Conrad of Krosigk ( – 21 June 1225) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

prelate, crusader and monk. He served as the bishop of Halberstadt from 1201 until 1208 and took part in the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

in 1202–1204. He resigned his see to become a

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monk at Sittichenbach Abbey. In his retirement, he undertook frequent

Papal The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

missions. Born to a minor noble family, Conrad rose through the ranks of the diocese of Halberstadt. By 1193 he was chief provost, shouldering major responsibility during Bishop

Gardolf Gardolf of Hertbeke (died 21 August 1201) was the bishop of Halberstadt from 1193 until his death. Gardolf was from a noble family of Harbke, Hertbeke. In two charters, he describes himself as "a blood relative" (Latin ''consanguineus'') of Conrad ...

's absence on the Crusade of 1197–1198. He supported Duke

Philip of Swabia Philip of Swabia (February/March 1177 – 21 June 1208), styled Philip II in his charters, was a member of the House of Hohenstaufen and King of Germany from 1198 until his assassination. The death of Philip's older brother Henry VI, Holy Roman E ...

over Count Otto of Poitou in the German succession war that began in 1198. For this reason, he was excommunicated shortly after his election as bishop and joined the Fourth Crusade. He was with the army at the

sack of Constantinople The sack of Constantinople occurred in April 1204 and marked the culmination of the Fourth Crusade. Crusaders sacked and destroyed most of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. After the capture of the city, the Latin Empire ( ...

. Afterwards he fulfilled his vow to go to the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

and exercised episcopal authority in the see of Tyre during the archbishop's six-month absence. He later served as vicar of the see of Naumburg for over a year in 1217–1218. Upon his return to Europe after the crusade, Conrad made peace with Otto. He resigned his bishopric and took monastic vows against the orders of Pope

Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

. Nonetheless, he received Papal commissions fifteen times in the last fourteen years of his life. In 1209, he commissioned the extension of the '' Deeds of the Bishops of Halberstadt'' down to the end of his own pontificate, including an important account of the Fourth Crusade based in part on his eyewitness testimony.

Early life

Family

Conrad was a nobleman, the son of Dedo II of Krosigk and Adelheid of Hertbeke. Their two families had been intermarrying since the mid-11th century. Conrad had two brothers, Gunzelin and Frederick, and a sister, Bertradis, who became abbess of Quedlinburg. His paternal uncle,

Dietrich Dietrich () is an ancient German name meaning "ruler of the people", but also "keeper of the keys" or "lockpick" (either the tool or the profession). Given name * Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg (c. 1398–1440) * Thierry of Alsace (; 1099–1168), ...

, was the bishop of Halberstadt between 1180 and 1193. A maternal relative, Gardolf of Hertbeke, was his immediate predecessor as bishop from 1193 to 1201. Gardolf was a relative of

Conrad of Querfurt Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) * Saint Conrad (disambiguation) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington Elsewher ...

bishop of Hildesheim This list records the incumbents of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hildesheim (). Between 1235 and 1803 the bishops simultaneously officiating as rulers of princely rank (prince-bishop) in the Bishopric of Hildesheim, Prince-Bishopric of Hildeshei ...

, and so too perhaps was Conrad of Krosigk. According to the ''Deeds of the Bishops'', Conrad "was imbued from an early age with

liberal studies Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refer to st ...

Canon of Halberstadt

Through the patronage of relatives, Conrad rose rapidly in the church. His earliest appearance in any document dates to 1184, when a ''Cunradus de Crozuch'' is mentioned as a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

Halberstadt Cathedral The Halberstadt Cathedral or Church of St Stephen and St Sixtus () is a Gothic architecture, Gothic church in Halberstadt in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was the episcopal see of the Bishopric of Halberstadt, established by Emperor Charlemagne in 80 ...

. He may have been a canon since 1180, but no document earlier than 1184 clearly identifies him. He and Garold of Hertbeke were both

subdeacon Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

s in 1184. By April 1185, Conrad had been made provost of the church of the Blessed Virgin while retaining his subdiaconate. By April 1186 he had been promoted to full

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

. He continued as provost of the Blessed Virgin until his election as bishop. From June 1189 at the latest he also held the provostry of Saint Paul's, probably on a temporary basis. In 1191, Bishop Dietrich had to intervene to settle a difference of opinion between Conrad and the canons of Saint Paul's over the election of new canons. Later that year, but before September, Conrad relinquished the post. In 1193, he succeeded Anselm as chief provost of the diocese, i.e. provost of the cathedral. In 1193, Gardolf was elected bishop. His election highlights the close relationship between the diocese of Halberstadt, the Krosigk and Hertbeke families and the reigning Staufer dynasty. Gardolf had previously served as a chaplain to the Emperor Henry VI and the emperor attended his ordination and consecration in person. Gardolf joined the German Crusade being organized by Henry VI and was away on crusade from 1197 to 1198. During his absence, Conrad's duties would have become correspondingly greater. Gardolf died in August 1201 and Conrad escorted his body back from Kaltenborn for burial in the cathedral.

Bishop

Election and excommunication

In 1198, a disputed royal election led to civil war. Gardolf and the diocese of Halberstad sided with Henry VI's younger brother, Duke

. The pope, however, backed his rival, Count Otto of Poitou. In this situation, Ludolf of Kroppenstedt,

archbishop of Magdeburg The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Latin Catholic archdiocese (969–1552) and Prince-Archbishopric (1180–1680) of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River. Planned since 955 and established in 967, the arch ...

, came to Halberstadt to oversee the election and perhaps to assure the selection of a pro-Philip candidate. Conrad was elected. He was invested with the regalia (the secular jurisdiction associated with the bishopric) by King Philip at Halle, probably before 8 September. He was then ordained a priest by Ludolf and consecrated as bishop on 1 January 1202 by bishops Hartwich of Eichstätt, Norbert of Brandenburg and Helmbert of Havelberg. Conrad's pontificate was a difficult one. Shortly after his consecration, some of the diocese's vassals, mostly

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

s who favoured Otto's claim over Philips, rebelled. Conrad quashed the rebellion, capturing the castle of

Schwanebeck Schwanebeck () is a small town in the Harz (district), district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is part of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Vorharz. The municipal area is situated northeast of Halberstadt, on the ''Bund ...

in the process. He was then ordered to appear before the cardinal-legate Guy Paré at

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

within seven days, a summons impossible to meet. When he failed to appear, as Guy expected, the cardinal excommunicated him. At about the same time, Conrad appealed Guy's summons to the pope. If his appeal had been launched before his excommunication, the latter would have been invalid, but as it was Pope

upheld Guy's actions. His excommunication greatly distressed Conrad, as can be seen in a latter of April or May 1202 confirming some donations to the monastery of

Schöningen Schöningen () is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants in the district of Helmstedt, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography The town is located on the southeastern rim of the Elm hill range, near the border with the state of Saxony-Anhalt. In its cur ...

Fourth Crusade

Still excommunicated, Conrad joined the

on Palm Sunday, 7 April 1202, publicising his vow in a sermon he gave at his sister's abbey of Quedlinburg., has 8 April. Conrad gained two immediate practical benefits from this act: Papal protection of his property and the right of ''

essoin In old English law, an essoin (, , Anglo-Norman, from Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks A collective trademark, collective trade mark, or collective mark is a trademark owned by an organization (such ...

from Albert, dean of Magdeburg Cathedral, to help defray the costs of his expedition. He departed on 1 May and passed through Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemia, Duchy of Austria, Austria, Bishopric of Salzburg, Salzburg and Patriarchate of Aquileia, Aquileia before joining the army at

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. He arrived after a deal had been struck between the crusaders and Venice whereby the latter would provide the ships if the former attacked Zara, a Christian city held by Venice's rival,

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. Disturbed, Conrad sought out the Papal legate, Peter of Capua, but was ordered not to leave the army. On the question of the diversion of the crusade to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, Conrad was one of those in favour. He was probably part of the group of western prelates summoned to a meeting with the Greek archbishop of Corfu, whereat the archbishop mocked the notion of

Roman primacy Papal primacy, also known as the primacy of the bishop of Rome, is an ecclesiological doctrine in the Catholic Church concerning the respect and authority that is due to the pope from other bishops and their episcopal sees. While the doctrin ...

. According to Robert de Cléry, the bishop of Halberstadt (''li veskes de Havestait'') exhorted the men during the assault of 9 April 1204. He was one of the electors who chose Baldwin of Flanders as emperor on 9 May and with the other bishops took part in his coronation on 16 May.

Vicar of Tyre

Conrad left Constantinople loaded with

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

on 17 August 1204 to complete his vow to pilgrimage in the Holy Land. He disembarked in Tyre on 7 October and stayed in the Holy Land six months. From Tyre he proceeded to

Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

, where Peter of Capua and the legate Soffredo were residing. There he convinced them to lift his excommunication by promising to go to Rome to swear an oath of obedience in person. During his sojourn in the Holy Land, he acted as the vicar of the absent archbishop of Tyre, Clarembald. He moved into the bishop's palace. He ordained and consecrated a new

bishop of Sidon The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sidon was a bishopric in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th and 13th centuries. Establishment Before the arrival of the crusaders to Syria in the late 11th century, the Orthodox bishops of Sidon had been suffragans ...

. He oversaw the reconstruction of a part of the city wall damaged in the earthquake of 1202. He also liberally distributed alms, probably mostly his own money, both the gift of Albert of Magdeburg and booty acquired in Constantinople. He contracted quartan fever on a visit to the city of

Tortosa Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...

and was cured after visiting the Cathedral of Our Lady. According to the ''Deeds of the Bishops'', after his recovery he visited a "certain philosopher" in Tyre, in fact a fortune teller, who revealed to him his future.

Trip to Rome

In March 1205, his financial resources spent, Conrad prepared to go to Rome to fulfill his promise to the legates. He received a royal send-off from King

Aimery of Jerusalem Aimery of Lusignan (, , ''Amorí''; before 11551 April 1205), erroneously referred to as Amalric () in earlier scholarship, reigned as the first king of Cyprus from 1196 to his death in 1205. He also reigned as the king of Jerusalem as the hu ...

when he embarked for Italy on 30 March. Abbot

Martin of Pairis Martin (floruit 1200–1207) was the abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Pairis in Alsace, then part of the German kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire. Martin played a supporting role on the Fourth Crusade. He was a major source for the '' Historia ...

seems to have been in the same convoy. He traveled by way of

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

, survived severe storms on 6–10 April and landed in Venice on 28 May. There he was met by the deacon of Halberstadt, Burchard, and an envoy of King Philip. In addition, he had an audience with Doge

Enrico Dandolo Enrico Dandolo (Anglicised as Henry Dandolo, and Latinised as Henricus Dandulus; – May/June 1205) was the doge of Venice from 1192 until his death in 1205. He is remembered for his avowed piety, longevity, and shrewdness, and his role in the ...

. He participated in the Venetian Pentecost festivities the following day and left most of his baggage with Burchard before going on to Rome. In Rome, Conrad presented a letter he had drafted in Constantinople and signed by King Aimery in Acre, which reads in part:

Surely among our venerable pontiffs, Lord Halberstadt seemed deservedly praiseworthy as one who had both practical advice and extraordinary solicitude in these matters. Of benefit to our army by word and example throughout everything, he openly showed by action the reverence for the Apostolic See which he bore in his heart.

Despite Innocent III's insistence, Conrad refused to abandon his support for Philip, which would have broken his oath to the king. He was probably forced, however, to take a special oath of obedience to the Holy See, since Innocent in a letter of July or August 1208 demanded that he give his support to Otto after Philip's death "bound as e wasby oath". On 26 June 1205, Innocent addressed a

Papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

to the people and clergy of Halberstadt informing them that Conrad had been formally readmitted to communion. On 29 June, Conrad took part in a public mass alongside the pope.

Return to Halberstadt

Conrad returned to Halberstadt by way of

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, where he paid for the return trips of several students from Halberstadt studying at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

. As he approached Halberstadt, Duke Bernard III of Saxony and a large crowd came out to greet him. On 16 August 1205, Conrad deposited the relics he had brought in Halberstadt Cathedral. In 1208, he declared an annual festival every 16 August to commemorate the transfer of the relics to Halberstadt. He had brought back a purported trace of the

blood of Christ Blood of Christ, also known as the Most Precious Blood, in Christian theology refers to the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ primarily on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby, or the sacram ...

, a purported strand of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

's hair and purported pieces of the

True Cross According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified. It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...

, the

Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Some ...

, the

Crown of Thorns According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns ( or ) was placed on the head of Jesus during the Passion of Jesus, events leading up to his crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion. It was one of the Arma Christi, instruments of the Passion, e ...

, Christ's burial shroud, the

veil of Veronica The Veil of Veronica, or (Latin for sweat-cloth), also known as the Vernicle, the Veronica and the Holy Face, is a Christian relic consisting of a piece of cloth said to bear an image of the Holy Face of Jesus produced by other than human mea ...

, Christ's purple robe, the Holy Sponge and Reed, Christ's sandals and Mary's clothes. He also had relics attributed to

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

Andrew Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...

, Simon,

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

Barnabas Barnabas (; ; ), born Joseph () or Joses (), was according to tradition an early Christians, Christian, one of the prominent Disciple (Christianity), Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jews, Cyprio ...

James the Just James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord ( from , and , , can also be Anglicized as "Jacob"), was, according to the New Testament, a brother of Jesus. He was the first Jewish bishop of Jerusalem. Traditionally, it is beli ...

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

, Clement, Lawrence,

Cosmas and Damian Cosmas and Damian ( – or AD) were two Arab physicians and early Christian martyrs. They practised their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman province of Cilicia. Cosmas and Damian were third century Arabian-born twin ...

. Besides relics, Conrad gifted to his cathedral church several expensive items acquired in Constantinople. All these objects were presumably looted. After his return, Conrad took back the castle of

Oschersleben Oschersleben () is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The population in 1905 was 13,271, in 2020 about 19,000. History On November 23, 994 Oschersleben was first mentioned in a document by the Emperor Otto III. In 1235 ...

, which Ludolf of Magdeburg had seized from a ''

ministerialis The ''ministeriales'' (singular: ''ministerialis'') were a legally unfree but socially elite class of knights, administrators, and officials in the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire, drawn from a mix of servile origins, free commoners, and ...

'' of the see of Halberstadt. He led a military campaign against the castle of Eilsleben, which had been constructed by supporters of Otto. After capturing the fortress, he razed it. In 1205, Conrad completed an unfinished work that Bishop Gardolf begun in 1199 when he set up some Cistercian nuns in the hospice and church of Saint Jacob in the city. By 1207, he was showing distinct favouritism to the Cistercian Order, particularly the monasteries of Mariental (where his mother was buried) and Riddagshausen. In charters favouring the Cistercians, Conrad could say that "although by the debt of our office we are obliged to bear the burden of the care of all churches suffragan to us in the Lord, yet most of all we are constrained to provide for the benefit of the Cistercians." In 1208, he arranged to exchange the church of Saint Jacob for the

Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a military order of the Catholic faith, and one of the most important military orders in Western Christianity. They were founded in 11 ...

church of Saint Burchard and thus moved the Cistercian sisters outside the walls. Following the death of King Philip in 1208, Conrad pledged fealty to Otto, even giving him 800 marks as a token of submission. Shortly after, probably between 16 August and 22 September 1208, Conrad resigned the episcopal office. According to the ''Deeds of the Bishops'', this was to fulfill a secret "vow which he had for so long borne in his heart, even though it was forbidden him by apostolic authority". He retired to the Cistercian monastery of Sittichenbach (Sichem).

Relics and history

After leaving his see, Conrad commissioned the addition of an account his and Gardolf's reigns to the ''Deeds of the Bishops of Halberstadt''. This he may have done as early as late 1208, but it was not completed until after the election of his successor and his absolution by the pope in early 1209. It was written by a single anonymous author and is an apologia for Conrad's pontificate, especially his actions on crusade. Although not unbiased, it "largely ellsa factually correct story." The ''Deeds'' presents Conrad's relics as having miraculously brought peace to Germany. Conrad declared the date of the deposition of the relics in the cathedral, 16 August, a diocesan

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

. Any person living in the vicinity of Halberstadt who venerated the relics on that day would receive an

indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission bef ...

of forty days those who travelled from further afield sixty days. Conrad gave the church a new altar to support the cult of the relics. When he retired to Sittichenbach, however, he brought the relics with him. These included one or two holy thorns, a lock of the

's hair, the finger of

St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

and relics of the apostles

Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...

, Simon,

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

and

Monk

Solitude and penance

For defying apostolic authority and retiring to a monastery, Conrad went to Rome to seek the pope's absolution in person. Accompanied by his abbot, he travelled to Rome and back probably between early spring and late summer 1209. The final months of 1208 and 1209 and the first months of 1210 were the only extended periods of solitude Conrad enjoyed as a monk. He may have undergone a

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

. Between 1211 and 1225, he received fifteen Papal commissions, which required him to regularly leave his monastery and involve himself again in contemporary politics. Having resigned his diocese, Conrad remained a bishop in rank and prerogative even while also a monk. Contemporary documents often refer to him as the " ord rotherbishop nd monkof Sichem", or "in Sichem". In Papal documents he is referred to as the "former bishop of Halberstadt" (''episcopus quondam Halberstadensis''), although he was always addressed by the pope as "brother" (as protocol demanded for a bishop) and not as "son" (as it would for a monk). When on Papal commission, he was ranked below the diocesan bishops but above the abbots (even his own). In the 19th century, Julius Otto Opel identified the "my dear ldhermit" (''mîn guoter '' 'alter''' klôsenaere'') who is mentioned in three anti-Papal songs of the poet

Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (; ) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs ('' Sprüche'') in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hundred or s ...

with the retired Conrad. While the poet and bishop almost certainly knew each other, the context of the songs suggests that, if the unnamed hermit was a historical person, it was someone other than Conrad.

Papal judge delegate

Conrad undertook two missions as papal judge delegate to Poland. On 21 April 1211, the pope sent Conrad and the abbot of Sittichenbach to Duke Władysław Spindleshanks of

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; ), is a Polish Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland. The bound ...

, who had seized the treasure of the

archdiocese of Gniezno The Archdiocese of Gniezno (, ) is the oldest Latin Catholic archdiocese in Poland, located in the city of Gniezno.

. Their mission was at least a partial success and Władysław moderated his position. In 1213, Conrad mediated a dispute over tithes between Duke Henry the Bearded of

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

and Bishop Wawrzyniec of Wrocław. The bishop shortly after granted some tithes to the Cistercian house of Lubiąż, probably out of gratitude to Conrad. Between 1212 and 1222, Conrad was involved on three occasions in the drawn-out dispute involving

Nienburg Abbey Nienburg Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery in Nienburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. History Abbey Nienburg was for centuries on the extreme eastern edge of the settled territory of Germany. With the aim of converting the then Sorbian popu ...

. In 1212, Abbot Gernot charged Duke Albert I of Saxony and the abbey's own

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

, Count Henry I of Anhalt, with damages to abbatial properties and animals. Innocent III first sent Bishop Dietrich of Merseburg to deal with it, but after his failure he sent Conrad to order the parties to send procurators to Rome. Henry refused to comply and the dispute remained open on 9 March 1218, when Honorius authorized Conrad and two co-delegates (Abbot William of

Cella In Classical architecture, a or naos () is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extended meanings: of a hermit's or monk's cell, and (since the 17th century) of a biological cell ...

and Master Conrad of Marburg) to resolve the dispute if they could, otherwise to summon procurators to appear in Rome and if the defendants failed to comply to issue a default judgement in favour of Nienburg. After all this, Henry refused to yield and Conrad and his co-delegates excommunicated him. This brought them into dispute with Archbishop Albert of Magdeburg, who lifted the excommunication. The delegates' actions were upheld by the pope in 1220. In 1222, Conrad was again brought in as part of a three-judge panel to hear a suit by Gernot against Henry. The following year case was resolved, although the exact resolution and Conrad's role in it are not known. On 17 June 1220, Pope

Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...

sent Conrad along with Bishops Engelhard of Naumburg and Eckard of Merseburg to investigate the claim of the abbey of Gandersheim to the land on which the castle of Asseburg had been built. As a judge delegate, Conrad was involved three disputed ecclesiastical elections. The first, in 1221, involved the right of the canons of the church of Soest to elect their own provost. The case was actually heard and decided by Cardinal Raniero Capocci, but Conrad was charged with holding the ''

Stift The term (; ) is derived from the verb (to donate) and originally meant 'a donation'. Such donations usually comprised earning assets, originally landed estates with serfs defraying dues (originally often in kind) or with vassal tenants of noble ...

'' (church property) in the interim. In 1223, Conrad was part of the panel that confirmed Master Oliver's election as

bishop of Paderborn The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paderborn () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn.

, a judgement upheld on papal appeal in 1225. The most contentious dispute he was involved in was that of Quedlinburg. A faction had deposed the Abbess Sophia and elected Conrad's sister Bertradis in her place. Conrad's refusal to recuse himself angered Pope Honorius, who several times referred to the ex-bishops "rashness". Bertradis election was ultimately confirmed, but only after Conrad's death.

Preaching the crusades

In 1213, Conrad was charged with preaching what became the

Fifth Crusade The Fifth Crusade (September 1217 - August 29, 1221) was a campaign in a series of Crusades by Western Europeans to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering Egypt, ruled by the powerful Ayyubid sultanate, led by al- ...

in the archdioceses of Magdeburg and

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

. In 1214, according to the '' Chronica Montis Sereni'', a picture of a crucifix in the market church at Halle was claimed by a local priest named Peter to have healing powers. While the chronicler regarded the entire affair, which generated money for the church, as a fraud, he notes that Conrad testified to the authenticity of the miracles in his public preaching. In 1216, along with Conrad of Marburg and John of Xanten, Conrad of Krosigk was named a delegate of the crusade in the province of Bremen. This gave him the authority to preach, to collect pledges (by force if necessary) and to spend monies in furtherance of the crusade. Between March 1217 and the summer of 1218, Conrad served as vicar of Naumburg on behalf of Bishop Engelhard, who was absent on the crusade. During this time, the title he used was "by the grace of God, bishop and monk in Sichem and legate of the Holy Cross", indicating that his vicariate was an extension of legatine crusade mission. On 4 May 1217, as vicar, Conrad dedicated a new altar in . On 9 October, he presided over a diocesan synod. On 8 November, he witnessed a charter of the Emperor Frederick II when the latter visited Altenburg Abbey. In early 1218, he confirmed the foundation of a hospital in the diocese by the daughter, Mechtild, of the burgrave of Meissen, Meinher. On 7 March 1224, Honorius III commissioned Conrad once again to preach the crusade (the eventual

Sixth Crusade The Sixth Crusade (1228–1229), also known as the Crusade of Frederick II, was a military expedition to recapture Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade and involved very little actua ...

) in the province of Magdeburg.

Death

Conrad died on 21 June 1225. His death opened up disputes between the cathedral and the monastery concerning the bequest of some of Conrad's relics. Cardinal

Conrad of Urach __NOTOC__ Conrad of Urach (also named Conrad von Urach, , also known as Konrad or Kuno von Zähringen) (born in the 1170s; died 29 September 1227, probably in Bari) was a Cistercian monk and abbot, and Cardinal Bishop of Porto and Santa Rufina; he ...

settled the dispute by dividing the relics between the two churches.

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Coins or bracteates of Conrad of Krosigk
{{Authority control 1160s births 1225 deaths German Cistercians Roman Catholic bishops of Halberstadt Christians of the Fourth Crusade People excommunicated by the Catholic Church