Notker Physicus

Notker Physicus (c. 900 – 12 November 975) was a monk at the Abbey of Saint Gall, active as a physician, painter, composer and poet. He is best known for his medical prowess, and may have been physician to the Holy Roman Emperors Otto I and Otto II.

Besides physicus, he was also nicknamed piperis granum on account of his monastic dedication. He is sometimes called Notker II, living after St. Gall's Notker the Stammerer and before Notker Labeo.

Life and career
Notker's birth year is unknown; the philologist Udo Kühne estimated it around 900.

His life was spent at the Abbey of Saint Gall, although only two specific dates can be connected with Notker. By 956 or 957, he had obtained the cellarius (lit. 'cellarer') position as an administrator, and by 965 the hospitarius (lit. 'hospitaller') position as a physician. Notker is probably identifiable with a Notker notarius, indicating that he was a notary. His medical expertise probably led him to be physician of the Holy Roman Emperors Otto I and Otto II at some point. Among his students was Balderich (Speyer), who dedicated his Vita sancti Fridolin to Notker. He died on 12 November 975.

Sometimes called "Notker II", he was the second in a line of Notkers at St. Gall; proceeded by Notker the Stammerer and followed by Notker Labeo. Another Notker, who died on 15 December 975, was abbot of Saint Gall from 971 to 975 and nephew of Notker Physicus.

He made several paintings, which were lauded by Ekkehard IV, particularly during a restoration effort for the Abbey's fire in 937. Ekkehard also indicates that Notker authored now lost-poems and at least two musical compositions: an office for Saint Othmar, the "Rector aeterni metuende saecli", and a hymn, the "Hymnum beatae virgini".