Fulda monastery

The monastery of Fulda, it is the Benedictine monastery of Fulda in Germany. It was founded in 12 March, 744 by Saint Sturm, a disciple of Saint Boniface. 
Sturmius took solemn possession of the land, and raised the cross. The wilderness was soon cleared, and the erection of the monastery and church, the latter dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer, begun under the personnel direction of Saint Boniface. He appointed Sturmius as first abbot of the new foundation, which he intended to surpass in greatness all existing monasteries of Germany, and to be a nursery for priests. The rule was modelled on that of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, as Sturmius himself had gone to Italy (748) for the express purpose of becoming familiar with it. To secure absolute autonomy for the new abbey, Boniface obtained from Pope Zachary a privilege, dated 4 November, 751, placing it immediately under the Holy See, and removing it from all episcopal jurisdiction.Fulda at the Catholic Ecyclopedia 
The abbots of Fulda became in the 10th Century the abbot general of the Benedictines in Germany and Gaul. In the 12th century, they became imperial chancellors and in the 13th Century, princes of the empire. Fulda was the center of monastic reform during the reign of Henry II. 
The prestige of Fulda declined in succeeding centuries. It was secularized in 1803 after the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss but became an episcopal see in 1829. 
The library held approximately 2 000 manuscripts. It preserved works such as Tacitus' Annales, Codex Fuldensis, and the monastery is considered the cradle of Old High German literature. 
==Rulers of Fulda until Secularization==
Abbots
*St. Sturmius 744-779
*Baugulf 779-802
*Ratgar 802-817
*Eigil von Fulda 818-822
*Rabanus Maurus 822-842
*Hatto I. 842-856
*Thioto 856-869
*Sigihart 869-891
*Huoggi 891-915
*Helmfried 915-916
*Haicho 917-923
*Hiltibert 923-927
*Hadamar 927-956
*Hatto II. 956-968
*Werinheri 968-982
*Branthoh I. 982-991
*Hatto III. 991-997
*Erkanbald 997-1011
*Branthoh II. 1011-1013
*Poppo 1013-1018, also Abbot of Lorsch (Franconian Babenberger)
*Richard 1018-1039
*Sigiwart 1039-1043
*Rohing 1043-1047
*Egbert 1047-1058
*Siegfrid I. von Mainz (Sigfried von Eppenstein) 1058-1060
*Widerad von Eppenstein 1060-1075
*Ruothart 1075-1096
*Godefrid 1096-1109
*Wolfhelm 1109-1114
*Erlolf von Bergholz 1114-1122
*Ulrich von Kemnaten 1122-1126
*Heinrich I. von Kemnaten 1126-1132
*Bertho I. von Schlitz 1132-1134
*Konrad I. 1134-1140
*Aleholf 1140-1148
*Rugger I. 1148
*Heinrich II. von Bingarten 1148-1149
*Markward I. 1150-1165
*Gernot von Fulda 1165
*Hermann 1165-1168
*Burchard Graf von Nürings 1168-1176
*Rugger II. 1176-1177
*Konrad II. 1177-1192
*Heinrich III. von Kronberg im Taunus 1192-1216
*Hartmann I. 1216-1217
*Kuno 1217-1221
Prince-Abbots
*Konrad III. von Malkes 1221-1249
*Heinrich IV. von Erthal 1249-1261
*Bertho II. von Leibolz 1261-1271
*Bertho III. von Mackenzell 1271-1272
*Bertho IV. von Biembach 1273-1286
*Markward II. von Bickenbach 1286-1288
*Heinrich V. Graf von Weilnau 1288-1313
*Eberhard von Rotenstein 1313-1315
*Heinrich VI. von Hohenberg 1315-1353
*Heinrich VII. von Kranlucken 1353-1372
*Konrad IV. Graf von Hanau 1372-1383
*Friedrich I. von Romrod 1383-1395
*Johann I. von Merlau 1395-1440
*Hermann II. von Buchenau 1440-1449
*Reinhard Graf von Weilnau 1449-1472
*Johann II. Graf von Henneberg-Schleusingen 1472-1513
*Hartmann II. Burggraf von Kirchberg 1513-1521/29
*Johann III. Graf von Henneberg-Schleusingen 1521/29-1541
*Philipp Schenk zu Schweinsberg 1541-1550
*Wolfgang Dietrich von Eusigheim 1550-1558
*Wolfgang Schutzbar (named Milchling) 1558-1567
*Philipp Georg Schenk zu Schweinsberg 1567-1568
*Wilhelm Hartmann von Klauer zu Wohra 1568-1570
*Balthasar von Dernbach (nanmed Grauel) 1570-1576, 1602-1606
*Johann Friedrich von Schwalbach 1606-1622
*Johann Bernhard Schenk zu Schweinsberg 1623-1632
*Johann Adolf von Hoheneck 1633-1635
*Hermann Georg von Neuhof (named Ley) 1635-1644
*Joachim Graf von Gravenegg 1644-1671
*Cardinal Gustav Adolf (Baden) (Bernhard Gustav Markgraf von Baden-Durlach) 1671-1677
*Placidus von Droste 1678-1700
*Adalbert I. von Schleifras 1700-1714
*Konstantin von Buttlar 1714-1726
*Adolphus von Dalberg 1726-1737
Prince-Abbots & Prince-Bishops
*Amand von Buseck, 1737-1756, Prince-Bishop starting 1752
*Adalbert II. von Walderdorff 1757-1759 
*Heinrich VIII. von Bibra, 1759-1788
*Adalbert von Harstall, 1789-1814, Prince-Bishop until 1802
== See also ==
* Fulda
== References ==
== Further reading ==
* Germania Benedictina, Bd.VII: Die benediktinischen Mönchs- und Nonnenklöster in Hessen, 1. Auflage 2004 St. Ottilien, S. 214–375 ISBN 3-8306-7199-7
== External links ==
* History of the Bishopric of Fulda
Category:8th-century establishments
Category:Benedictine monasteries in Germany
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