Hermann of Dorpat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ruins of the Cathedral of Tartu, which was founded by Hermann.

Hermann I (1163 – 1248) was the first Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Dorpat (1224 – 1248) within the Livonian Confederation.

Hermann hailed from Buxhoeveden, Saxony, and was also known as "Hermann of Buxhoeveden" and other variations, such as Buxhöwden and Buxthoeven. He was the brother of Bishop Albert of Riga, who used his influence against King Valdemar of Denmark to place the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in medieval Estonia. From 10 April 1220 – 21 July 1224, Hermann was Bishop of Leal, after which he took over the Bishopric of Dorpat.

Hermann founded the cathedral of Dorpat (Tartu) and led the Roman Catholic crusading army in the 1242 Battle of the Ice, which was won by the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod.

Hermann was the progenitor of the House of Buxhoeveden, a Baltic German family whose members entered Prussian, Swedish, and Russian service over the following centuries. Their descendents live in Germany, Finland, and Russia today.