Gunther of Bamberg

Church of Saint Gangolf in Bamberg, founded by Gunther for his canons. Gunther (1025/1030 – 23 July 1065) was a German nobleman and prelate of the Holy Roman Empire. He served as Chancellor of Italy from 1054 until 1057 and as Bishop of Bamberg from 1057 until his death. He was the leader of the Great German Pilgrimage of 1064–65, on which he died.

Gunther was a regular at the imperial court, a man of luxurious living and a patron of letters. He revived High German literature with his commissioning of the Ezzolied on the eve of his pilgrimage. He was buried in a rich silk, the so-called Gunthertuch, that he had acquired on the pilgrimage.

Family Although he belonged to the high nobility, Gunther's parentage is unknown. According to Lampert of Hersfeld, "he was born among the first of the palace" (natus erat ex primis palacii). He was certainly close to the court of the Emperor Henry III (died 1056).

There are two main theories of his relations. One, on the basis of necrologies and property holdings, relates him to the Margraves of Meissen. The other, placing more emphasis on properties, holds that Gunther was a son of a certain count named Pilgrim who held Salaberg and Haag and was related to the Aribonids. He was appointed Chancellor of Italy by Henry III. The first record of him in that post is from 31 May 1054. As chancellor he was close to Pope Victor II and to the Empress-dowager Agnes of Poitou.

In 1060, Gunther broke with the regent Agnes when she refused to support his claim to authority over the monastery of Bergen, which was disputed by the diocese of Eichstätt. He withdrew from attendance at court and there were rumours that he was plotting a rebellion. These rumours were used as justification by some to seize territory belonging to Bamberg. He was partially reconciled to the regent in late 1061, but only her retirement in 1062 brought about his full reconciliation with the imperial court.

At Latakia, Gunther received a warning that parties of Muslim bandits lay ahead. His band of pilgrims was attacked near Caesarea and suffered heavy losses. The bandits had apparently been attracted by the ostentatious wealth Gunther had brought along. The unarmed pilgrims were unsure if it was morally permissible for them, as pilgrims, to resist their attackers, but ultimately some did.

Literary patronage Gunther is an especially vivid eleventh-century figure because of the detailed surviving letters of his scholaster Meinhard. According to Meinhard, Gunther "never thought about Augustine, never about Gregory, [but] was always discussing Attila, always the Amalung and others of that kind". It has been suggested, based on a certain reading of Meinhard, that Gunther himself probably wrote secular poetry and may even have participated in "dramatic presentations" or knightly games at court. Der guote biscoph Guntere vone Babenberch, [The worthy Bishop of Bamberg, Gunther] der hiez machen ein vil guot werch: [directed that a splendid work be written] er hiez di sine phaphen [He bade his priests] ein guot liet machen. [to write a lofty hymn] The Ezzolied is an account of the works of the Trinity from Creation to the crucifixion. According to the biography of Bishop Altmann of Passau, who took part in the pilgrimage of 1064–65, the author of the Ezzolied was also among the pilgrims and he composed the song to be sung on the journey. Other theories tie its composition to Gunther's imposition of the Augustinian Rule on his canons, to the dedication of Saint Gangolf's or even to Meinhard's criticism of Gunther's interest in secular poetry. On this last theory, the Ezzolied was commissioned by Gunther to provide a religious poem in the vernacular that could compete with the legends about Theoderic the Great.