User:Flalinguist/Heinrich of Ramstein

Heinrich of Ramstein (* before 1230; † 22 July 1318) war abbot of the benedictine abbey of Saint Gall from 1301 until 1318.

Life
It is not recorded whether Heinrich of Ramstein was related to his predecessor Rumo of Ramstein or the abbot of Reichenau abbey, Albrecht of Ramstein. He was probably one of four contemporary Heinrichs who lived among the members of the convent who were eligible to vote in 1270. His first mention by full name dates from 1275. Heinrich was one of four monks who had stood by Rumo. From 1278 he appers as porter. Together with two fellow monks he filed a complaint against Abbot Wilhelm with King Rudolf.

On 11 October 1301 he was elected abbot. The election is regarded as ambivalent, since he was at odds with his opponent Ulrich von Trauchburg and had to settle the dispute with compensational income. Heinrich also gained the intercession of the bishop of Constance by leaving him Wurmlingen. The consecration took place in St. George in Stein am Rhein.

On 7 December 1301 King Albert bestowed the jura regalia on Heinrich, but disallowed another pledging of the Reichsvogtei. One of the principal reasons for this was the resistance of the citizens of St. Gall.

He fell ill halfway through the year 1316 and died two years later aged 90.

Works
Heinrich of Ramstein also encountered resistance against all his efforts as abbot. He tried to pay the inherited debt by two means; the first was to sell abbey property. The second measure, namely raising taxes, led to opposition within the population of the Gotteshaus. The protests and wishes of Conventuals were so great that he had to name his brother Diethelm as guardian of the abbey for three years.

Ein weiteres Problem stellte der Wiederaufbau von Wil dar, den Heinrich anstrebte, der ihm von Albrecht aber verweigert wurde – zusammen mit dem Abbruch von Schwarzenbach –, u. a. weil der König die Vogtei über Wil beanspruchte. Das Ableben des Königs legte die Streitfrage nicht bei, auch König Heinrich VII. ging nicht auf die Wünsche Abt Heinrichs ein. Immerhin bestätigte er ihm am 17. April 1309 die älteren Freiheiten.

He did accomplish the restoration of the Vogtei over Wil on 1 May 1310. A settlement of the pledge sum of 1300 Mark, which was agreed upon with Adolf of Nassau was reached on 22 April 1311. The city and the abbey fell victim to a devastating fire on 13 October 1314, prompting Heinrich to task Provost Heinrich von Lupfen and the citizen Konrad Kuchimeister with the reconstruction of the abbey.