Ruotger of Trier

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Ruotger
Archbishop of Trier
Church
Archdiocese of Trier
In office915–931
Personal details
Died27 January 931

Ruotger, also spelled Rutger, Rudger or Rudgar

archbishop of Trier from 915. His archdiocese at first lay within the kingdom of West Francia, but after 925 it was annexed to East Francia, an event in which Ruotger played a major role.[b]

Biography

Ruotger was born to a noble family, probably in

Charles the Straightforward. Nonetheless, it is probable that the choice of Ruotger was in conformity with the king's wishes, since Trier was at the time the chief city of Lotharingia, which had only been joined to Charles's kingdom in 911.[1]

As Charles's archchancellor for Lotharingia from January 916, Ruotger had a large role in securing the king's authority in Lotharingia, culminating in the Treaty of Bonn in 921, in which the East Frankish king, Henry the Fowler, recognised Lotharingian as belonging to West Francia. Ruotger also became involved in a conflict with Giselbert, duke of Lotharingia, over the basilica of Saint Servatius in Maastricht. [1]

In June 922, Charles's domestic opponents declared him deposed, electing and crowning Robert, Count of Paris, in his place. Charles was forced to retreat with his supporters into Lotharingia. Ruotger, erstwhile archchancellor, does not appear to have attended Charles's court there, for he is not mentioned in any further royal documents. It may be that he had gone over to Robert, or else that he was already supporting a bid by Henry the Fowler for Lotharingia. In June 923, Robert was killed at the battle of Soissons, but Charles's was defeated and shortly afterwards captured. Henry took the opportunity to invade Lotharingia and besiege Metz. By this time Ruotger had clearly abandoned the king, for he was present with Henry's army at the siege of Metz.[1] Ruotger's support for Henry carried with it that of the Lotharingian church. By 925 the East Frankish annexation was complete, and in 927 Henry appointed Ruotger as his Lotharingian archchancellor.[1]

As a clergyman, Ruotger's primary concern was the renewal of the Lotharingian church in the aftermath of

Carolingian epoch, and Ruotger's is the last one from Lotharingia.[1] Only 28 of its chapters survive in later manuscripts: one tenth-century and another twelfth-century manuscript from West Francia, and a twelfth-century East Frankish manuscript. It probably never circulated much beyond the province of Trier, and it owed more to West Frankish exemplars than East Frankish ones. It was partially modeled on the capitula drawn up by Archbishop Radulf of Bourges in 853. Several of its chapters match canons from the provincial synod, but it cannot be determined which came first.[3] The provincial canons, titled Sermo in synodo faciendus as if they were a sermon delivered by Ruotger to his assembled bishops, were only discovered in a Viennese manuscript in the early 1980s.[4]

Ruotger was buried in the chapel dedicated to

Sankt Paulin in Trier.[1] His gravestone was still visible in the 17th century.[2]

Writings

Notes

  1. ^ His name may be modernised and anglicised as Roger.
  2. ^ East Francia and West Francia evolved into Germany and France respectively.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Bauer 2005, p. 269.
  2. ^ a b Wagner 1890, pp. 39–41.
  3. ^ Hamilton 2001, pp. 68–70.
  4. ^ Hamilton 2001, pp. 58–60, 63.

Sources

  • Bauer, Thomas (2005). "Ruotger". Neue Deutsche Biographie. Vol. 22. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. p. 269.
  • Blasen, Michael (1941). "Die Canonessammlung des Erzbischofs Ruotger von Trier vom Jahre 927: Ein Beitrag zur Rechtsgeschichte der Diözese Trier". Pastor Bonus. 52: 61–72.
  • Blasen, Michael (1943). Erzbischof Ruotger von Trier (915–930) und seine Bedeutung für die kirchliche Rechtsgeschichte: Mit einer Ausgabe seines Capitulare (PhD thesis). University of Bonn.
  • Brommer, Peter (1975). "Die Kanonessammlung Ruotgers von Trier: Quellenuntersuchung und Analyse der Arbeitsweise". Archiv für mittelrheinische Kirchengeschichte. 27: 35–48.
  • Brommer, Peter (1978). "Der Brief Erzbischof Ruotgers von Trier an seine Priester". Kurtrierisches Jahrbuch. 8: 28–30.
  • Hamilton, Sarah (2001). The Practice of Penance, 900–1050. Woodbridge: Boydell Press.
  • Persch, Martin (1994). "Ruotger von Trier". Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon. Vol. 8. Herzberg am Harz: Verlag Traugott Bautz. pp. 1013–14.
  • Wagner, Paul (1890). "Rutger (Ruotger)". Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. Vol. 30. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 39–41.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Radbod
Archbishop of Trier

915–931 		Succeeded by
Ruotbert
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