Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen was a mystic, composer, healer and natural scientist of the high middle ages. She was born in 1098 as the tenth child of landed gentry in Bermersheim near Alzey. She was probably petite of build and delicate of constitution, suffering her entire life from health problems. In 1112, Hildegard left her parents' home to enter the cloister Disibodenberg along with the Count of Sponheim's daughter Jutta von Sponheim. This cloister lies upon a hill between Staudernheim and Odernheim, not far from where the Glan flows into the Nahe. It is about 3 kilometers down the Nahe from Bad Sobernheim. Here, Hildegard experienced the expansion and rebuilding of the cloister including the construction of the basilica with its three naves which was completed in 1143. In the year 1136, Jutta von Sponheim died and Hildegard took over the duties of Abbess. With this she stepped, as it were, into the spotlight of history.

Photo: Central to the importance of the monastery was the scriptorium, where many of Hildegard's texts were written and artistically illustrated with colourful pictures. Here we see Hildegard writing one of her texts, together with her noble pupil Richardis von Stade, and the monk Vollmar, who is also working on a script.