The various monuments and their poems of praise give an idea of the reverence in which the prior was held for a long time - and the monks of Eberbach even listed him in their calendar of saints. Their verses emphasize not only his knowledge, his adherence to rules and his piety, but above all the fact that he served as a teacher, father figure and the best example for the community. In any case, the surviving sources prove that the clergyman, who originally came from Constance on Lake Constance, played a very active role in Eberbach.
In 1312, he was appointed bursar and was thus responsible for the financial administration of the monastery. From 1335, he also acted as prior, as he presided over the convent as the abbot's deputy. He worked closely with Abbot Wilhelm, particularly in the administration and leasing of the monastery's estates. Beyond the monastery, he served as an advisor to the Archbishop of Mainz and his Rheingau Vitztum and was appointed executor of the wills of various nobles in the region. It was not only a knight of Geroldstein who appointed Ensfried as his trustee during his lifetime, but also a number of noble widows and wealthy beguines such as Metza of Boppard, who left rich donations to the monastery. Prior Ensfried thus not only made a spiritual contribution to the monastery, but also played a direct part in its economic heyday.
Source: German Inscriptions Online (43, No. 63+), Academy of Sciences Mainz
Image of the tomb: Michael Leukel
More tombs
Tombstones
These are fascinating life stories that can be found carved in stone in Eberbach - and which are now being told with the help of a QR code project.