Adelheid Langmann (–1375) was a German

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

nun, belonging to the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

at the Engelthal Abbey (located in the

Wetterau The Wetterau (, ) is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter (river), Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda (river), Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mounta ...

region of

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

) in the 14th century. She is known for her text ''Revelations'', which consists of autobiographical details, prayers, and religious instruction. She was a renowned spiritual teacher during her lifetime.

Life

Adelheid Langmann was a German nun. She belonged to the Dominican Order, and resided at the Engelthal Abbey. She is known for written records of her religious visions, which were collected in a book titled ''Revelations.'' Along with the writings of

Christina Ebner Christina Ebner (also Christine), (26 March 1277 – 27 December 1356) was a German Dominican nun, writer and mystic. Life Ebner was born in the Imperial City of Nuremberg, the child of the patrician Seyfried Ebner and his wife, Elizabeth K ...

, these constitute an important text documenting female mysticism in the 14th century. Langmann was a widow who belonged to a well-established family from

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

, and recorded her revelations on the advice of a lector who worked at Engelthal Abbey. Langmann's ''Revelations'' also contain an account of her own spiritual journey, including biographical details. Langmann writes that her vocation was apparent to her as a child, but she was betrothed to, and married Gottfried Teufel in deference to her parents' wishes. According to Langmann, the marriage was never consummated, and her husband died of illness within a year of the wedding, leaving her free to join the Dominicans. She joined the order in 1330, and was present there, as was

, when King Charles IV visited the abbey seeking spiritual counsel. Langmann was renowned during her lifetime, and taught prayers at the abbey, although she was not permitted to hold any official position. It was common for visitors to the abbey to visit particularly to receive instruction from her in religion. These visitors ranged from lay persons, laborers and local residents, to members of the clergy and the aristocracy. During her lifetime she maintained a close friendship with, and was a mentor to, Marquart der Tokler of Nuremberg, a nobleman and later, cleric who later joined the

Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

under her guidance, and who recited prayers especially composed for him by Langmann. Langmann's ''Revelations'' is a compilation of prayers, letters, records of visions and other accounts, and is addressed to her fellow women, often using the phrase 'dear sisters' or 'fellow sisters'. Langmann's instructions in the ''Revelations'' are a guide on attaining salvation, chiefly through prayer and meditation. Langman's ''Revelations'' was rediscovered in the 19th century by scholars of the German language, who were looking for texts written in the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Bavarian language Bavarian (; ), alternately Austro-Bavarian, is a group of Upper German variety (linguistics), varieties spoken in the south-east of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy. P ...

that Langmann used.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Langmann, Adepheid Date of birth uncertain Place of birth missing Date of death missing Place of death missing 1300s births 1375 deaths 14th-century Christian mystics 14th-century Christian nuns 14th-century German nuns 14th-century German women writers 14th-century non-fiction writers 14th-century Roman Catholics Dominican mystics Dominican nuns German Christian mystics German spiritual teachers German spiritual writers German women non-fiction writers Writers from Hesse Writers from Nuremberg