The University of Cologne and the Great Schism

R. Swanson

doi:10.1017/S0022046900042445

The University of Cologne and the Great Schism

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2011

R. Swanson

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R. Swanson: Affiliation:
Assistant Archivist, Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, York

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From 1378 to 1418, the Roman Church was faced with a situation hitherto unprecedented. For the first time in its history, it experienced a schism for which its constitution, as accepted in 1378, could provide no solution: there were two popes, both of whom could claim to have been legally elected. The dissident cardinals who rebelled against Urban vi in July 1378, only three months after they had elected him pope, discovered some legal (although admittedly rather spurious) grounds for denouncing the election and declaring the papacy vacant; a step followed in September by the election of the cardinal Robert of Geneva as rival pope, taking the name of Clement VII.

Type: Articles
Information: The Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , January 1977 , pp. 1 - 15

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046900042445 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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^{page 1 note 1} For the events from the election of Urban VI through to the election of Clement VII, see Valois, N., La France et le grand schisme d'occident, Paris 1896–1904, i. 3–83Google Scholar; Ullmann, W., Origins of the Great Schism, 2nd ed., Hamden 1972, 9–44.Google Scholar

^{page 1 note 2} The role of academics in the debates at this stage of the schism is documented in Chapters ii and iii of my PhD thesis, ‘Universities, Academics, and the Great Schism’, Cambridge 1976 (unpublished).

^{page 2 note 1} The part played by Henry of Langenstein at Vienna is revealed in the letters which he wrote at the time to the duke of Austria to support the foundation. These are printed in Sommerfeldt, G., ‘Aus der Zeit der Begründung der Universität Wien’, Mitteilungen des Instituts für österreichische Geschichtsforschung, XXIX (1908), 302–9.Google Scholar For Marsilius of Inghen and Heidelberg, see Ritter, G., Studien zur Spätscholastik, I: Marsilius von Inghen und die okkamistische Schule in Deutschland, Heidelberg 1923, 36–41.Google Scholar

^{page 2 note 2} Rashdall, H. (ed. Powicke, F. M. and Emden, A. B.), The Universities of Europe in the Middle Ages, 2nd. ed., Oxford 1936, ii. 255.Google Scholar The bull is printed in von Bianco, F. J., Die ältere Universität Köln und die spätern gelehrten Schulen dieser Stadt, Cologne 1855, Anlage i, 1–3.Google Scholar

^{page 3 note 1} There is one grant from Clement VII to a member of the university of Lisbon, after Portugal had decided in favour of Urban VI: A. Moreira de Sá, Chartularium Universitatis Portugalensis, Lisbon 1966–, ii. 164Google Scholar; while at Bologna the Clementist members, especially those in the Spanish College, repeatedly sent rolls of petitions to Avignon: Beltran de Heredia, V., Bulario de la Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca 1966–1967, i. 428–30, 476.Google Scholar At Paris, although there is no evidence diat die members of the Anglo-German nation sent petitions to Urban VI, the only members of that nation to appear regularly on die rolls sent to Clement VII were the Scots and Burgundians: Denifle, H. and Chatelain, E., Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis, Paris 1889–1997, iii. 269, 462–3; iv. 109–10.Google Scholar

^{page 3 note 2} On the De Schismate see Kadlec, J., Leben und Schriften des Prager Magisters Adalbert Rankonis de Ericinio aus dem Nachlass von Rudolf Holinka und Jan Vilikovský, Münster 1971, 50–7, 339–42.Google Scholar In 1391, Marsilius of Inghen also produced a tract on allegiance, the Rationes cur Urbani Pontifici electo adhaerendum (printed in Ritter, op. cit., 199–204).

^{page 3 note 1} Denifle and Chatelain, op. cit., iii. nos. 1656–8; Thorbecke, A., Die älteste Zeit der Universität Heidelberg, 1386–1449, Heidelberg 1886, 29–30.Google Scholar On the original Parisian conflict see Valois, op. cit., i. 138–9; Bliemetzrieder, F. P., Das Generalkonzil im grossen abendländischen Schisma, Paderborn 1904, 54–5.Google Scholar

^{page 4 note 1} Denifle and Chatelain, op. cit., iii. no. 1687. See also Valois, op. cit., i. 418.

^{page 4 note 2} Denifle and Chatelain, op. cit., iii. 628.

^{page 4 note 3} Ibid., iii. no. 1688.

^{page 4 note 4} Ibid.

^{page 4 note 5} This letter is fairly extensively considered by Jacob, E. F., Essays in the Conciliar Epoch, 3rd ed., Manchester 1963, 60–62Google Scholar, but there is as yet no printed edition. The letter of the archbishop of Cologne is printed in C. E. Bulaeus, Historia Universitatis Parisiensis, Paris 1668–73, iv. fol. 751^v–752^r.

^{page 4 note 6} Keussen, H., ‘Ungedruckte Quellen zur Geschichte der Universität Köln aus der Zeit des grossen Schismas und der Reformkonzilien 1395–1448’, Annalen des Historischen Vereins für des Niederrheins, CXVI (1930), 84.Google Scholar

^{page 4 note 7} Ibid., 85.

^{page 5 note 1} Basel, Öffentliche Bibliothek der Universität, MS. A.IX.8, fols. 117^r–122^v.

^{page 5 note 2} The anonymous letter is printed in Weiszäcker, J., Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter König Wenzel, Munich and Gotha 1867–1888, III. no. 93.Google Scholar

^{page 5 note 3} MS. cit., fol. 117^v.

^{page 5 note 4} Ibid., fol. 119^r.

^{page 5 note 5} Ibid., fol. 117^v.

^{page 6 note 1} Ibid., fol. 122^r.

^{page 6 note 2} He had produced his initial scheme for a Council as early as August 1379, in his Epistola Brevis (printed by Kaiser, H., ‘Der , Kurze Brief “des Konrads von Gelnhausen’, in Historische Vierteljahrschrift; III, 1900, 381–6Google Scholar). This was followed in May 1380 by his much more influential Epistola Concordiae (edited in Bliemetzrieder, F. P., Literarische Polemik zu Beginn des grossen abendländischen Schismas, Vienna 1910, 111–140).Google Scholar

^{page 6 note 3} The first Oxford letter is printed in Bulaeus, op. cit., iv. 776–85; Ouy, G., ‘Gerson et l'Angleterre à propos d'un texte polémique retrouvé du Chancelier de Paris contre l'Université d'Oxford, 1396’ in Levi, A. H. T. (ed.), Humanism in France at the end of the Middle Ages and in the Early Renaissance, Manchester and New York 1970, 56–73.Google Scholar The letter of 1399 is in Harvey, M., ‘The Letter of Oxford University on the Schism, 5th February, 1399’, Annuarium Historiae Conciliorum, VI (1974), 123–33Google Scholar; while Cambridge's reply to the king's request for advice is published in Ullmann, W., ‘The University of Cambridge and the Great Schism’, Journal of Theological Studies, N.S. IX (1958), 68–75.CrossRef Google Scholar

^{page 6 note 4} For some consideration of the second Oxford letter, see Harvey, M., ‘The letters of the University of Oxford on withdrawal of obedience from Pope Boniface IX’, Studies in Church History, XI (1975), 187–98.CrossRef Google Scholar

^{page 6 note 5} Ullmann, art. cit., 72.

^{page 6 note 6} On this see Jacob, op. cit., 65–9. The tract is in London, British Library, MS. Royal 6.D.x., fols. 277^v–281^v.

^{page 7 note 1} Keussen, art. cit., 68.

^{page 7 note 2} Keusen, H., ‘Die Rotuli der Kölner Universität’, Mitteilungen aus dem Stadtarchiv von Köln, VII Heft 20 (1891), 3–4Google Scholar; Martène, E. and Durand, U., Thesaurus Novus Anecdotorum, Paris, 1717, ii. 1282–5.Google Scholar

^{page 7 note 3} Ibid., ii. 1283.

^{page 7 note 4} I owe the identification of the tract to Prof. H. Kaminsky.

^{page 7 note 5} In the following notes, the references are to the copy of the tract in Erfurt, Wissenschaftliche Allgemeinbibliothek, MS. CA.2°.59, fols. 198^r–220^v. This is not quite complete, but the omissions are so minor as to be unimportant; and this MS. is more legible than the only complete copy of the glosses, contained in MS. CA.2°.396 of the same library.

^{page 7 note 6} Antonius de Butrio produced several tracts between 1405 and 1409, only some of which have been edited. For the activities of Petrus de Ancharano, see Souchon, M., Die Papstwahlen in der Zeit des grossen Schismas, Brunswick 1898, ii. 241–56.Google Scholar

^{page 7 note 7} For this development, see the outline arguments set forth by Ludolf of Sagan in his Soliloquium scismatis: Bliemetzrieder, F. P., ‘Abt Ludolfs von Sagan “Soliloquium Scismatis”’, in Sludien und Mitteilungen aus dem Benediktiner-und dem Cistercienser-Orden, XXVI (1905) 35.Google Scholar

^{page 8 note 1} MS. cit., fol. 201^v. His most succinct attack on the via cessionis occurs at fol. 211^v, where in reply to Cramaud's attacks on the via facti, the glossator simply remarked that ‘via subtraccionis obediencie est via facti’.

^{page 8 note 2} Ibid., fol. 208^r.

^{page 8 note 3} Ibid., fol. 205^r.

^{page 8 note 4} Ibid., fol. 200^v.

^{page 8 note 5} Ibid., fol. 203^v.

^{page 8 note 6} Ibid., fol. 201^r.

^{page 9 note 1} Ibid., fol. 213^r. The final phrases are an alteration, but in a hand which appears frequently among the glosses, suggesting that as they exist they may represent the reactions of two writers.

^{page 9 note 2} Beckmann, J. H., Studien zum Leben und Literarischen Nachlass Jakobs von Soest, O.P. (1360–1444), Leipzig 1929, 105 n.3.Google Scholar

^{page 9 note 3} Von Bianco, Die ältere Universität K…, Anlag xviii, 147 (misdated to 1406).

^{page 9 note 4} Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Canonici Pat. Lat. 205, fol. 4^r, and among the archiepiscopal delegation at fol. 3^r.

^{page 9 note 5} Keussen, ‘Ungedruckte Quellen…’, 69.

^{page 9 note 6} Von Bianco, op. cit., loc. cit.

^{page 9 note 7} Sauerland, H. V., Urkunden und Regesten zur Geschichte der Rheinlande aus dem Vatikanischen Archiv, Bonn 1902–1913, vii. 470 no. 1122.Google Scholar

^{page 10 note 1} Ibid.

^{page 10 note 2} Beckmann, op. cit., 25–33. The pursuit of Malkaw continued through die Council of Constance.

^{page 10 note 3} Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale MS. Lat. 5237, fol. 209^r–v is a letter of complaint addressed to an unnamed pope, who was probably John XXIII.

^{page 10 note 4} Keussen, H., Regesten und Auszüge zur Geschichte der Universität Köln (=Mitteilungen aus dem Stadtarchiv von Köln, XV), Cologne 1918, 28Google Scholar no. 187; von Bianco, op. cit., Anlag xx, 149–51.

^{page 10 note 5} Ibid., Anlag xxi bis, 153.

^{page 10 note 6} The date appears from Kuessen, ‘Ungedruckte Quellen…’, 69. The ascription to Dietrich of Münster derives from a Bremen MS. cited by Schneyer, J. B., ‘Konstanzer Konzilspredigten, eine Ergänzung zu H. Finke's Sermon- und Handschriftenlisten’, in Zeitschrift für die Geschichte des Oberrheins, CXIII (1965), 365.Google Scholar The quotations which follow are taken from a copy of die sermon at Erlangen Universitätsbibliomek, MS. 533, fol. 19^v–21^v.

^{page 11 note 1} MS. cit., fol. 20^r.

^{page 11 note 2} Ibid., fol. 20^v–21^r.

^{page 12 note 1} Keussen, art. cit., 69; Keussen, Regesten und Auszüge…, 30; Sauerland, op. cit., vii. no. 1127; von Bianco, op. cit., Anlag xxi bis., 152–3.

^{page 12 note 2} Keussen, op. cit., 32 no. 217; Keussen, H., ‘Die Stellung der Universität Köln in grossen Schisma und zu den Reformkonzilien des 15. Jahrhunderts’, Annalen des historischen Vereins für des Niederrheins, CXV (1929), 229 n.37a.Google Scholar

^{page 12 note 3} Buck, M. (ed.), Ulrichs von Richenlal Chronik des Constanzer Concils, 1414 bis 1418, Tübingen 1882, 177.Google Scholar

^{page 12 note 3} See Girgensohn, D., ‘Die Universität Wien und der Konstanzer Konzil’ in Franzen, A. and Muller, W. (eds.), Das Konzil von Konstanz, Vienna 1964, 266–8Google Scholar; Firnhaber, F., ‘Petrus de Pulka Abgesandter der Wiener Universität am Concilium zu Constanz’, Archiv für Kunde östemichischer Geschichts-Quellen, xv (1856), 24.Google Scholar

^{page 12 note 5} Many of them are printed in Marténe and Durand, Thesaurus Novus Anecdotorum, ii. 1609–1712, passim. See also Keussen, Regesten und Auszüge, 31–8 nos. 213–56, passim.

^{page 13 note 1} Martène and Durand, op. cit, ii. 1619, 1625, 1629, 1639, 1654, 1657, 1694.

^{page 13 note 2} For this development, see Ibid., ii. 1611, 1614, 1617.

^{page 13 note 3} Keussen, ‘Ungedruckte Quellen…’, 69–70.

^{page 13 note 4} Keussen, Regesten und Auszüge…, 35 no. 235.

^{page 13 note 5} Keussen, ‘Ungedruckte Quellen…’, 70.

^{page 13 note 6} Ibid., 71.

^{page 13 note 7} Firnhaber, art. cit., 13, 28, 35.

^{page 13 note 8} Courtecuisse's most explicit statement comes in a sermon delivered in early 1416; see Stefano, G. di, L'Oeuvre Oratoire Fran¸aise de Jean Courtecuisse, Turin 1969, 200 1.154–6.Google Scholar

^{page 13 note 9} The Anglo-German nation at Paris appears to have considered a rotulus on several occasions during 1413 and 1414: Denifle, H. and Chatelain, E., Auctarium Chartularii Universitatis Parisiensis, II. Paris 1897, 158, 161, 180ff.Google Scholar Preparations for rotuli from the universities at Vienna, Erfurt, and Leipzig are also mentioned, in Martène and Durand, op. cit., ii. 1611.

^{page 14 note 1} Ibid., ii. 1698.

^{page 14 note 2} Printed Ibid., ii. 1699–1707.

^{page 14 note 3} However, formal reception of the notification of his election was apparently delayed until 27 December: Keussen, ‘Ungedruckte Quellen…’, 71–2.

^{page 14 note 4} Keussen, Regesten und Auszüge…, 47 no. 306.

^{page 15 note 1} Firnhaber, art. cit., 69.

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