Adalbert of Hamburg

Who was Adalbert of Hamburg?

Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen was a German prelate, who was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1043 until his death.

Adalbert was the son of Count Friedrich von Goseck, a political figure of the Holy Roman Empire, papal legate, Vikar des Nordens, one of the regents of Emperor Henry IV.

Adalbert became subdeacon to the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in 1032, later provost of the Halberstadt Cathedral, and Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in 1043 or 1045 with supremacy over the Scandinavian Peninsula and a great part of the Wend lands, and all territory north of the Elbe.

Having accompanied the Emperor Henry III on a christianization campaign in 1045, he also journeyed with him to Rome in 1046. Adam of Bremen rumours Adalbert to have refused a candidacy as pope, resulting in the election of Clement II, to continue with the conversion of the Wends.

Adalbert worked to increase the influence of his patriarchate, and thereby also the influence of the Holy Roman Empire, but met resistance from the Scandinavian kings who preferred to receive bishops consecrated in Canterbury, then under Danish influence. King Sweyn II of Denmark appealed to the Emperor and to Pope Leo IX for an archbishop of his own, which would mean a loss to Hamburg of lands just yielding fruits after two hundred years of Christianization. The whole discussion was cut short by the death of both Pope and Emperor.