BENNO II OF OSNABRÜCK, BL.

Bishop; b. Böhningen, Swabia, c. 1020; d. Iburg, Germany, July 27, 1088. Benno was the student of her mannus contractus and headed the cathedral school of Hildesheim, which he revitalized. He was cathedral provost, served in the imperial administration at Goslar and was coadjutor of Abp. anno of cologne before being elected bishop of Osnabrück as the candidate of Emperor henry iv (1068). In the investiture struggle, he was excommunicated by Pope gregory vii for participating in the Synod of Worms (1076). He thereafter attempted mediation, interceding for Henry IV at Canossa (1077), at Rome (1078–79), and during Henry's siege of Rome (1082–84). He skillfully retained the trust of both parties. Benno was a noted architect and worked on the imperial residence at Goslar, Speyer Cathedral, the imperial fortifications in Saxony, Hildesheim Cathedral, and his own foundation, the Abbey of Iburg.

Feast: July 22, Nov. 20.

See Also: investiture struggle.

Bibliography: Vita, Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptores (Berlin 1826–) 12:58–84. l. thyen, Benno II: Bischof von O. (Osnabrück 1869). abbot norbert of iburg, Vita Bennonis II, episcopi Osnabrugensis (Hannover 1977). g. meyer von knonau, Jahrbücher des deutschen Reiches unter Heinrich IV. und Heinrich V., 7 v. (Leipzig 1890–1909) v.1 and 4. i. hindenberg, B. II…als Architekt (Strasbourg 1921). a. fliche, La Ré forme grégorienne, 3 v. (Louvain 1924–37) v.3. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater (New York 1956) 3:165–166. g. bÖing, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiberg 1957–65) 2:206–207. e. n. johnson, "Bishop Benno II of Osnabrück," Speculum 16 (1941) 389–403.

[d. andreini]