About Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen was born in 1098 as the tenth child of a highly respected noble family in Bermersheim near Alzey. Her parents, Hildebert von Bennersheim and Mechthild von Merxheim, were known for their piety and their influence. Seven of her nine siblings are known by name. Among them are her brother Hugo, cathedral cantor in Mainz, her brother Rorich who later became canon in Tholey on the Saar and her sister Odilia Clementia who joined Rupertsberg as a nun. At age eight Hildegard was sent to anchoress Jutta von Sponheim to obtain a cloistral education. This women’s cell on Disibodenberg (Mount Disibod) was part of a men’s abbey that became a large Benedictine monastery in the following years. When she was 16 Hildegard chose to become a nun follwing the Benedictine order.

In 1136, Jutta von Sponheim died and Hildegard von Bingen was elected Reverend Mother by her fellow nuns. At the time she was 38 years old. When she was 42 Hildegard began writing down her visions ( as received from God according to herself) that later became known in the following books:

• 1141-1151: "SCIVIAS" – Know the Ways

• 1158-1161: "LIBER VITAE MERITORUM" – the book of life’s recompense

• 1163 -1174: "LIBER DIVINORUM OPERUM" – the book of divine works

• "LIBER SUBTILITATUM DIVERSARUM NATURARUM CREATURARUM", Part I "PHYSICA": nature study (9 books) about plants, elements, trees, rocks, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and about the origin of metals."LIBER SUBTILITATUM DIVERSARUM NATURARUM CREATURARUM", Part II "CAUSAE ET CURAE": medical study about human diseases with nutrition and digestion and the emotions as well as instructions for leading a healthy life

Furthermore Hildegard used to compose musical pieces. We know the following:

The  "ORDO VIRTUTUM" (an opera, presumably written for the dedication of the church at Rupertsberg abbey) and 77 songs (often sung during liturgical praising of the Lord)

In 1170 Hildegard wrote a report about Saint Disibod (* 619, † 700), who had founded the first closteral community at the place that was named after him. (Disibodenberg „Mount Disibod“ or according to the Irish name: Disenberg).

Given her special personality, Hildegard had become the focus of the monastery and the women’s cell very early on. As the number of its members was constantly growing, the women’s cell became too small and in 1147 Hildegard decided to leave Mount Disibod altogether. Drawn to it by her visions, Hildegard purchased Rupertsberg (Mount Rupert) in Bingen and planned the interior layout herself. She also layed the cornerstone of the new church that was dedicated on 01 May 1152. She was faced with complicated and strenuous legal and financial realities as it was almost unheard of in medieval times for a woman to own land and to plan construction and to manage money. It took Hildegard much time and effort to make the Benedictines on Mount Disibod hand over her nun’s dowries and thus grant them financial independence. She finally also gained spritual independence for her new monastery. (Only the Archbishop of Mainz was accepted as its patron.) She could successfully complete construction of the monastery and ensured the beginning of prosperous times on and around Mount Rupert. (The Bermersheim property later became part of the Rupertsberg monastery.)

As the community kept growing, the monastery could not provide enough space for everyone. In 1165 Hildegard founded the former Augustine monastery in Eibingen that had been plundered and kept visiting it twice a week until shortly before she died.

Her monasteries were growing as steadily as her reputation and her fame. Hildegard von Bingen advised or admonished ordinary people from the market square and she exchanged letters with many influential people including emperor Friedrich Barbarossa whom she advised and admonished with personal views ... „read this and blush“:

Hildegard von Bingen lived for nearly 81 years and became known as a pious Benedictine, a healer seeking individually holistic therapies, a highly regarded and respected leader of a monastery, a construction supervisor, a supporter of religion, a rebell against nuisances within the state and the church, a visionary and mystic and a writer and composer.

Hildegard died on 17 September 1179.

The tradition of her books and her compositions has become the subject of study for ever more interestred scientists and scholars.

In 1228 the first (unsuccessful) application for Hildegard’s canonisation was made. Several more followed but none of them succeeded. Hildegard von Bingen was never officially canonised. However towards the end of the 16th century her name was added to the "Martyrologium", the official register the holy church keeps of its saints.

"Times change but humanity remains the same …"