Wednesday, September 27, 2017

German Saints Stolen by the Slovenes

German saints (from left to right):
Albuin von Brixen, Hildegard von Stein & Hemma von Gurk 

So many famous Italians from Istria and Dalmatia have been stolen by the ex-Yugoslavs in recent years: their names have been slavicized, and their Italian origin hidden and erased by the Croats and Slovenes who have occupied these lands since the end of World War II. Even indisputably Italian figures such as Marco Polo have officially been proclaimed “Slavs” by the Republic of Croatia, in what can only be described as a monumental fraud.

But Italians aren't the only victims of stolen heritage; many men and women of German origin have also been hijacked by Slovene revisionists in recent decades. The list of prominent Germans stolen by Slovene revisionists includes painters, architects, nobles, ecclesiastics and others. In this article we will limit ourselves only to German saints whose identities have been stolen.

St. Albuin von Brixen

Albuin was born in the 10th century in Carinthia (modern Austria), the son of Margrave Albrecht of Carinthia and his wife Hildegard von Stein. His parents both belonged to the Aribonids, an aristocratic family of Bavarian origin.

Albuin was Bishop of Sabiona-Brixen from 975-1006. He was a loyal servant of Emperor Otto II and Emperor Henry II, and accompanied the latter into Italy in his war against the independent Italian King Arduin of Ivrea. In 1004 he was entrusted with ruling over Veldes (today Bled, Slovenia), although there is no evidence he ever visited the town. He died in Brixen (today Bressanone, Italy) in 1006. After his death he was regarded as a saint and today his primary cult is found in Alto Adige, Italy, especially in the city of Bressanone where he is one of the three patron saints.

How is it that Albuin, who was of German background, who spent most of his life in Italy (at that time part of the Holy Roman Empire), in a region populated by Italians and Germans, and never lived a day in the territory of modern Slovenia, is today considered a “Slovene saint” by modern Slovenes? It is because the Slovenes falsely claim that his mother Hildegard was a Slovene (see below).

St. Hildegard von Stein

Hildegard von Stein was born c. 910 in the Duchy of Bavaria. Her father Aribo von Leoben belonged to the Aribonids, an aristocratic family of Bavarian origin. Her mother was one of the daughters of Chadaloh II, Count of Aargau and Augstgau, who was a member of the German Ahalolfing dynasty.

Her son Albuin was Bishop of Sabiona-Brixen. Hildegard lived in Burg Prosnitza (near Skarbin, Austria) with her husband. She died in the town of Stein im Jauntal (modern Austria) in c. 985.

For many centuries the Slovenes who lived in the nearby villages have venerated Hildegard as a saint, as have the Germans. However, today the Slovenes inexplicably claim that Hildegard is a “Slovene saint” and call her by the name Liharda Kamenska. In the 19th century, the Slovene nationalist bishop Anton Martin Slomšek declared Hildegard the “Mother of the Slovenes”. In this way, a once-pious religious devotion has been perversely transformed into a national theft.

St. Hemma von Gurk

Hemma von Gurk was born c. 995 in Peilenstein, Carinthia (today Pilstanj, Slovenia). She was the daughter of noble German parents: Engelbert and Tuta. Her parents were related to the Bavarian Luitpolding dynasty and were relatives of Emperor Henry II. Her ancestors also included King Zwentibold of Lotharingia, the illegitimate son of Arnulf of Carinthia, who was a member of the Carolingian dynasty.

Hemma inherited wealth through the death of her husband Wilhelm von der Sann, Count of Friesach, who was born into the German Carinthian nobility. Hemma used her wealth to help the poor. She also founded ten churches throughout Carinthia, the most important of which was Gurk Abbey (located in modern Austria). She died in Gurk Abbey on June 27, 1045. She was already venerated as a saint when she was alive. Today she is the patron saint of Carinthia, Austria.

Merely because Hemma von Gurk was born in the territory of what is now Slovenia, the Slovenes today claim that she was a “Slovene saint” and pretend that her parents were “Slovenian nobles”. The Slovene Wikipedia website even categorizes her exclusively as a “Slovene saint” without so much as listing any German category.

See also: Why do Some Countries Steal History and Heritage from Other Nations?