Wichmann von Seeburg

Deceased Person

1115 – 1192

77

Who was Wichmann von Seeburg?

Wichmann von Seeburg was the Bishop of Naumburg from 1150 until 1154 and Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1152 until his death. He was the son of Gero, Count of Seeburg. During his long career, he was an unflappable supporter of Frederick Barbarossa against Pope Alexander III and an implacable military leader against the emperor's foes in the northeast, especially Henry the Lion.

Wichmann studied theology at the University of Paris before becoming a canon in Halberstadt. He was made Bishop of Zeitz-Naumburg in 1150 and was quickly appointed to the archdiocese of Magdeburg by the newly crowned Frederick Barbarossa in 1152. He immediately endeavoured to extend his diocese and its economy; he actively promoted trade within the cities. In 1157, he teamed with Albert the Bear to Germanise the cities of Brandenburg and Jüterbog, whose vicinity he conquered and granted to the Cistercian monastery of Zinna in 1180.

In 1164, he undertook a pilgrimage to Palestine and fell for a time into Turkish hands. In 1166, he joined the other princes in war with Henry the Lion, but he succeeded only in seeing his lands devastated. In 1175, he supplied auxiliaries to the emperor for his Italian campaign. He was in Venice negotiating the peace treaty in 1177. In 1178, he was back in Saxony for the war against Henry the Lion. He strongly worked for Henry's removal and greatly profited from its actualisation, becoming the principal secular authority in Saxony after. He remained deeply predisposed against the Welfs, however.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
1115
Education
  • University of Paris
Died
Aug 25, 1192
Köthen (Anhalt)

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Wichmann von Seeburg." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/wichmann_archbishop_of_magdeburg>.

Discuss this Wichmann von Seeburg biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net