Hartwig of Uthlede

infobox bishopbiog
name = Hartwig II von Uthlede


religion= Roman Catholic Church
See = Archdiocese of Bremen
Title = Archbishop of Bremen
Period = 1184/5–1207
consecration =
Predecessor = Siegfried
Successor = Burghard
post = | ordination =
bishops =
date of birth = unknown
place of birth = uncertain
date of death = November 3, 1207
place of death =

Hartwig of Uthlede (died 1207) was Archbishop of Bremen and one of the originators of the Livonian Crusade. Coming from a family at Uthlede, he was a canon of Bremen Cathedral and a clerk of Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, before becoming archbishop in 1185; his election, owing to the competitive politics of Germany at the time, was regarded a triumph for the Welfs.Glaeske, "Hartwig II.".]

A canon named Meinhard, originally from the Augustinian monastery at Segeberg (in Hartwig's diocese), was active at Üxküll among the pagan Livonians, apparently attempting to gain converts through preaching. In 1186, one year into Hartwig's episcopate, the archbishop intervened and gave him the status of a bishop, in effect ceasing control of missionary efforts there. [Brundage, "Chronicle of Henry of Livonia", p. 5, n. 5, & p. 27; Christiansen, "Northern Crusades", p. 97.] The historian Eric Christiansen judged this to be part of Hartwig's attempt to resurrect his see's former glory, when it "had exercised authority over the entire Northern world". [Christiansen, "Northern Crusades", p. 97; see also comments by Munzinger, "Profits of the Cross", pp. 169, 175.] Papal records of 1188 indicate that the bishopric which had been established "in Russia" by Meinhard was recognised by the papacy as subordinate to the archbishopric of Bremen. [Munzinger, "Profits of the Cross", p. 169; the phrase" in Russia" is likely explained by the fact that the Livonians of the lower Dvina were tributary to the Prince of Polotsk: see also Munzinger, "Profits of the Cross", p. 168.]

In 1190, as part of the peace settlement between Henry the Lion and the emperor, Henry VI, Hartwig was deposed and forced to England and then Lüneburg in exile, returning after a few years; from 1192, however, Waldemar, Bishop of Schleswig, was claiming his position. [Glaeske, "Hartwig II."; Huffman, "Social Politics", p. 134.] In Livonia, despite a further decade of activity, Bishop Meinhard had made little progress and died in 1196. [Brundage, "Chronicle of Henry of Livonia", p. 6.] Archbishop Hartwig appointed the Cistercian Berthold, abbot of Loccum, to fill the vacancy at Üxküll. [Brundage, "Chronicle of Henry of Livonia", p. 6; Christiansen, "Northern Crusades", p. 97.] In the previous year (1195) Hartwig had convinced Pope Celestine III to confer all the spiritual benefits gained by Levantine crusaders to Catholics visiting the valley of the Western Dvina; in 1198, Pope Innocent III repeated Celestine's privileges, while an expedition to Livonia was being prepared.Christiansen, "Northern Crusades", p. 98.] Archbishop Hartwig recruited an army of Saxon crusaders which were sent to Livonia under Bishop Berthold of Hanover in 1198. Unfortunately for the Germans, however, their army was defeated and the bishop martyred in the same year. [Brundage, "Chronicle of Henry of Livonia", p. 6; Christiansen, "Northern Crusades", p. 98.]

Not being discouraged, Hartwig appointed another canon of Bremen, his nephew Albert von Buxhövden, as the new Bishop of Üxküll. Together they recruited another large army from Germany, eventually sending an expedition of 500 armed "pilgrims" in 13 naval vessels. Bishop Albert's campaigns were more successful, removing his see to a new site at Riga and founding a viable crusader state. [Brundage, "Chronicle of Henry of Livonia", pp. 6-248; Christiansen, "Northern Crusades", pp. 98-9.] Archbishop Hartwig died on November 3, 1207, while this was ongoing.

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