Absalon

The son of Asser Rig ( Dat. Asser Rig ), in whose castle he and his brother Esbjørn ( Dat. Esbjørn ) were raised with the young Prince Waldemar, who later became Danish King Valdemar I.

He grew up in a religious and educated family, who founded a monastery in Soryo, which became a local cultural center. After receiving initial knowledge at home, Absalon was sent for further training in Paris . In Paris, he studied theology and church law .

Absalon participated in the celebration of the reconciliation of the three brothers-kings Sven III , Knud V and Valdemar I in Roskilde in 1157 . He and Waldemar miraculously escaped death at the hands of the killers allegedly sent by Sven III, and fled together to Jutland . Sven III followed them, but was killed by Waldemar under Graehead.

After being elected bishop of Roskilde in 1158, Absalon became Waldemar's chief adviser and promoted an imperial policy aimed at securing Danish superiority in the Baltic states . Absalon intended to clear the North Sea of the Vendian tribes inhabiting the Baltic Pomerania (in German Pomerania ). It was alleged that their raids on coastal Denmark led to the fact that by the time of the reign of Valdemar, one third of the kingdom was devastated and depopulated. Considering that the very existence of Denmark as a kingdom required the suppression of these tribes, Absalon devoted most of his life to this task.

The first expedition against the Wends, which was personally led by Absalon, was carried out in 1160 . Waldemar waged war against the Rujans, and in 1168 , when their main city Arkona on Rugen Island surrendered with the idol of the god Svyatovit , the Rujans agreed to accept Danish suzerainty , and their conversion to Christianity began . Arkona was destroyed, and the sanctuary of Svyatovit was destroyed. He founded 12 churches on the island of Absalon, and Rügen became part of the bishopric of Roskilde.

The destruction of the Vendian stronghold allowed the Danes to reduce their fleet. But Absalon continued to closely monitor the situation in the Baltic Sea and in 1170 destroyed another fortress on the island of Wolin .

The last military campaign of Absalon was connected with the destruction in 1184 of the Pomeranian fleet, which attacked the Danish vassal on the island of Rügen. As a result of this campaign, the territories of Pomerania and Mecklenburg were conquered. He then agreed to transfer command of the army and navy to the Duke of Valdemar (later King of Denmark Valdemar II ) and devoted himself entirely to the management of the "empire" that he had created.

In this area Absalon also showed its outstanding qualities. At first he supported the alliance of Waldemar I with the German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa against Pope Alexander III . By 1167, Absalon and Waldemar were reconciled with the pope.

Later, the goal of his policy was to free himself from German influence. Contrary to his advice and warnings, Waldemar I in 1162 confirmed his vassal dependence on Frederick I Barbarossa . When, in 1182, at the coronation of Knud VI , the imperial envoy arrived in Roskilde to receive the feudal oath from the new king, Absalon fiercely opposed him.

Absalon contributed to the construction of new churches and monasteries in Denmark, supported the activities of religious orders such as the Cistercians and Augustinians , founded schools and did much to spread culture. In 1167, he led the first Danish Synod in Lund . In 1177 he became archbishop of Lund. He was the guardian of Knud VI and, after the latter's accession to the throne, promoted a policy independent of the Holy Roman Empire . He was a supporter of the canonization of Waldemar's father, Knud Lavard .

In 1167, near the village of Havn ( Dat. Havn ), he built a castle in defense against pirates and surrounded Havn with fortifications. The castle later developed into the Danish capital, Copenhagen . Back in the 19th century, the Danes of Copenhagen were called Axelstadt, according to one of the names of the bishop.

Absalon died in 1201 in a family monastery in the city of Soryo.

• Axel, Archbishop // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.