Boleslaw the Brave as a Frater of the Magdeburg Canons. An Attempt at a New View

• Authors: Michalowski R.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The information provided by Thietmar (VI, 33) about the year 1007 indicates that Boleslaw the Brave was a frater of the Magdeburg canons. The author of the article formulates a hypothesis claiming that the brotherly ties had been established in 1000, when the duke arrived in Magdeburg while accompanying Otto III on his return from a pilgrimage to Gniezno where Boleslaw had received from the emperor a copy of the spear of St. Maurice. From that time on, as cooperator imperii he was to invoke on the battlefields the assistance of this particular martyr. Presumably, the post of a Magdeburg canon was to render such help more efficient. By becoming a canon of the local cathedral, Boleslaw also assumed the function of a servant of its patron saint, and consequently could rely on the latter's support. Another Magdeburg canon was Henry II. The author agrees with the opinion that the king of Germany joined the canons prior to 1006, and most probably in 1004. The cited information by Thietmar demonstrates that in 1007, having learnt that Henry had declared war, Boleslaw the Brave severed all ties of brotherhood with Magdeburg and invaded the estates belonging to the cathedral. Since both rulers belonged to the same brotherhood and were encumbered with the duty of mutual love, the Polish duke recognised that Henry's declaration of war was tantamount to breaking the union.

Keywords

EN

BOLESLAW THE BRAVE; MAGDEBURG CANONS; THIETMAR

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN w Warszawie
• Journal: Kwartalnik Historyczny
• Year: 2005
• Volume: 112
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 55-68
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Michalowski R.

• R. Michalowski, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Instytut Historyczny, ul. Krakowskie Przemiescie 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06PLAAAA01593484