Otto of Freising
Otto of Freising was born in Klosterneuburg as the fifth son of Leopold III, margrave of Austria. His mother Agnes of Waiblingen was the daughter of Emperor Henry IV. This lineage connected him to the most powerful families in Germany and northern Italy. Agnes had been married first to Frederick I of Hohenstaufen, duke of Swabia. That union produced the German king Conrad III and grandmothered the emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Otto's sister Judith of Babenberg married William V, Marquis of Montferrat. He studied in Paris where he took an especial interest in philosophy. Records suggest he introduced Aristotelian philosophy into Germany during his time there. He served as provost of a new foundation in Austria before entering religious life.
Otto entered the Cistercian order and convinced his father to found Heiligenkreuz Abbey in 1133. The abbey brought literacy and sophisticated agriculture including wine making to the region that would become Vienna. He became abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Morimond in Burgundy about 1136. Soon afterwards he was elected bishop of Freising. The diocese and whole of Bavaria were then disturbed by the feud between the Welfs and the Hohenstaufen. The church existed in a deplorable condition when he arrived. A great improvement occurred under the new bishop in both ecclesiastical and secular matters. He retained the habit of a Cistercian monk throughout his episcopate until death.
In 1147 Otto took part in the disastrous Second Crusade. The section of the crusading army led by the bishop was decimated during the journey. Despite the losses, Otto reached Jerusalem and returned to Bavaria in 1148 or 1149. He lived for another decade back in Europe after returning from the Holy Land. The experience left him with firsthand knowledge of the eastern Mediterranean. His survival through such a catastrophic campaign demonstrated personal resilience. The event shaped his later writings on imperial power and divine judgment.
Otto enjoyed the favour of Conrad's successor Frederick I. He was probably instrumental in settling the dispute over the duchy of Bavaria in 1156. The bishop attended the famous diet of Besançon in 1157. Frederick I ushered in a new age of peace following years of instability and civil war according to Otto's accounts. The political landscape shifted dramatically under the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Otto navigated these turbulent waters as both churchman and statesman. His mediation efforts helped stabilize the region after decades of conflict between rival noble houses.
Chronica sive Historia de duabus civitatibus stands as an eight-book historical and philosophical treatise. It follows the intellectual framework laid down by Augustine of Hippo and Paul Orosius. Written during the German Civil War spanning 1143 to 1145, it draws parallels between Jerusalem and Babel. The work covers events up to the year 1146 before continuing through 1209 by Saint Blasius of Blaubeuren Abbey. In the Chronica, Otto recounts his meeting with Bishop Hugh of Jabala who told him about Prester John. This marks the first documented reference to the Nestorian Christian king in the East. Rome appears as the fourth world empire after Greeks and Franks passed power to Germans.
Gesta Friderici imperatoris was commissioned by Frederick I and opens with a letter from the emperor to the author. Composed of four books, the first two volumes were written by Otto himself. The remaining two or parts thereof are attributed to his pupil Ragewin. Some scholars argue that Otto also authored earlier sections of the third and fourth books. The text traces history from Pope Gregory VII's excommunication of Emperor Henry IV in 1075. Conrad III died in 1152 marking the end of the first book's scope. Frederick I's election began in 1152 and the second book details five years of his reign. Ragewin took over writing from 1156 onward while Otto maintained command of exceptional Latin throughout.
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Common questions
When was Otto of Freising born and who were his parents?
Otto of Freising was born in Klosterneuburg as the fifth son of Leopold III, margrave of Austria. His mother Agnes of Waiblingen was the daughter of Emperor Henry IV.
What years did Otto of Freising serve as bishop of Freising?
Otto of Freising served as Bishop of Freising from 1138 to 1158. He retained the habit of a Cistercian monk throughout his episcopate until death.
Which historical work by Otto of Freising contains the first documented reference to Prester John?
The Chronica sive Historia de duabus civitatibus marks the first documented reference to the Nestorian Christian king in the East through Otto's meeting with Bishop Hugh of Jabala. This eight-book treatise covers events up to the year 1146 before continuing through 1209 by Saint Blasius of Blaubeuren Abbey.
Who wrote the second half of Gesta Friderici imperatoris after Otto of Freising died or stopped writing?
Ragewin took over writing from 1156 onward while Otto maintained command of exceptional Latin. The remaining two books or parts thereof are attributed to Ragewin, who was Otto's pupil.
When did Otto of Freising participate in the Second Crusade and what happened to his army section?
In 1147 Otto took part in the disastrous Second Crusade where the section of the crusading army led by the bishop was decimated during the journey. He reached Jerusalem and returned to Bavaria in 1148 or 1149.