Hermann von Reichenau
Hermann von Reichenau, also known as Hermann der Lahme or Hermannus Contractus, was an influential 11th-century monk and scholar born in 1013 in Saulgau, Swabia, Germany. Despite being unable to walk due to a physical disability, he dedicated his life to scholarly pursuits at the abbey of Reichenau, where he contributed significantly to the preservation of Western cultural and scientific knowledge during the Dark Ages. Hermann was particularly known for his work in mathematics and music, producing notable compositions such as the liturgical sequentia and the influential treatise on musical theory, *Speculatio ad dilucidandas multiplices monochordi obscuritates*.
In addition to his musical contributions, Hermann engaged in advanced textual criticism, editing and updating works like those of Notker Balbulus, and utilized mathematics and astronomy to resolve contradictions in historical texts. His astronomical work, *Compotos*, provided a comprehensive educational treatise on celestial bodies and included sophisticated mathematical concepts that were ahead of his time. Hermann's *Chronicon* sought to correlate major events in Christendom with astronomical evidence, while his diagrams and instructions for instruments like the astrolabe influenced instrument-making for centuries. His writings not only reflect his intellectual pursuits but also capture the historical context of Germany during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Henry III.
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Subject Terms
Hermann von Reichenau
Scholar
- Born: July 18, 1013
- Birthplace: Saulgau, Swabia, Germany
- Died: September 24, 1054
- Place of death: Reichenau Monastery, Reichenau, Germany
Biography
Eleventh century monk Hermann von Reichenau (called Hermann der Lahme, or Hermann the Lame) was a rigorous scholar who possessed great dedication to preserving Western cultural and scientific knowledge as precisely and accurately as possible, and as such he is one of the few sources from which ancient knowledge was maintained and transmitted through the Dark Ages. Also known as Hermannus Contractus, he was born in 1013 in Saulgau, Swabia, Germany, the son of a count. He was from birth unable to walk, so his parents sent him to the monks at Reichenau. Hermann remained there until his death in 1054, engaging in scholarly and academic pursuits as a writer and teacher.
Hermann studied mathematics and music extensively, inspired originally by liturgical requirements but spurred on by his own curiosity and sharp intellect. He wrote songs, mostly the semi-sung liturgical pieces known as sequentia. His treatise on obscure musical theory, Speculatio ad dilucidandas multiplices monochordi obscuritates, written early in his life around 1030, was influential throughout the middle ages.
During the first half of the 1040’s, Hermann edited and updated Notker Balbulus’s work on martyrs—a volume intended to list the saints and martyrs and other key Christian figures with dates and contemporary events. Hermann engaged in what would today be considered an extremely high level of textual criticism and reconstruction, attempting to resolve contradictions between text and other sources. His amendments, for his time, constituted an almost unheard-of level of editorial responsibility—particularly in his use of mathematics and astronomy to correct errors in the original text rather than merely recopy the manuscript.
In 1042, Hermann produced a treatise on the sun and moon comparable to the work of Greek astronomers. Called Compotos, it began with an educational treatise on astronomy that was utilized during Hermann’s lifetime—but the second half of the book was of such sufficient mathematical complexity that it went almost completely unappreciated until the era of scientific exploration and discovery. Similarly, his Chronicon, dating to around 1048, attempts to establish astronomical evidence for the major events of Christendom. Along with his diagrams and instructions for mathematical instruments such as the astrolabe—collated from texts from Spain, the Arab world, and Lorraine—were sources for instrument-makers for three hundred years after his death.
Although the majority of Hermann’s writings were either musical or mathematical in nature, he did write the occasional more imaginative piece. He wrote De octo vitiis principalibusis, an inspirational allegory dedicated to a group of nuns, and poetry that explored the various Latin meters. Much of his writing also serves as a record of contemporary events in Germany during the time of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III.