Wilbrand van Oldenburg
Encyclopedia
Wilbrand van Oldenburg (before 1180 - Zwolle
, 26 July 1233) was a bishop of Paderborn and of Utrecht.
from 1192 to 1216 and archbishop of Bremen from 1216 to 1219. Wilbrand was also related to the count of Holland
and Guelders
.
Wilbrands older brothers Burchard of Wildenbrug and Henry III, Count of Oldenburg were killed in a crusade against the Stedingers
. His other brother Engelmar was provost at Munster.
, where he was ordered by Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
to prepare the Fifth Crusade
to the Holy Land
. He reported about this in his Itinerarium terrae sanctae, an important historical source on the crusades and crusader castles. He was supported in this task by the grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights
, Hermann von Salza
.
Afterwards Wilbrand was made provost in Hildesheim and of the St. Nicholas church in Magdeburg
. The next years Wilbrand spent a lot of time in Italy as envoy of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
.
In 1225 Wilbrand was consecrated as bishop of Paderborn, where he successfully pacified the rebellious nobility. In 1226 he was temporarily given governance of the bishoprics of Münster
and Osnabrück
, after their bishops had been deposed as a result of their complicity in the murder of Engelbert II of Berg
, Archbishop of Cologne.
In 1227 Wilbrand was moved by pope Gregory IX to the Bishopric of Utrecht because of his military experience, in order to replace bishop Otto van Lippe, who had died at the Battle of Ane
.
After a failed attempt to gain control of Coevorden
with support from the Frisians in the frisian-drenths war, Wilbrand defeated the Drenths at Peize
. Wilbrand invited the Drenth commander Rudolph II van Coevorden to castle Hardenberg
for negotiations. But upon Rudolph's arrival he was taken prisoner, and subsequently executed by means of the breaking wheel
. Afterwards his body was impaled on a stake and shown to the crowd.
Wilbrand had built the castle of Hardenberg
himself to replace the vulnerable town of Nijenstede to serve as protection against the Drenths. In 1230 the bishop gave city rights to Zwolle
as a reward for their support in strengthening the castle.
Wilbrand was interred in the St. Servaas-abbey in Utrecht.
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, 26 July 1233) was a bishop of Paderborn and of Utrecht.
Family
Wilbrand was the son of Henry II, Count of Oldenburg-Wildeshausen and Beatrix of Hallermund, daughter of Wilbrand I, Count of Loccum-Hallermund. His uncle Gerhard of Oldenburg was bishop of OsnabrückOsnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
from 1192 to 1216 and archbishop of Bremen from 1216 to 1219. Wilbrand was also related to the count of Holland
County of Holland
The County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
and Guelders
Guelders
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.-Geography:...
.
Wilbrands older brothers Burchard of Wildenbrug and Henry III, Count of Oldenburg were killed in a crusade against the Stedingers
Stedingen
Stedingen is an area north of Bremen in the delta of the Weser river in north-western Germany.-Founding:In the year 1106, five Dutchmen made a long journey from the mouth of the Rhine to Bremen. They wanted to talk to the Archbishop of Bremen about taking over settling land on the Weser River,...
. His other brother Engelmar was provost at Munster.
Life
From 1211 to 1212 Wilbrand was Canon of HildesheimHildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, where he was ordered by Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
to prepare the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. He reported about this in his Itinerarium terrae sanctae, an important historical source on the crusades and crusader castles. He was supported in this task by the grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, Hermann von Salza
Hermann von Salza
Hermann von Salza was the fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1210 to 1239...
.
Afterwards Wilbrand was made provost in Hildesheim and of the St. Nicholas church in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. The next years Wilbrand spent a lot of time in Italy as envoy of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
.
In 1225 Wilbrand was consecrated as bishop of Paderborn, where he successfully pacified the rebellious nobility. In 1226 he was temporarily given governance of the bishoprics of Münster
Bishopric of Münster
The Bishopric of Münster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lower Saxony...
and Osnabrück
Bishopric of Osnabrück
The Diocese of Osnabrück is a diocese of the Catholic church in Germany; it was founded around 800. It was also a Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire until 1803.- The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück :...
, after their bishops had been deposed as a result of their complicity in the murder of Engelbert II of Berg
Engelbert II of Berg
Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
, Archbishop of Cologne.
In 1227 Wilbrand was moved by pope Gregory IX to the Bishopric of Utrecht because of his military experience, in order to replace bishop Otto van Lippe, who had died at the Battle of Ane
Battle of Ane
The Battle of Ane was fought in 1227 between Otto II of Lippe, Bishop of Utrecht, and Rudolf II van Coevorden with his army of Drenths.-Background:...
.
After a failed attempt to gain control of Coevorden
Coevorden
Coevorden is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands. During the municipal reorganisation in the province in 1998, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo.- Population centers :...
with support from the Frisians in the frisian-drenths war, Wilbrand defeated the Drenths at Peize
Peize
Peize is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the northern part of Drenthe approximately 10 kilometers South of the city of Groningen...
. Wilbrand invited the Drenth commander Rudolph II van Coevorden to castle Hardenberg
Hardenberg
Hardenberg is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city of Hardenberg has a population of about 17,200. It received city rights in 1362 from Jan van Arkel, Bishop of Utrecht. The famous Pieterpad also passes through Hardenberg.-Cycling:There are...
for negotiations. But upon Rudolph's arrival he was taken prisoner, and subsequently executed by means of the breaking wheel
Breaking wheel
The breaking wheel, also known as the Catherine wheel or simply the wheel, was a torture device used for capital punishment in the Middle Ages and early modern times for public execution by bludgeoning to death...
. Afterwards his body was impaled on a stake and shown to the crowd.
Wilbrand had built the castle of Hardenberg
Hardenberg
Hardenberg is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city of Hardenberg has a population of about 17,200. It received city rights in 1362 from Jan van Arkel, Bishop of Utrecht. The famous Pieterpad also passes through Hardenberg.-Cycling:There are...
himself to replace the vulnerable town of Nijenstede to serve as protection against the Drenths. In 1230 the bishop gave city rights to Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
as a reward for their support in strengthening the castle.
Wilbrand was interred in the St. Servaas-abbey in Utrecht.