Rüdiger of Bergheim

(About 1175-1258)

Bishop of Passau 1233-1250, follower of the emperor Friedrich II,
Trouble with Rom

About 1175	Born as member of the family Itzling-Fischach-Zaisberg-Bergheim-Radecker of Salzburg.
From 1198	Canon of Salzburg
1208-1211	Priest of Salzburghofen and master of hospital
From 1212	Rüdiger belongs to the group of people around the archbishop of Regenburg, who came from Salzburg
Till 1215	Probst of Augustinerchorherrenstift Zell am See
From 1215	Canon of Passau
1216	First bishop of the new founded "Salzburger Eigenbistum" Chiemsee. He is consecrated by archbishop Eberhard at Herrenchiemsee.
27.06.1233	Pope Gregor IX sends him to Passau to succeed bishop Gebhard of Plain, because after one year had passed by, the chapter was still not able to find a candidate.
1233-1250	Bishop of Passau, follower of the emperor Friedrich II
1240	Albert Behaim excommunicates him because his blamed for being follower of the emperor Friedrich II
1248	Rüdiger is removed for the benefit of Konrad, the son of the duke of Silesia. But he was not acknowledged by the Curia until the year 1249
1249	Renewal of the excommunication and Pope Innozenz IV demands his resignation
17.02.1250	Once again renewal of the excommunication and Petrus de Collemedio, who was legate and cardinal removes him
11.03.1250	Pope Innocent IV confirms the removal
Fall 1250	The new bishop Berthold enters the city of Passau
1258	Rüdiger dies.

Evaluation: From the beginning life was not easy for Rüdiger in Passau. He often ran out of money, because of his splendid lifestyle. After his excommunication he lost Vilshofen in the year 1240. At the same time Rüdiger could not hold the fiefs of Ortenburg. Because of Rüdiger’s weakness, Otto II, the duke of Bavaria, was able to plunder the surrounding area of Passau. He got into trouble with the Curia in Rom because he was a follower of the emperor Friedrich II. He lost against his counterpart Albert Behaim and was finally excommunicated and removed. Rüdiger was the looser in the conflict between the emperor and the pope.

Remarkable: In the year 1245 Rüdiger was blamed for manslaughter, simonie and wasting of possession of the church. There was no reason to blame Rüdiger, but this was the only way for the Pope to pressurize Rüdiger. Rüdiger was the only Bavarian bishop who stand by the Wittelsbacher.

Egon Boshof et.al.: Geschichte der Stadt Passau (Regensburg 1999) S. 89

Josef Breinbauer: Otto von Lonsdorf. Bischof von Passau 1254 – 1265 (Köln 1992) S. 40

August Leidl: Rüdiger von Bergheim. In: Karl Bosl, Bosls bayerische Biographie: 8000 Persönlichkeiten aus 15 Jh (Regensburg 1983) S. 649

August Leidl: Rüdiger von Bergheim (Radeck) (1233-1250). In: August Leidl, Die Bischöfe von Passau 739-1968 in Kurzbiographien (Passau 1978) S. 27

Alois Schmid: Rüdiger von Bergheim. In: Erwin Gatz/Clemens Brodkorb, Die Bischöfe des Heiligen Römischen Reiches 1198 bis 1448: ein biographisches Lexikon (Berlin 2001) S. 553

http://www.mittelalter-genealogie.de/mittelalter/bistuemer/passau/ruediger_von_radeck_bischof_von_passau_+_1258.html, 01.05.2004

bearbeitet von: Marion Lischke
Translation: Markus Schönberger

worked out by: Marion Lischke
translation by: Markus Schönberger
(2004/24.8.2005)