Willehad of Bremen
Encyclopedia
Saint Willehad of Bremen (also known as Willehadus or Willihad; (Northumbria
, *around 745
– November 8 or November 9, 789*, in Blexen upon Weser, today a part of Nordenham
) was a Christian missionary and the Bishop of Bremen from 787.
and probably received his education at York
.
A friend of Alcuin
he was ordained after his education and, about the year 766, he went to Frisia
, preaching at Dokkum
and in Overijssel
, to continue the missionary work of St. Boniface who had been martyred by the Frisians in 754. From 780 he preached in the region of the lower Weser River
on commission from Charlemagne
. He barely escaped with his life when the Frisians wanted to kill him as well and he returned to the area around Utrecht
. Once again he and his fellow missionaries barely escaped with their lives when the local pagans wanted to kill them for destroying some temples. Finally, in 780, Charlemagne
sent him to evangelize the Saxons. He preached to them for two years but, in 782, the Saxons under Widukind
, rebelled against Charlemagne and Willehad was forced to flee to Frisia. He took the opportunity to travel to Rome where he reported to Pope Adrian I on his work. On his return trip he retired to the monastery of Echternach
, in present day Luxembourg
. He spent two years there reassembling his missionary team. After Charlemagne had once more ruthlessly subjected the Saxons and had Widukind
baptized, Willehad returned to his Saxon mission between the Weser and the Elbe
rivers. In 787, he was made the bishop
of the Saxons with his see at the newly founded city of Bremen. He built numerous churches in his diocese, including the cathedral in Bremen.
He is buried in the city's cathedral
, which he consecrated shortly before his death in 789.
) travelled to his grave. There, she was apparently cured by a miracle. This was the first time the small village was mentioned in any historical documents.
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
, *around 745
745
Year 745 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 745 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Newly founded Uighur Empire control most of...
– November 8 or November 9, 789*, in Blexen upon Weser, today a part of Nordenham
Nordenham
Nordenham is a town in the Wesermarsch district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located at the mouth of the Weser river on the Butjadingen peninsula on the coast of the North Sea. The seaport city of Bremerhaven is located on the other side of the river...
) was a Christian missionary and the Bishop of Bremen from 787.
Life and work
Willehad was born in NorthumbriaNorthumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
and probably received his education at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
.
A friend of Alcuin
Alcuin
Alcuin of York or Ealhwine, nicknamed Albinus or Flaccus was an English scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Archbishop Ecgbert at York...
he was ordained after his education and, about the year 766, he went to Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
, preaching at Dokkum
Dokkum
Dokkum is a Dutch fortified town in the municipality of Dongeradeel in the province of Friesland. It has 13,145 inhabitants . The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the bolwerken . - History :...
and in Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
, to continue the missionary work of St. Boniface who had been martyred by the Frisians in 754. From 780 he preached in the region of the lower Weser River
Weser River
The Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
on commission from Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. He barely escaped with his life when the Frisians wanted to kill him as well and he returned to the area around Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
. Once again he and his fellow missionaries barely escaped with their lives when the local pagans wanted to kill them for destroying some temples. Finally, in 780, Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
sent him to evangelize the Saxons. He preached to them for two years but, in 782, the Saxons under Widukind
Widukind
Widukind was a pagan Saxon leader and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. Widukind was the leader of the Saxons against the Frankish king Charlemagne...
, rebelled against Charlemagne and Willehad was forced to flee to Frisia. He took the opportunity to travel to Rome where he reported to Pope Adrian I on his work. On his return trip he retired to the monastery of Echternach
Echternach
Echternach is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town in Luxembourg....
, in present day Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. He spent two years there reassembling his missionary team. After Charlemagne had once more ruthlessly subjected the Saxons and had Widukind
Widukind
Widukind was a pagan Saxon leader and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. Widukind was the leader of the Saxons against the Frankish king Charlemagne...
baptized, Willehad returned to his Saxon mission between the Weser and the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
rivers. In 787, he was made the bishop
Archbishopric of Bremen
The Archdiocese of Bremen was a historical Roman Catholic diocese and formed from 1180 to 1648 an ecclesiastical state , named Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen within the Holy Roman Empire...
of the Saxons with his see at the newly founded city of Bremen. He built numerous churches in his diocese, including the cathedral in Bremen.
He is buried in the city's cathedral
Bremen Cathedral
Bremen Cathedral , dedicated to St. Peter, is a church situated in the market square in the center of Bremen, in northern Germany. The cathedral belongs to the Bremian Evangelical Church, a member of the Protestant umbrella organisation named Evangelical Church in Germany...
, which he consecrated shortly before his death in 789.
Legacy
In 860, a sick girl from Wege (WeyheWeyhe
Weyhe is a municipality in the district of Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 12 km south of Bremen.-History:First mentioned in 860, when a sick girl from "Wege" travelled to the grave of Saint Willehad in Bremen...
) travelled to his grave. There, she was apparently cured by a miracle. This was the first time the small village was mentioned in any historical documents.