Saint Albert of Magdeburg
Saint Albert of Magdeburg (also known as Adalbert of Magdeburg; born c. 910 AD; died June 20, 981 AD at Magdeburg, Holy Roman Empire) was the first Archbishop of Magdeburg and the organizer of the Christian mission to the Slavic peoples east of the Elbe river. He was sent as a missionary bishop to the Rus in 961 AD, an early attempt to evangelize the Kievan Rus, but the mission failed and he was expelled. He was later consecrated the first Archbishop of Magdeburg in 968 AD by Pope John XIII, and from that see he organized the evangelization of the Slavic peoples of the Elbe borderlands. He died in 981 and his feast is celebrated on June 20.
Albert (Adalbert) of Magdeburg must be distinguished from Saint Adalbert of Prague (956–997), who was the missionary bishop of Prague and was martyred while evangelizing the Prussians. The two saints share similar names and similar missions to Slavic peoples but are distinct individuals.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Albert Of Magdeburg
| Saint Albert of Magdeburg | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 20 |
| Profession | Monk; Archbishop |
| Rel. Affiliation | Diocese of Magdeburg (founder) |
| Attributes | Archbishop's vestments; crozier; cross |
| Birthplace | Germany (exact location uncertain) |
| Death Place | Magdeburg, Holy Roman Empire (present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes |
| Primary Shrine | Magdeburg Cathedral, Magdeburg, Germany |
| Liturgical Class | Not included (universal calendar) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth
Albert (Adalbert) was born around 910 AD, likely in the German-speaking territories of the early Holy Roman Empire. He received a monastic education and formation and became a monk, likely at the Abbey of Saint Maximin in Trier or at another major Ottonian imperial monastery.
Early Life
Albert's career was shaped by his connection with the Ottonian dynasty—the German imperial house that governed the Holy Roman Empire in the tenth century. Emperor Otto I the Great (r. 936–973) was engaged in a dual project of territorial expansion into the Slavic East and Christianization of the conquered and neighboring Slavic peoples; Magdeburg was the eastern frontier city from which this project was organized.
Albert came to Otto's attention through his scholarly reputation and was sent in 961 on a missionary embassy to Princess Olga of Kiev, the grandmother of Vladimir the Great who had been baptized in Constantinople and who had reportedly requested Christian missionaries from the West. The mission to Kievan Rus was a failure: Albert found the situation on the ground very different from what had been described to him, encountered resistance from the pagan party at the Rus court, and was expelled. Several members of his party were killed.
Occupation
After the failure of the Rus mission, Albert returned to the German Empire and was appointed to the see of Weissenburg in Alsace. When Emperor Otto I obtained papal permission to elevate Magdeburg to an archbishopric, Albert was consecrated as the first Archbishop of Magdeburg in 968. Pope John XIII issued the bull establishing the new archdiocese on October 18, 968.
As Archbishop of Magdeburg, Albert organized the ecclesiastical structure of the Elbe mission, establishing suffragan bishoprics for the evangelization of the Slavic peoples east of the Elbe: Merseburg, Zeitz, Meissen, and Brandenburg. He worked within the political framework of the Ottonian expansion and the German-Slavic frontier to plant the Church among peoples who were being incorporated into the Christian empire.
His tenure as Archbishop lasted until his death in 981, during which he built up the institutional foundations of the Magdeburg church and worked to extend the Christian faith among the Slavic peoples of the borderlands.
Death
Saint Albert of Magdeburg died on June 20, 981, at Magdeburg, having served as the first Archbishop of that see for approximately thirteen years. He left behind an organized archdiocese and a network of suffragen sees that would serve as the base for the further Christianization of the Elbe Slavs and the Baltic peoples.
Saint Albert of Magdeburg met his end peacefully on June 20, 981, at Magdeburg, dying as the first Archbishop of Magdeburg and one of the principal organizers of the Christian mission to the Slavic peoples of eastern Europe.
Significant events
- Born c. 910 AD; formed as a monk in the Ottonian empire.
- Sent by Emperor Otto I on a missionary embassy to Princess Olga of Kiev, 961 AD.
- Mission to Kievan Rus failed; Albert was expelled.
- Appointed Archbishop of Weissenburg; then consecrated as the first Archbishop of Magdeburg, 968 AD.
- Established the suffragan dioceses of Merseburg, Zeitz, Meissen, and Brandenburg for the Elbe mission.
- Died June 20, 981 at Magdeburg; feast established on June 20.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: None
Death location: Magdeburg, Holy Roman Empire (present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)
Notable location: Cathedral of the archdiocese he founded (Magdeburg Cathedral, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Albert of Magdeburg have been added to the database yet.
Media
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Shrines
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List of shrines
Magdeburg Cathedral (Dom zu Magdeburg), Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
- Magdeburg Cathedral (the Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine) is the archdiocese's mother church and a site associated with the memory of Albert as its founding archbishop. The cathedral, rebuilt in Gothic style beginning in 1209, is Germany's oldest Gothic cathedral and one of the great ecclesiastical monuments of Saxony-Anhalt. It contains the tomb of Emperor Otto I.
- Pilgrimage details: Domplatz 1, 39104 Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Open year-round. Archdiocese of Magdeburg.
- Facts: Magdeburg Cathedral was severely damaged by Allied bombing in 1945 and subsequently restored; it houses remarkable early Gothic sculpture including the famous "Magdeburg Rider."
Canonization
Canonization
Saint Albert of Magdeburg is venerated as a canonized saint through the ancient process of equivalent canonization, confirmed by his inclusion in the Roman Martyrology and continuous veneration in the archdiocese of Magdeburg.
Miracles
No specific miracles for beatification or canonization have been authenticated through the modern Congregation for the Causes of Saints process.
Feast day
June 20
Veneration
Saint Albert of Magdeburg is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on June 20. His cult is centered in Magdeburg and the broader German ecclesiastical tradition. He is honored as the founding Archbishop of Magdeburg and one of the principal figures in the Ottonian mission to the Slavic peoples.
Prayers
Authored
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Intercessory
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