Stephan Bodecker

Stephan Bodecker (1384 – 15 February 1459) was the 37th. Bishop of Brandenburg and a Christian Hebraist. He is known as the most important of all bishops of Brandenburg.

He was born as a son of a poor cooper from Rathenow, a little town on the river Havel, about 20 miles north from Brandenburg an der Havel. The very gifted young Bodecker studied arts, philosophy and law on the universities of Erfurt, Leipzig and Prague and became a famous scientist and adviser of the Brandenburgian margraves. As a bishop of Brandenburg he became a Prince of the Empire and so he did make a very unusual career for the Middle Ages.

Bishop Stephan was an intimous connoisseur and a strong defender of the discriminated Jews in Brandenburg. Furthermore he did reorganize the diozese, what was quite down and chaotic when he did start his office.

Bishop Stephan was member of the order of Premonstratensians.

He is buried in the cathedral of Brandenburg.

References

* "Jewish Encyclopedia"