St. Elizabeth of Wartburg. Matthew 25: 37-40, the righteous will then answer him, "When Lord, did we see hungry

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1 Dr.Susan Kosché Vallem, LISW, LPHA III Social Work Professor, Emeria, Wartburg College Clinical Licensure Supervisor, Lutheran Services in Iowa St. Elizabeth of Wartburg Matthew 25: 37-40, the righteous will then answer him, "When Lord, did we see hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come and visit you?" Then the king will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these, you did it for me." The Lutheran Church has a long tradition of service. An example of servant leadership goes back in Wartburg s history - both the castle and the college. In preparation for my Introduction to Social Work class, I did some research on Wartburg Castle. I knew that historically much of the care of the sick and needy had been provided at the gates of many of the ancient castles and manor houses. I knew that Wartburg Castle had a direct link with Martin Luther and had a great heritage of music and education. I wondered if Wartburg Castle had a charitable heritage as well. Indeed it did. In my research, I became acquainted with St. Elizabeth. Through my visits to Bratislava, Slovakia; Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, Germany; and the Elizabeth Church in Marburg, Germany, I have been able to develop a sketchy biography of St. Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born in 1207 in the City of Bratislava, which was then in Hungry and now in Slovakia. Her birth had been predicted by the wizard Klingsor during the famed Minstrels' War at Wartburg Castle. Elizabeth was the daughter of Gertrude of Andechs-Meran and King Andrew II of Hungry. As was the custom in those days, Elizabeth was betrothed at an early age to a son of the Thuringian Landgrave, Hermann. It was also customary for a young princess to grow up with her future husband's family so that she would become accustomed to their way of life. In 1211, at the age of four, Elizabeth was brought to Wartburg Castle. The Wartburg was a prominent place in Germany. It was headed by an intellectually gifted family and became the Eliz 1

2 meeting place of poets and patrons. Topics of all kinds were freely and openly discussed. Elizabeth took part in these discussions and became well educated. Elizabeth was deeply religious as well. It was also said of her that, while exceptionally devout, she very strong-willed. Elizabeth demonstrated an early concern for the poor; and her friend, Gunda, described how Elizabeth played with the poor children in her young years and gave them alms. Elizabeth was originally engaged to Hermann, Landgrave Hermann's son, but the younger Hermann died in 1216 just a few months before his father. Two years later another son, Ludwig IV, attained the age of majority under medieval law, was knighted, and declared landgrave. There was a close bond of affection between Elizabeth and the young lord, and in 1221 they married in St. Georges Church in Eisenach when Elizabeth was 14 years old. Even after their marriage, Elizabeth's mother-in-law was not fond of Elizabeth and sneered, "She may be a king's child, but her mother was a concubine!" Elizabeth named both of her daughters, Sophie and Gertrude, after her mother-in-law in a futile attempt to gain the woman's approval. After her marriage and ascension to the throne of Thuringia, the courtiers derided Elizabeth, but her relationship with Ludwig was described by biographers as an "idyll of enthralling fondness, of mystic ardor." Dietrich von Apolda ( ) reported that the tenderness which Elizabeth showed to her husband when she sat next to him was unusual in distinguished circles and caused offence. Elizabeth became interested in the teachings of Francis of Assisi when Franciscan brothers visited Wartburg Castle. One of the brothers became Elizabeth's spiritual mentor. The brothers, in turn, told Francis of Elizabeth. It is said that Francis spoke often of her. Legend has it that St. Francis willed his cloak to her when he died. The young queen carried on St. Francis' concern for charity. Daily she donned dowdy clothes as she tended the sick and needy - behavior that further isolated her from her in-laws and the court. Elizabeth often returned from a day of nursing, changed into her royal robes, and presided over a court banquet. Eliz 2

3 It is in her charity work that miracle stories abound. On her way to her husband's banquet, Elizabeth met a freezing beggar who was clothed only in a shirt. She gave him her richly embroidered cloak and thus put herself in an awkward position. According to the strict etiquette of the court, it was as improper to appear without a cloak befitting one's rank as it was to be late. An angel then showed her a cloak of the same kind to replace the one she had given away. Elizabeth thus appeared on time, properly clothed, and took her place next to her husband at the banquet. Another legend tells that while Ludwig was out hunting, Elizabeth met a leper on the way from the castle. She took the leper with her into the Wartburg, bathed him, fed him, and placed him in her own marital bed to be cared for. Her mother-in-law, Sophie, was horrified and rushed out to meet Ludwig, who was returning from the hunt, with the words, "She has put a leper in your bed! This excessive piety devoid of thought will be the death of us yet!" Infuriated, Ludwig rushed into the bedroom, pulled back the bed covers and saw, not the leper, but a picture of the crucified Christ lying in the bed. Upon seeing this, the truth of Christ's words dawned on him, "As you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me." Ludwig is said to have remarked, "Beloved, such a one as this you may always place in my bed." The most famous story of Elizabeth is the miracle of the roses. Elizabeth had established a hospice for the poor in a converted building at the foot to the castle hill. She smuggled bread out of the castle kitchen to feed the needy. When carrying bread down the hill to her hospice, she would encounter courtiers, relatives, even her husband. Such activities had been strictly forbidden. Elizabeth was obliged to slip the food quickly inside her robe. Once when compelled to open her robe for inspection, the bread had miraculously turned to roses and Elizabeth was again rescued and blessed. Eventually Ludwig left for Italy to take part in a crusade with Emperor Fredrich II. At the beginning of the crusade a fever epidemic broke out. The crusade had to be broken off. Ludwig died of fever in Otranto on September 11, Ludwig's and Elizabeth's daughter, Eliz 3

4 Gertrude, was born on September 29, 1227, about the same time that the news of Ludwig's death arrived at Wartburg. Elizabeth was disconsolate, "Dead! Dead! Dead! The world is dead to me!" she wailed. Following Ludwig's death, Elizabeth was unable to maintain her position at court. She refused to eat anything until she was sure that the food had not been extorted from the peasants. Her grief continued until her brother-in-law, Heinrich Raspe, threw her out of the castle without any money of her own, leaving her children behind. Raspe gave orders throughout the country that the former queen was to be shunned. Elizabeth found temporary accommodations in Eisenach where she was put up for a time in what had been a pigsty. Heinrich Raspe had hoped to make her give in under the pressure of poverty and homelessness, so that she would return to court and take her expected social position. Elizabeth refused. Elizabeth had left Wartburg Castle in 1228 as a young widow, a year after Ludwig died. She refused to return and was eventually given a small monetary settlement. She moved to Marburg to dedicate her life to St. Francis' ideal of poverty. She collected money for the poor and begin a hospital and church where she personally cared for the sick and the poor. She wore rags and cared for the needy herself, even scrubbing floors. When her father, the King of Hungary, saw her, he cried and begged her to come home; again she refused. In every beggar and ailing person, she saw Jesus himself. One day after Elizabeth had bathed dirty sick people in her Marburg hospital, she exclaimed, "How happy for us to have the honor of bathing our Lord and covering him." Elizabeth devoted the next and final three years of her life tirelessly serving the sick and the poor. She gave particularly special care to children. Elizabeth died on November 17, 1231 at the age of 24. She is attributed with some 150 miracles, most of them involved the healing of children. On the Day of Pentecost, 1235, Pope Gregory IX declared Elizabeth a saint. Saints' days are celebrated not on their birthdays, the beginning of their natural lives, but on the days of their Eliz 4

5 deaths, the beginning of their eternal lives. Thus Elizabeth's day is celebrated on November 17 in the church calendar. An inscription on the Elizabeth Mausoleum in the Elizabeth Church in Marburg reads: Germany's fame, precious stone of virtues, source of wisdom, ornament of the Church, flower of the faith, ideal of the young, mother of the needy, medicine of illness, hope of the guilty, bow your heart to the wishes of your servants, O Elizabeth, you who rule in heaven. St. Elizabeth's life exemplifies a tradition of servant leadership for Wartburg College. Thus, St. Elizabeth has affectionately been adopted as Wartburg's first social worker. Note on the Elizabeth Church in Marburg, Germany. The Elizabeth Church became involved in the Reformation, and the first Lutheran worship service was held in the Elizabeth Church on May 18, The church remained in the possession of the Teutonic Order. While Catholics, Lutherans, and members of the Reformed Church belonged to the Teutonic Order, the Elizabeth Church was reserved for Lutheran worship alone. In 1811 the use of the Elizabeth Church was shared between the Lutheran and Catholic communities. The Lutherans retained the western part, the Catholics the eastern section. This arrangement lasted until This beautiful gothic cathedral remained undamaged in World War II. It is now a parish of 8,000 members and five pastors within the Association of Evangelical Churches of Marburg. Eliz 5

6 Service is not only about what we do for and give to others, but what we learn about our world, when we encounter injustice and work toward justice. And when we really serve others, we learn that poverty is a lack of money and resources, not a character flaw. We learn that the homeless Viet Nam veteran who was spit upon when he returned home rather than receiving care and services isn t homeless because he wants to be. We learn the story of the mother working 2-3 jobs on minimum wage with no benefits, working hard to support and care for her children. When we understand that she probably works harder than most of us and is not poor because she is lazy or irresponsible. Service is when we see injustice locally and globally, and we try to make a positive difference that we become servant leaders. While the housing, food, blankets, the material and necessary things and important things that the ELCA provides, service runs deeper still. Servant leadership is when we look into the eyes of the poor, the refugee, the person with a disability, the least of our society and see worth and dignity. When we see them, we should see Jesus, As you have done these things for the least of my sisters and brothers, you have done them for me. Thank you. Blessings, and go forth in service. Amen Eliz 6