Richardis von Stade
Richardis von Stade (1124(?) – 29 October 1152[1]) was a German nun and Benedictine abbess of Bassum Abbey. She was a member of the Udonids family as the daughter of Rudolf I, Margrave of the Nordmark and Richgard von Sponheim; and the sister of Hartwig, Count of Stade and Archbishop of Bremen, and Lutgard of Salzwedel, Queen consort of Denmark, Adelheid and Udo.[2] She is best known for her intimate friendship with Hildegard von Bingen.[3]
Relationship with Hildegard von Bingen
Richardis spent many of her early years as the secretary and advisor to Hildegard von Bingen at the abbeys of Disibodenberg and Rupertsberg, where she edited, translated, and compiled Scivias, Hildegard's first publication of visionary writings.[2] In 1151, she was elected abbess of Bassum Abbey, much to Hildegard's displeasure.[4] In a letter to Richardis' mother, Richgard von Sponheim, Hildegard wrote that it is "certainly not God's will"[5] for Richardis to be moved from her abbey. Despite a long series of letters from Hildegard to increasingly important people, Richardis was eventually moved. A year later, Count Hartwig sent a letter to Hildegard notifying her of Richardis' death. In her reply, Hildegard wrote that she "cherished [Richardis] with divine love".[6]
In popular culture
In Margarethe von Trotta's Vision (2009) Richardis was portrayed by Hannah Herzsprung.[7]
Richardis is a character in Sarah Kirkland Snider's 2025 opera "HILDEGARD."
References
- Back to citation "Stade, Richardis von (d. 1152) | Encyclopedia.com". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Anne Commire; Deborah Klezmer, eds. (2007). "Stade, Richardis von (d. 1152)". Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages, 1773. Vol. 2. Detroit, MI: Yorkin Publications. Retrieved April 22, 2021 – via Gale eBooks.
- Back to citation "FAQ". www.hildegard-society.org. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- Back to citation Hildegard & Baird 2006, p. 39.
- Back to citation Hildegard & Baird 2006, p. 41.
- Back to citation Hildegard & Baird 2006, p. 45.
- Back to citation "Vision - aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen". IMDb.
Bibliography
- Hildegard, Saint; Baird, Joseph L. (2006). The personal correspondence of Hildegard of Bingen. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-530822-0. OCLC 64208224.