MEINWERK OF PADERBORN, BL.

Bishop; d. Paderborn, June 5, 1036. Meinwerk, a scion of the aristocratic Saxon Immedinger family, was educated with the future Emperor henry ii, who appointed him bishop of Paderborn in 1009 so that he might restore the impoverished see through his own immense wealth. Having been consecrated by willigis of mainz, Meinwerk enriched his church and cajoled extensive donations from his friend the emperor. He administered his diocesan property meticulously and with a paternal pettiness that became legendary; he supervised his clergy and ecclesiastical foundations with equal care (see abdinghof, abbey of). He brought goldsmiths, architects, and Greek artisans to Paderborn; built energetically; refurbished his cathedral; and fortified the town. He stands in the front rank of the ottonian renaissance figures. Although he campaigned occasionally, Meinwerk did not seem to be politically inclined.

Feast: June 5.

Bibliography: f. tenckhoff, ed. Monumenta Germaniae Scriptores rerum Germanicarum v.59 (1921). j. bauermann, Westfälische Lebensbilder (Münster 1930) 1:18–21. e. n. johnson, The Secular Activities of the German Episcopate, 919–1024 (Lincoln, NE 1932). a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4 v. (New York 1956) 2:482–483. k. honselmann, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 7:242–243. g. mietke, Die Bautätigkeit Bischof Meinwerks von Paderborn und die frühchristliche und byzantinische Architektur (Paderborn 1991).

[r. h. schmandt]