Adalgar facts for kids

Adalgar was an important religious leader who lived a long time ago. He was the third archbishop of Bremen, a big church leader, from 888 until he passed away in 909. People remember him as Saint Adalgar. He is honored as a saint in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. His special day, called a feast day, is celebrated on April 29.

Adalgar's Life and Times

Adalgar's journey began when he was young. In 865, a church leader named Rimbert became the archbishop of Hamburg. The head of a monastery, called an abbot, from Corvey sent Adalgar, who was Rimbert's brother, to help him. At that time, Adalgar was a deacon, a type of church assistant.

Becoming an Archbishop

Later, as Rimbert grew older, Adalgar became a bishop to help him with his duties. When Rimbert died, Adalgar took over as archbishop on June 11, 888. He led the church for about twenty years. As he got older and weaker, he also needed help. Another monk from Corvey, named Hoger, became his assistant. Five other bishops also helped Adalgar with his important church tasks.

Challenges of the Time

Adalgar lived during a difficult period. There was a lot of confusion and trouble in the land. Even though a king named Arnulf won a big battle against the Normans in 891, which brought some peace to Adalgar's area, challenges remained.

Under the next king, Louis the Child, the region suffered less from attacks by the Hungarians. However, the general disorder made it hard for Adalgar to do much. He couldn't achieve many of his goals in the northern kingdoms, which were supposed to be part of his church's mission.

Disagreement Over Bremen

There were also ongoing arguments about whether Bremen should report to the archbishop of Cologne. Bremen used to be under Cologne's control. But when the archbishopric of Hamburg was restarted in 848, Bremen became part of Hamburg's area. Pope Nicholas I confirmed this arrangement in 864.

However, in 890, Archbishop Hermann of Cologne wrote to Pope Stephen V. He demanded that the archbishop of Hamburg (who was also the bishop of Bremen) should be under his authority.

The details of this argument are a bit unclear. We know that Pope Stephen asked both sides to come to Rome. Adalgar went, but Hermann sent representatives who didn't have the right papers. So, the Pope asked another archbishop, Fulk of Reims, to decide the matter at a meeting in Worms.

Before a decision was made, Pope Stephen died. The next Pope, Formosus, asked a meeting in Frankfurt in 892 to investigate. Based on their report, Pope Formosus decided that Bremen should stay with Hamburg as long as Hamburg didn't have other bishops under it. But if Hamburg ever got other bishops, Bremen would go back to Cologne. Meanwhile, the archbishop of Hamburg could attend Cologne's church meetings, but this didn't mean he was under Cologne's control.

Adalgar's Character

We don't know much about Adalgar's personal feelings or traits. However, people who wrote about him, like Rimbert's biographer and Adam of Bremen, described him as a strong leader. He might not have been quite strong enough for the very difficult times he lived in.

See also

• List of Catholic saints