Johannes Ambundii facts for kids

Johannes VI Ambundii was an important German church leader who lived a long time ago, from 1384 to 1424. His real name was Johannes Ambundii de Swan. He was known by many names, like Abundi, Ambundij, and Almanni.

Johannes Ambundii was born near a city called Stettin in a region called Pomerania. He went to the University of Prague to study law and graduated in 1391. Later, he earned special degrees in theology (the study of religion) and church law.

Johannes Ambundii's Career

Johannes Ambundii had a busy career working for the church.

Early Church Roles

From 1394 to 1399, he worked as a general vicar for the bishop of Bamberg. A vicar is like a main assistant to a bishop. In 1401, he was a general vicar in Speyer, and in 1408, he held the same role in Würzburg.

Joining the Council of Constance

In 1412, he visited a Scottish church in Nuremberg because the bishop of Bamberg asked him to. Around 1414 or 1415, he became a canon of the church in Eichstädt and a provost in Herriden. These were important positions in the church. Because of these roles, he was able to attend the famous Council of Constance.

Ambundii's Role at the Council

The Council of Constance was a big meeting of church leaders. At this time, countries like Italy, France, and Spain wanted to elect a new pope right away. But the Holy Roman Empire wanted to fix problems within the Church first. Johannes Ambundii helped convince Emperor Sigismund that electing a pope should happen first.

Becoming Archbishop of Riga

On July 11, 1418, Pope Martin V chose Johannes Ambundii to become the Archbishopric of Riga. The Emperor had recommended him for this important job. Ambundii stayed in Riga until 1424. While there, he helped start the Livonian Confederation, which was a group of states in the Livonia region.

Negotiations and Challenges

On October 13, 1418, Ambundii took part in important talks between the State of the Teutonic Order and the Kingdom of Poland in Wileny.

Ambundii wasn't very happy with his new job far north in Riga. Some people in the State of the Teutonic Order didn't like him much. They worried because he was a close advisor to the Emperor. The Order wanted Livonia to be their own independent land, and they feared Ambundii would work against their plans. In fact, he encouraged the church leaders in Riga to ask the pope to cancel an old rule that had made the Church of Riga part of the Order.

Later Activities

In 1421, Johannes Ambundii acted as a special judge for the pope. He helped settle a disagreement between the king of Sweden and the bishop of Uppsala. In 1422, he tried to organize a big meeting of bishops from Prussia, but it didn't happen.