onwards, however, the account is Lampert's own and he carries the history from there up to the year 1077, when the Swabian duke Rudolf of Rheinfelden was crowned anti-king by the dissident barons opposed to Henry IV
. Lampert's Annals are among the most important sources available for the reign of king Henry IV, the Investiture Controversy
, and the rebellion of the Saxon and Thuringian princes in 1073-74.
Among the significant events detailed in Lampert's history are the infamous Coup of Kaiserswerth in 1062, Henry's famous walk to Canossa
where he submitted (albeit temporarily) to Pope Gregory VII
, and the Battle of Homburg in Thuringia where the royal army defeated the Saxon and Thuringian rebels in June of 1075. Throughout, Lampert is openly hostile to Henry IV and royal interests, which is not surprising given his own Thuringian background and sympathies for the independence of the regional aristocracy. He expresses a generally favorable opinion of Gregory VII and the ecclesiastical reform movement, but also evinces skepticism towards some contemporary monastic reforms in Germany. Lampert is also quite uncharitable towards figures like Siegfried I, Archbishop of Mainz
, who encroached on the traditional rights and prerogatives of Hersfeld and other monasteries. Lampert ended his work with the election of the anti-king Rudolf of Swabia in 1077, stating that his own account had reached an appropriate conclusion and that another writer would be able to pick up from where he left off in chronicling this new era for the German kingdom. (Rudolf was killed in battle against Henry's forces in 1080.)
Lambert's history of the Germans, De rebus gestis Germanorum was printed in the compilation of chronicles edited by Johann Pistorius
(Frankfort, 1613).
Lampert was superbly educated for his day and wrote in a fine, classicizing Latin
peppered with references and allusions to Roman authors, particularly Livy
, Sallust
, and the playwright Terence
. Like many of the classical authors he admired, Lampert fancied himself a cynical observer of elite society, casting a critical eye on the political melodramas and scandals of his day and chronicling the way in which power and pride corrupted rulers and perverted society, raising up the unworthy and punishing the good and decent.
The Annales were first published in 1522, and were edited in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica
, along with Lampert's other known works, by Oswald Holder-Egger (MGH Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usu scholarum, vol. 38) in 1894.
Holder-Egger, in his edition of Lampert's work, also demonstrated that Lampert was the likely author of at least two other significant works: a biography of Hersfeld's founder, Lull of Mainz, and a shorter, polemic history of the monastery of Hersfeld, which survives only fragmentarily in excerpts made by later medieval German writers.
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....
n by birth. His work represents a major source for the history of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Holy Roman Empire
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...
in the eleventh century.
What little is known of his life is revealed in scattered details from his own historical writings. He became a monk in the Benedictine Hersfeld Abbey
Hersfeld Abbey
Hersfeld Abbey was an important Benedictine imperial abbey in the town of Bad Hersfeld in Hesse , Germany, at the confluence of the rivers Geisa, Haune and Fulda.-History:...
in 1058. At the time of his entry into the monastery, he was also ordained as a priest at Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
and therefore sometimes called Lampert of Aschaffenburg. After his elevation to the priesthood, he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, and visited various monasteries of his order. However, he is most famous as the author of an extensive historical chronicle known as the Annals as well as a number of other minor works, including a hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
of the founder of Hersfeld Abbey, archbishop Lullus
Lullus
Saint Lullus was the first permanent archbishop of Mainz, succeeding Saint Boniface, and first abbot of the Benedictine Hersfeld Abbey.-Monk to archbishop:...
of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
(c. 710-786).
A variety of circumstantial evidence compiled by the German medievalist Edmund E. Stengel suggests that towards the end of his life, Lampert served as abbot of Hasungen Abbey
Hasungen Abbey
Hasungen Abbey was a monastery of the Benedictine Order located at Burghasungen, now a part of Zierenberg in Hesse in Germany....
in Hesse, near Kassel.
Historical works
Lampert's Annals begin with a universal historyUniversal history
Universal history is basic to the Western tradition of historiography, especially the Abrahamic wellspring of that tradition. Simply stated, universal history is the presentation of the history of humankind as a whole, as a coherent unit.-Ancient authors:...
from the creation of the world until about 1040. This portion of the work is drawn largely from other, earlier annalistic works, particularly those of Venerable Bede, Isidore of Seville, and regional German traditions like the Annals of Quedlinberg and Weissembourg. From about the date of 1042 onwards, however, the account is Lampert's own and he carries the history from there up to the year 1077, when the Swabian duke Rudolf of Rheinfelden was crowned anti-king by the dissident barons opposed to Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
. Lampert's Annals are among the most important sources available for the reign of king Henry IV, the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
, and the rebellion of the Saxon and Thuringian princes in 1073-74.
Among the significant events detailed in Lampert's history are the infamous Coup of Kaiserswerth in 1062, Henry's famous walk to Canossa
Walk to Canossa
The Walk to Canossa refers to both the trek itself of Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire from Speyer to the fortress at Canossa in Emilia Romagna and to the events surrounding his journey, which took place in and around January 1077.-Historical background:When, in his early...
where he submitted (albeit temporarily) to Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
, and the Battle of Homburg in Thuringia where the royal army defeated the Saxon and Thuringian rebels in June of 1075. Throughout, Lampert is openly hostile to Henry IV and royal interests, which is not surprising given his own Thuringian background and sympathies for the independence of the regional aristocracy. He expresses a generally favorable opinion of Gregory VII and the ecclesiastical reform movement, but also evinces skepticism towards some contemporary monastic reforms in Germany. Lampert is also quite uncharitable towards figures like Siegfried I, Archbishop of Mainz
Siegfried I, Archbishop of Mainz
Siegfried I was the Abbot of Fulda from 25 December 1058 until he became Archbishop of Mainz in 6 January 1060.Siegfried was a member of the Frankish Reginbodonen family of the Rhineland. His family furnished counts in the Königssondergau and burgraves and vogts of Mainz. Siegfried was educated in...
, who encroached on the traditional rights and prerogatives of Hersfeld and other monasteries. Lampert ended his work with the election of the anti-king Rudolf of Swabia in 1077, stating that his own account had reached an appropriate conclusion and that another writer would be able to pick up from where he left off in chronicling this new era for the German kingdom. (Rudolf was killed in battle against Henry's forces in 1080.)
Lambert's history of the Germans, De rebus gestis Germanorum was printed in the compilation of chronicles edited by Johann Pistorius
Johann Pistorius
Johann Pistorius was a German controversialist and historian. He is sometimes called Niddanus from the name of his birthplace, Nidda in Hesse.-Life:...
(Frankfort, 1613).
Lampert was superbly educated for his day and wrote in a fine, classicizing Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
peppered with references and allusions to Roman authors, particularly Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
, and the playwright Terence
Terence
Publius Terentius Afer , better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic, of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on,...
. Like many of the classical authors he admired, Lampert fancied himself a cynical observer of elite society, casting a critical eye on the political melodramas and scandals of his day and chronicling the way in which power and pride corrupted rulers and perverted society, raising up the unworthy and punishing the good and decent.
The Annales were first published in 1522, and were edited in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
The Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
, along with Lampert's other known works, by Oswald Holder-Egger (MGH Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usu scholarum, vol. 38) in 1894.
Holder-Egger, in his edition of Lampert's work, also demonstrated that Lampert was the likely author of at least two other significant works: a biography of Hersfeld's founder, Lull of Mainz, and a shorter, polemic history of the monastery of Hersfeld, which survives only fragmentarily in excerpts made by later medieval German writers.
Reputation as a Historian
In the nineteenth century, German historians trained in the positivistic methods of comparative Quellenkunde (historical source criticism) taught that Lampert was a strongly biased, partisan writer who could not be trusted for an objective account of the reign of Henry IV. Oswald Holder-Egger himself called Lampert an outright fabulist in some instances. Scholars at this time held critical objectivity to be the highest value in a historical source and Lampert, along with many other medieval writers, failed to meet this standard. While they acknowledged Lampert provided important details for certain events and dates, his own view of history and opinions about some matters could not be accepted. Today, however, historians try to approach medieval historiography on its own terms and in its own contexts, rather than impose modern standards of objectivity on medieval authors. Modern scholars recognize Lampert as an important voice representing the views of the regional aristocracy and elite monasticism in a turbulent period in the kingdom's history.External links
- Lambert of Hersfeld at the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
(with up-to-date references and bibliography) - Extacts from the Annals of Lambert of Hersfeld