HERMANN
266
HERMANN
married, his second wife being Sophia, daughter
of Duke Otto of Bavaria. His oldest son Ludwig,
who succeeded him, was the husband of St. Ehza-
beth.
The hberality of the art-loving landgrave made the Thuringian Court the meeting-place of poets from all parts of Germany. Heinrich von Vcldeke, Walther von der Vogelweide, and Wolfram von Eschenbach were among those who enjoyed the landgrave's hos- pitality. Wolfram wrote his " Willehalm", and Herbort von Fritzlar his "Liet von Troye", at Her- mann's .suggestion. That this generosity was not always discriminating, and hence was liable to be abused, is attested by Walther as well as Wolfram. " If a cart-load of wine", exclaims the former, "should cost a thousand pounds, he [Hermann] would neverthe- less not allow any knight's goblet to be empty." The famous poetic contest, which is said to have occurred at the Wartburg in 1207, and which is the sul)ject of a poem of the thirteenth century, of un- known authorship, is purely legendary.
Knochenhauer, (jesrhichie Thuringens zur Zeii des eritten Landgraienhausea, eU. Menzel (Gotha, 1S71); Devhient, Thiiringieche Geschichte (Leipzig, 1907). especially pp. 38-41. Arthur F. J. Kemy.
Hermann Contractus (Herimands Adgiensis, Her.m.v.nn von Reichenau), chronicler, mathema- tician, and poet; b. 18 February, 1013, at Alts- hausen (Swabia) ; d. on the island of Reichenau, Lake Constance, 21 September, 1054. He was the son of Count Wolverad II von Altshausen. Being a cripple from birth (hence the surname Contractus) he was
Eowerless to move without assistance, and it was only y the greatest effort that he was able to read and write; but he was so highly gifted intellectually, that when he was but seven years of age his parents con- fided him to the learned Abbot Berno, on the island of Reichenau. Here he took the monastic vows in 1043, and probably spent his entire life. His iron will overcame all obstacles, and it was not long be- fore his brilliant attainments made him a shining light in the most fliversified branches of learning, including, besides theology, mathematics, astronomy, music, the Latin, Greek, and .\rabic tongues. Students soon flocked to him from all parts, attracted not only by the fame of his scholarship, but also by his monastic virtue and his lovable personality. We are indebted to him chiefly for a chronicle of the most important events from the birth of Christ to his day. It is the earliest of the medieval universal chronicles now extant, and was compiled from numerous sources, being a monument to his great industry as well as to his extraordinary erudition and strict regard for accu- racy. While it is not improbalile that this work was baseil on a previoiis state chronicle of Suabia, since lost (called "Chronicum Universale Suevicum", or "Epitome Sangallensis". See Bresslau, "Hermann von Reichenau und die sogenannte Epitome Sangal- len.sis" in "Neues Archiv fiir iUtere Deutsche Ge- Behichlsk\mdc", II, iJOO), it has nevertheless a signi- ficance entirely its own. But the full measure of his genius appears from the objectivity and clearness with which he wrote the history of his own time, the materials of which were accessible to him only by means of verbal tradition. The chronicle has re- peatedly been pviblished; first by J. Sichard (Basle, 1520), and by ITssermann, in P. L., CXLIII, 55 2C,4; but its best reprocluetion was in "Mon. Germ. Hist.: Script.", V, (57 1M:!. It was translated into German by Nobbe (Berlin, 1.S51, and Leipzig, 1S03) " Gc- schichtschreilier der deutschen Vorzeit", XLII. He also wrote mathematico-astronomical works
(cf. Cantor, " Geschichte derMathematik ", I, 7.59 sq.). Of his poems the most successful was the " De octo vitiis principalibus", which he addressed to nuns, and
in which he gave proof of uncommon skill in the hand- ling of different kinds of metres, as well as in the charm
with which he contrived to lilend earnestness with a
happy mirth. He composed religious hymns, and is
not infrequently credited with the authorship of the
" Alma Rederaptoris Mater ", and the " Salve Regina".
Finally, it may be mentioned that Hermann con-
structed astronomical and musical instrximents.
Hansjakob, Hernmann der Lahmf, sein Lehen und seine Wis- aetischaft (Mainz, 1865); Wattenbach, Deutschlanda Ge- achichlsquellen, II (1899), 42-47.
Patricius Schlager.
Hermann Joseph, Blessed, Premonstratensian monk and mystic; b. at Cologne about 1150; d. at Hoven, 7 April, 1241. According to the biography by Razo Bonvisinus, contemporary prior of Steinfeld (.\cta SS., April, 1,670), Hermann was the son of poor parents who had once been rich. At the age of seven he attended school and very early he began the tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin for which he was known during his entire life. At every available moment he could be found at the church of St. Mary on the Capi- tol, where he would kneel wrapt in prayer and child- like appeal to Mary. One day he is said to have pre- sented an apple, saved from his own scanty rei)ast,to the Child Who accepted it. According to still anotlier legend, on another occasion, when on a liitter cold day he made his appearance with bare feet, Mary procured him tlie means of getting shoes, .^t the age of twelve he entered the monastery of the Norbertinc or Premonstratensian Canons at Steinfeld, in the pres- ent Rhenish Prussia, made his studies in the Nether- lands, and on his return was entrusted with the service of the refectory and later of the sacristy.
After he had been ordained priest, it was remarkable with what reverence and devotion he offered the Holy Sacrifice. He was known for his gentle demeanour and affability, his humility, his extraordinary mortifi- cations, but, above all, for his affection for the Mother of God, before whose altar he remained for hours in pious intercourse and ecstatic visions, and in whose honour he composed wonderful prayers and hymns. Mary, in turn, showed him her predilection, called him her chaplain and her spou.-^e, and confirmed his surname Joseph, given to him by his brothers in religion. Hermann was sometimes sent out to per- form pastoral duties and was in frequent demand for the making and repairing of clocks. He had under his charge the spiritual welfare of the Cistercian mms at Hoven near Ziilpich. Here he died and was buried in the cloister. His body was later transferred to Steinfeld, where his marble tomb and large picture may be seen to the present day; portions of his relics are at Cologne and at Antwerp. He is represented in art as kneeling before a statue of the Virgin and Child and offering an apple. The process of his canoniza- tion was begun in 1020. at the request of Archbishop Ferdinand of Cologne and the Emperor P'erdinand II, but was interrupted. His feast was, however, cele- brate<l on 7 April, and the name of Bles.sed Hermann is in the Premonstratensian supplement to the Ro- man Martyrology. They also celebrate (he tran.>i- lation of his relics on 24 May. His works are: "A Commentary on the Canticle of Canticles", which is lost; "Opuscula" (new edition, Namur, bSOO), in- cluding: "Duodccim gratiarum aetiones"; "Jubilus sen Hymnus de SS. undeeim millibus Virginibns"; "Oratio ad Dominum nostrum Je.sum Christum", taken to a great extent from the Canticle of Canticles; ".\lia Oratio"; "Precula de quinque Gaudiis B. Mariic V." It is not quite certain whether the last three are the works of Hermann, though they are generally a.seribed to him.
TlMMERMANS. Vj> du h. Herman Joseph (Lille and Pfiri.*?, 1000); Kaui.en, Lef/endf vnn dem 8f'L Ih'rmnnn Joneph (Moinz, ISSO); MicBAEi.. (Irsrhirlile din drulsih. Volkn. Ill, 211; PiJsL, Lrben de« sel. Hermann Josenh {Uatisbon. 1862): Deibsei., CeHch. der Verehr. Marienn in Deulnrfd. (Freiburg im Br., 1909); (ioovaerts, Ecriv. de VOrdre de Premontrl (Bnissels, 1899).
Francis Mershman.
