Der Beginn der freisingischen Herrschaft in Groß-Enzersdorf im Hinblick auf die Entstehung des kirchlichen Lebens: von den Anfängen bis zu Bischof Berthold von Wehingen
The Freising Diocese and the development of parish life in Groß-Enzersdorf before the installation of Bishop Berthold of Wehingen

Summary/Abstract: The article explores the beginnings of the rule of Freising bishops in Bayern, south of the Danube River, in Groß-Enzersdorf, in the region called Marchfeld, and their infl uence on religious life in the region. The problem in question dates back to Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, who handed over the ownership of a part of the Sachsengang island (Lat. insula Sahsonaganc), an arm of the Danube near Vienna, to the Benedictine monastery Weihenstephan in a document of 14 November, 1021. Soon, however, the Weihenstephan monastery exchanged the property with the bishopric of Freising, which became the owner the other part of the Sachsengang island and the land goods in this region. The name of the place – Enzinesdorf or Enzeinesdorf – fi rst appeared in a document of 1160 (Urbar; Besitzrechtsverzeichnis). It is worth noting that the Groß prefi x (large or big) was only added later to distinguish between towns of the same name. There is no information regarding the construction of the fi rst chapel in this locality. The Codex Lonsdorfi anus covering books dated 1202/1203, however, mentions a wooden Capella building, which meant a small church at that time. It is assumed that a parish church was erected on the site of this building at a later point. What is also known is that its oldest preserved part goes back to the 13th century. It is important to note that the Groß-Enzersdorf parish is rooted in the parish of Stadlau-Kagran, which covered 23 towns and villages at that time. A reference to a clergyman of Enzersdorf fi rst appeared in 1256. A man named Leopold was indicated as a witness in a dispute between the Freising and Passau dioceses over the right to goods, profi ts and patronage as well as the right to appoint priests to the parish of Probstdorf. Another priest mentioned is the documents is the parish priest named Henry. Interestingly enough, the clergyman appears in the text together with his brother, who served as a crossbowman at the Enzersdorf castle. This would suggest that they came from that town. Bertold von Wehingen, the Freising Bishop, initiated the construction works to expand the church and renovate it in the Gothic style. He also had a defensive wall built. The coat of arms he left behind is still used as the coat of arms of the city. According to the “History” of the parish priest Widenhofer (1833), the parish archives were destroyed (burned) during a Napoleon’s siege in 1809. The reign of the bishops of Freising inspired the development of economic, social and religious life in Enzersdorf. It should also be mentioned that the entire Marchfeld region was under the infl uence of the Freising bishopric in terms of the land management while it remained under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Passau. This led to numerous disputes, traces of which can be found in various documents regarding the place and its religious life. Keywords: parish priest; parish; Archdiocese of Vienna; Groß-Enzersdorf; Bishop Berthold von Wehingen; Hochstift; Freising; Passau; Weihenstephan; certifi cate; Leopold; Kagran

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