Wolfgang of Regensburg
Encyclopedia
Saint Wolfgang (c. 934
– October 31, 994) was bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria
from Christmas 972 until his death. He is a saint
of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches (canonized
in 1052). He is regarded as one of the three great German
saints of the 10th century, the other two being Saint Ulrich
and Saint Conrad of Constance
.
n Counts of Pfullingen
(Mon. Germ. His.
: Script., X, 53). When seven years old he had an ecclesiastic as tutor at home; later he attended the celebrated monastic school at Reichenau Abbey
.
Here he formed a strong friendship with Henry of Babenberg, brother of Bishop Poppo of Würzburg
, whom he followed to Würzburg in order to attend the lecture
s of the noted Italian grammarian, Stephen of Novara
, at the cathedral school.
After Henry was made Archbishop of Trier
in 956, he summoned Wolfgang, who became a teacher in the cathedral school of Trier, and also laboured for the reform of the archdiocese, despite the hostility with which his efforts were met.
Wolfgang's residence at Trier greatly influenced his monastic and ascetic
tendencies, as here he came into contact with the great reformatory monastery of the 10th century, St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier
, where he made the acquaintance of Romuald
, the teacher of Saint Adalbert of Prague
.
After the death of Archbishop Henry of Trier in 964, Wolfgang entered the Benedictine order in the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln
, Switzerland
, and was ordained
priest by Saint Ulrich
in 968.
. As long as they were not converted
to Christianity
they remained a constant menace to the empire.
At the request of Ulrich, who clearly saw the danger, and at the desire of the Emperor Otto the Great, Wolfgang, according to the abbey annals, was "sent to the Magyars" as the most suitable man to evangelize them.
He was followed by other missionaries
sent by Piligrim
, Bishop of Passau
, under whose jurisdiction the new missionary region came.
, 972). Wolfgang's services in this new position were of the highest importance, not only for the diocese, but also for the cause of civilization. As Bishop of Regensburg, Wolfgang became the tutor of Emperor Saint Henry II
, who learned from him the principles which governed his saintly and energetic life. Poppe, son of Margrave
Luitpold, Archbishop of Trier (1018), and Tagino, Archbishop of Magdeburg
(1004–1012), also had him as their teacher.
Wolfgang deserves credit for his disciplinary labours in his diocese. His main work in this respect was connected with the ancient and celebrated St. Emmeram's Abbey
, which he reformed by granting it once more abbots of its own, thus withdrawing it from the control of the bishops of Regensburg, who for many years had been abbots in commendam
, a condition of affairs that had been far from beneficial to the abbey and monastic life. In the Benedictine monk Romuald, whom Saint Wolfgang called from St. Maximin at Trier, St. Emmeram received a capable abbot (975).
The saint also reformed the convents of Obermünster and Niedermünster at Regensburg, chiefly by giving them as an example the convent of St. Paul, Mittelmünster, at Regensburg, which he had founded in 983. He also co-operated in the reform of the ancient and celebrated Benedictine Abbey of Niederaltaich
, which had been founded by the Agilolfinger dynasty, and which from that time took on new life.
He showed genuine episcopal generosity in the liberal manner with which he met the views of the Emperor Otto II regarding the intended reduction in size of his diocese for the benefit of the new Diocese of Prague
(975), to which Saint Adalbert
was appointed first bishop. As prince of the empire he performed his duties towards the emperor and the empire with the utmost scrupulousness and, like Saint Ulrich, was one of the mainstays of the Ottonian
policies.
He took part in the various imperial diet
s, and, in the autumn of 978, accompanied the Emperor Otto II on his campaign to Paris
, and took part in the Diet of Verona
in June 983. He was succeeded by Gebhard I
.
to a solitary spot, now the Wolfgangsee
("Wolfgang's Lake") in the Salzkammergut
region of Upper Austria
, apparently on account of a political dispute, but probably in the course of a journey of inspection to Mondsee Abbey
which was under the direction of the bishops of Regensburg. He was discovered by a hunter and brought back to Regensburg.
While travelling on the Danube
to Pöchlarn
in Lower Austria
, he fell ill at the village of Pupping
, which is between Eferding
and the market town of Aschach
near Linz
, and at his request was carried into the chapel of Saint Othmar
at Pupping, where he died.
His body was taken up the Danube by his friends Count Aribo of Andechs
and Archbishop Hartwich of Salzburg
to Regensburg, and was solemnly buried in the crypt of St. Emmeram. Many miracle
s were performed at his grave; in 1052 he was canonized.
Soon after Wolfgang's death many churches chose him as their patron saint
, and various towns were named after him.
In Christian art
he has been especially honoured by the great medieval Tyrol
ean painter, Michael Pacher
(1430–1498), who created an imperishable memorial to him, the high altar of St. Wolfgang
. In the panel pictures which are now exhibited in the Old Pinakothek
at Munich
are depicted in an artistic manner the chief events in the saint's life.
The oldest portrait of Saint Wolfgang is a miniature
, painted about the year 1100 in the celebrated Evangeliary of St. Emmeram, now in the library of the castle cathedral at Kraków
.
A fine modern picture by Schwind
is in the Schack Gallery
at Munich. This painting represents the legend
of Wolfgang forcing the devil
to help him to build a church.
In other paintings he is generally depicted in episcopal dress, an axe
in the right hand and the crozier in the left, or as a hermit in the wilderness being discovered by a hunter.
The axe refers to an incident in the life of the saint. After having selected a solitary spot in the wilderness, he prayed and then threw his axe into the thicket; the spot on which the axe fell he regarded as the place where God
intended he should build his cell
. This axe is still shown in the little market town of St. Wolfgang
which sprang up on the spot of the old cell.
St. Wolfgang is sometimes counted among the Fourteen Holy Helpers
, a Benedictine monk of St. Emmeram about 1050. This life is especially important for the early medieval history both of the church and of civilization in Bavaria
and Austria
, and it forms the basis of all later accounts of the saint.
The oldest and best manuscript of this Vita is in the library of Einsiedeln Abbey
in Switzerland
(MS. No. 322), and has been printed with critical notes in Mon. Germ. His.: Script., IV, 524-542.
934
Year 934 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Ziyarid army occupies Ahvaz.* The Goryeo army defeats Hubaekje forces in present-day Hongseong County.- Europe :...
– October 31, 994) was bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
from Christmas 972 until his death. He is a 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...
of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches (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...
in 1052). He is regarded as one of the three great German
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...
saints of the 10th century, the other two being Saint Ulrich
Ulrich of Augsburg
Saint Ulrich , sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized.-Family:...
and Saint Conrad of Constance
Conrad of Constance
-Life:Conrad was a member of the powerful Welf family, son of Count Heinrich of Altdorf. After an education at the cathedral school in Constance, he became provost of Constance Cathedral and in 934 was made Bishop of Constance....
.
Education and ordination
Wolfgang was descended from the family of the SwabiaSwabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n Counts of Pfullingen
Pfullingen
Pfullingen is a town in the district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 3 km southeast of Reutlingen at the foot of the Swabian Alb....
(Mon. Germ. His.
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...
: Script., X, 53). When seven years old he had an ecclesiastic as tutor at home; later he attended the celebrated monastic school at Reichenau Abbey
Reichenau Island
Reichenau Island lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany, at approximately . It lies between Gnadensee and Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was completed in 1838...
.
Here he formed a strong friendship with Henry of Babenberg, brother of Bishop Poppo of Würzburg
Bishopric of Würzburg
The Bishopric of Würzburg was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg...
, whom he followed to Würzburg in order to attend the lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s of the noted Italian grammarian, Stephen of Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
, at the cathedral school.
After Henry was made Archbishop of Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
in 956, he summoned Wolfgang, who became a teacher in the cathedral school of Trier, and also laboured for the reform of the archdiocese, despite the hostility with which his efforts were met.
Wolfgang's residence at Trier greatly influenced his monastic and ascetic
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
tendencies, as here he came into contact with the great reformatory monastery of the 10th century, St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier
St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier
St. Maximin's Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Trier in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-History:The abbey, traditionally considered one of the oldest monasteries in western Europe, was held to have been founded by Saint Maximin of Trier in the 4th century. Maximin St. Maximin's Abbey was a...
, where he made the acquaintance of Romuald
Romuald
Saint Romuald was the founder of the Camaldolese order and a major figure in the eleventh-century "Renaissance of eremitical asceticism"....
, the teacher of Saint Adalbert of Prague
Adalbert of Prague
This article is about St Adalbert of Prague. For other uses, see Adalbert .Saint Adalbert, Czech: ; , , Czech Roman Catholic saint, a Bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. He evangelized Poles and Hungarians. St...
.
After the death of Archbishop Henry of Trier in 964, Wolfgang entered the Benedictine order in the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
priest by Saint Ulrich
Ulrich of Augsburg
Saint Ulrich , sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized.-Family:...
in 968.
Mission to the Magyars
After their defeat in the Battle of the Lechfeld (955), the heathen Magyars settled in ancient PannoniaPannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
. As long as they were not converted
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to 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...
they remained a constant menace to the empire.
At the request of Ulrich, who clearly saw the danger, and at the desire of the Emperor Otto the Great, Wolfgang, according to the abbey annals, was "sent to the Magyars" as the most suitable man to evangelize them.
He was followed by other missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
sent by Piligrim
Piligrim
Piligrim was Bishop of Passau. Piligrim was ambitious, but also concerned with the Christianization of Hungary....
, Bishop of Passau
Bishop of Passau
The Diocese of Passau is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Germany. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of München und Freising. The diocese covers an area of 5,442 km². The current bishop is Wilhelm Schraml.-History:...
, under whose jurisdiction the new missionary region came.
Bishop of Regensburg
After the death of Bishop Michael of Regensburg (September 23, 972) Bishop Piligrim obtained from the emperor the appointment of Wolfgang as the new bishop (ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, 972). Wolfgang's services in this new position were of the highest importance, not only for the diocese, but also for the cause of civilization. As Bishop of Regensburg, Wolfgang became the tutor of Emperor Saint Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
, who learned from him the principles which governed his saintly and energetic life. Poppe, son of Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
Luitpold, Archbishop of Trier (1018), and Tagino, Archbishop of Magdeburg
Tagino, Archbishop of Magdeburg
Tagino was the third Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1004 until his death.Tagino was a chaplain of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, when, in 995, the See of Regensburg became vacant...
(1004–1012), also had him as their teacher.
Wolfgang deserves credit for his disciplinary labours in his diocese. His main work in this respect was connected with the ancient and celebrated St. Emmeram's Abbey
St. Emmeram's Abbey
St. Emmeram's Abbey , now known as Schloss Thurn und Taxis, Schloss St. Emmeram, and St...
, which he reformed by granting it once more abbots of its own, thus withdrawing it from the control of the bishops of Regensburg, who for many years had been abbots in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
, a condition of affairs that had been far from beneficial to the abbey and monastic life. In the Benedictine monk Romuald, whom Saint Wolfgang called from St. Maximin at Trier, St. Emmeram received a capable abbot (975).
The saint also reformed the convents of Obermünster and Niedermünster at Regensburg, chiefly by giving them as an example the convent of St. Paul, Mittelmünster, at Regensburg, which he had founded in 983. He also co-operated in the reform of the ancient and celebrated Benedictine Abbey of Niederaltaich
Niederaltaich Abbey
Niederaltaich Abbey or Niederaltaich Monastery is a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 731 , situated in the village of Niederalteich on the Danube in Bavaria....
, which had been founded by the Agilolfinger dynasty, and which from that time took on new life.
He showed genuine episcopal generosity in the liberal manner with which he met the views of the Emperor Otto II regarding the intended reduction in size of his diocese for the benefit of the new Diocese of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(975), to which Saint Adalbert
Adalbert of Prague
This article is about St Adalbert of Prague. For other uses, see Adalbert .Saint Adalbert, Czech: ; , , Czech Roman Catholic saint, a Bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. He evangelized Poles and Hungarians. St...
was appointed first bishop. As prince of the empire he performed his duties towards the emperor and the empire with the utmost scrupulousness and, like Saint Ulrich, was one of the mainstays of the Ottonian
Ottonian
The Ottonian dynasty was a dynasty of Germanic Kings , named after its first emperor but also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin. The family itself is also sometimes known as the Liudolfings, after its earliest known member Liudolf and one of its primary leading-names...
policies.
He took part in the various imperial diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
s, and, in the autumn of 978, accompanied the Emperor Otto II on his campaign to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and took part in the Diet of Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
in June 983. He was succeeded by Gebhard I
Gebhard I, Bishop of Regensburg
Gebhard I , known as Gebhard of Swabia, was the Bishop of Regensburg from 994 until his death.Following the death of Bishop Wolfgang, the cathedral canons elected Tagino to replace him, with the support of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria...
.
Hermitage and death
Towards the end of his life Saint Wolfgang withdrew as a hermitHermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
to a solitary spot, now the Wolfgangsee
Wolfgangsee
Wolfgangsee is a lake in Austria that lies mostly within the state of Salzburg and is one of the best known lakes in the Salzkammergut resort region. The municipalities on its shore are Strobl, St. Gilgen with the villages of Abersee and Ried as well as the market town of St. Wolfgang in the state...
("Wolfgang's Lake") in the Salzkammergut
Salzkammergut
The Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
region of Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, apparently on account of a political dispute, but probably in the course of a journey of inspection to Mondsee Abbey
Mondsee Abbey
Mondsee Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Mondsee in Upper Austria.-History:The region of the Mondseeland, in which Mondsee is located, was formerly part of Bavaria. In 748 Mondsee Abbey was founded by Odilo, Duke of Bavaria. The abbey tradition was that the first monks came from Monte Cassino...
which was under the direction of the bishops of Regensburg. He was discovered by a hunter and brought back to Regensburg.
While travelling on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
to Pöchlarn
Pöchlarn
Pöchlarn is a town in the district of Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Painter and writer Oskar Kokoschka was born here in 1886.- People :* Rüdiger von Bechelaren* Oskar Kokoschka* Johann Rasch* Ursula Strauss, actress...
in Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, he fell ill at the village of Pupping
Pupping
Pupping is a municipality in the district Eferding in Upper Austria, Austria. St. Wolfgang of Regensburg died here in the Chapel of St. Othmar while on his way to Hungary for a mission....
, which is between Eferding
Eferding
Eferding is a city and the capital of the Eferding district in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It had a population of 3,393 as of the 2001 census.-Geography:...
and the market town of Aschach
Aschach an der Donau
Aschach an der Donau is a municipality in the district Eferding in the region Hausruckviertel with a population of 2,188 in Upper Austria, Austria...
near Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, and at his request was carried into the chapel of Saint Othmar
Saint Othmar
St. Othmar, O.S.B., was a monk and priest appointed as the first abbot of the Abbey of St. Gall, a Benedictine monastery in St. Gall, Switzerland....
at Pupping, where he died.
His body was taken up the Danube by his friends Count Aribo of Andechs
Andechs
The Benedictine abbey of Andechs is a place of pilgrimage on a hill east of the Ammersee in the Landkreis of Starnberg in Germany, in the municipality Andechs. Andechs Abbey is famed for its flamboyant Baroque church and its brewery...
and Archbishop Hartwich of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
to Regensburg, and was solemnly buried in the crypt of St. Emmeram. Many miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s were performed at his grave; in 1052 he was canonized.
After his death
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...
, and various towns were named after him.
In Christian art
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity, though other definitions are possible. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, although some have had strong objections to some forms of...
he has been especially honoured by the great medieval Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
ean painter, Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher was an Austrian Tyrolean painter and sculptor active during the last quarter of the 15th century. His best-known work is the altarpiece at the church in the village of St. Wolfgang, Austria. This altarpiece contains scenes from the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary...
(1430–1498), who created an imperishable memorial to him, the high altar of St. Wolfgang
St. Wolfgang (village)
St. Wolfgang is a market town of over 2,000 inhabitants in central Austria, in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria, named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg. The complete name of the town is Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut.-Geography:...
. In the panel pictures which are now exhibited in the Old Pinakothek
Alte Pinakothek
The Alte Pinakothek is an art museum situated in the Kunstareal in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses one of the most famous collections of Old Master paintings...
at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
are depicted in an artistic manner the chief events in the saint's life.
The oldest portrait of Saint Wolfgang is a miniature
Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment...
, painted about the year 1100 in the celebrated Evangeliary of St. Emmeram, now in the library of the castle cathedral at Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
A fine modern picture by Schwind
Moritz von Schwind
thumb|Moritz von Schwind, c. 1860Moritz von Schwind was an Austrian painter, born in Vienna.Moritz von Schwind received rudimentary training and spent a happy and carefree youth in Vienna. Among his companions was the composer Schubert, some of whose songs he illustrated...
is in the Schack Gallery
Schackgalerie
The Schackgalerie is a museum in Munich. It is one of the noted galleries in this city. The museum is under supervision of the Bavarian State Picture Collection.-Collection:...
at Munich. This painting represents the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
of Wolfgang forcing the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
to help him to build a church.
In other paintings he is generally depicted in episcopal dress, an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
in the right hand and the crozier in the left, or as a hermit in the wilderness being discovered by a hunter.
The axe refers to an incident in the life of the saint. After having selected a solitary spot in the wilderness, he prayed and then threw his axe into the thicket; the spot on which the axe fell he regarded as the place where 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....
intended he should build his cell
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...
. This axe is still shown in the little market town of St. Wolfgang
St. Wolfgang (village)
St. Wolfgang is a market town of over 2,000 inhabitants in central Austria, in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria, named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg. The complete name of the town is Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut.-Geography:...
which sprang up on the spot of the old cell.
St. Wolfgang is sometimes counted among the Fourteen Holy Helpers
Fourteen Holy Helpers
The Fourteen Holy Helpers are a group of saints venerated together in Roman Catholicism because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective, especially against various diseases...
Literature
At the request of the Abbey of St. Emmeram, the life of St. Wolfgang was written by OtlohOtloh of St. Emmeram
Otloh of St Emmeram was a Benedictine monk of St Emmeram's in Regensburg, known as a scholar and educator.-Life:...
, a Benedictine monk of St. Emmeram about 1050. This life is especially important for the early medieval history both of the church and of civilization in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and it forms the basis of all later accounts of the saint.
The oldest and best manuscript of this Vita is in the library of Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(MS. No. 322), and has been printed with critical notes in Mon. Germ. His.: Script., IV, 524-542.