Rupert of Salzburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rupert of Salzburg |
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Saint Rupert depicted with a barrel of salt in his hand
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| Bishop | |
| Born | 660? |
| Died | 27 March 710 Salzburg, Duchy of Bavaria |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Feast | 24 September 27 March |
| Attributes | Holding a container of salt; wearing clerical clothes including mitre; holding a crosier |
| Patronage | Salzburg, The State of Salzburg, Austria, salt miners |
Saint Rupert of Salzburg was an important religious leader who lived a long time ago, from around 660 to 710 AD. He was a bishop in a city called Worms and later became the very first Bishop of Salzburg. He also led St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg. Rupert is considered a saint by both the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. He is also the special patron saint of the Austrian state of Salzburg. He lived at the same time as King Childebert III of the Franks.
Contents
Rupert's Life and Work
People believe that Rupert came from a very old and important royal family in France called the Merovingian dynasty. He might have been related to a powerful family known as the Robertians. It is thought he was a descendant of Count Chrodbert II.
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Rupert traveled with Saints Chuniald and Gislar to spread the Christian faith in Germany. Sadly, we don't have many records of their adventures.
At first, Rupert was accepted as a wise bishop in Worms. But most people there followed older, non-Christian beliefs. They eventually rejected him and made him leave the city around the end of the 7th century.
Spreading Christianity in Bavaria
A powerful leader named Duke Theodo of Bavaria asked Rupert to come to his home in Regensburg. The Duke wanted Rupert's help to spread the Christian faith among the Bavarian tribes.
Rupert then moved to Altötting, where he began his missionary work. He taught the local people about Christianity. He traveled along the Danube river, visiting many towns, villages, and forts. Soon, he had helped many people along the Danube become Christians. His travels reached southeast to the Bavarian border. This area was next to lands ruled by the Avar Khaganate.
Rupert stayed at Lorch, which was once a Roman city called Lauriacum. Today, this place is part of Enns. There was already an early Christian church there, which is now the Basilica of St. Lawrence.
Founding Salzburg
Because of fighting in the border areas, Rupert decided not to continue his missionary work in the Avar lands. Instead, he followed an old Roman road through Seekirchen. He arrived at a ruined Roman city called Juvavum.
Rupert made Juvavum his main base and gave it a new name: "Salzburg." This name means "Salt Castle" in Latin. Just like in Lorch, Rupert found that Christian traditions already existed in Salzburg. He rebuilt the community at St. Peter's Abbey. He also started building the Salzburg Cathedral, which was finished by his successor, Vergilius.
Rupert also founded a Benedictine nunnery called Nonnberg. It was built below the Festungsberg fortifications, which later became the Hohensalzburg Fortress. His niece, Erentrude, became the first leader (abbess) of this nunnery.
Rupert's Other Contributions
Rupert also brought better education and other improvements to the region. Duke Theodo of Bavaria gave his bishopric lands around Piding and Reichenhall. In these areas, Rupert helped develop the local salt mines and salt production.
Rupert's missionary work also reached into the Alps. Around 711, the first small monastery, called Cella Maximiliana, was founded in what is now Bischofshofen.
Rupert is believed to have died on Easter Sunday around the year 710. However, some stories say he went back to his hometown of Worms and died there in 717. His body was later moved to Salzburg Cathedral by Bishop Vergilius on September 24, 774.
Honoring Saint Rupert
Rupert's life and missionary work are written about in old books from the Middle Ages. One of these is called the Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum.
The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Rupert's feast day on March 27, which is the day he died. In Austria, his feast day is September 24. This date remembers when his body was moved to Salzburg Cathedral. Rupertitag or Rupertikirtag is a public holiday in the state of Salzburg. It is celebrated with popular festivals called Volksfest events.
Rupert is the patron saint of the state of Salzburg. He is also a patron saint of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg, along with his successor Vergilius. He is also honored in the nearby Bavarian Rupertiwinkel region. People sometimes call him the "Apostle of the Bavarians." He is the patron saint of several towns, like Sankt Ruprecht in Styria and Šentrupert in Slovenia. Many churches are also named after him.
Gallery
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An Austrian stamp from 1948 showing a statue of Saint Rupert.
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An etching of Saint Rupert by Bock, based on a work by Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner.
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The head of a Gothic style statue of Saint Rupert.
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Saint Rupert, shown as a founder of a church ("fundator ecclesiae").
See also
- Saint Rupert of Salzburg, patron saint archive
