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Saint Elisabeth of Thuringen
Saint Elizabeth's Daughter Sophia Retakes the Wartburg
Ludwig, at his departure on the imperial crusade for the Holy Land, had committed his family and his dominions to the guardianship of his brother Heinrich, surnamed Raspe. This surname, which is variously explained as meaning savage, brutal, or sullen, is said to have been given to every Heinrich in the princely family of Thuringia, for no apparent reason except that the first Heinrich so designated, built a fortress named Raspenburg. But the present Heinrich Raspe well justified his claim to the name. Before his brother's bones had even been returned from Italy, Heinrich, not content with the regency for his infant nephew, took over the territory. The mourning widow, who had no friend or advocate present to champion their cause (her confessor, Konrad, had accompanied Ludwig to Italy), pleaded in person for her son's right to succeed his father. Heinrich's answer was not only the expulsion of Elizabeth and her children from the fortress, but also a proclamation declaring that whosoever gave the expelled family shelter or relief, would be considered as doing the new Landgrave an ill service.
The widowed princess wandered forth with their helpless babes, not knowing how to obtain for them a morsel of bread, or where to lay her own head. The hospitals, in which it personally noticed the patients, dared not give her asylum, and the sufferings were sharpened by the ingratitude of those upon whom she had lavished acts of kindness. That incenses petitions for assistance while harshly, and often laughingly repulsed. A begger woman, upon whom she had showered alms and consolations, pushed her aside with a rudeness that threw her down into the ditch, so defiling her garments, that this daughter of the proud Hungarian kings was obliged with her own royal hands, to wash their clothes in the river before she could with her forlorn offspring seek refuge in a church. And even there she and they were in danger of perishing from cold and hunger.
An obscure but compassionate priest, who revered her character, risked the wrath of Heinrich and took the desolate royal outcast from the comfortless church to shelter them under his own lowly roof. Soon afterwards, the Abbess of Kitzingen offered the widowed and persecuted princess the hospitality of her convent. There she remained untill her maternal uncle, the Bishop of Bamberg, provided her with a suitable residence in Bodenstein Castle, one of his ecclesiastical palaces.
Why the ejected princess did not appeal to her royal father in Hungary to protect and redress his disinherited grandson, is not recorded. Perhaps she shrunk from the risk of provoking a war. Her devout resignation did not, however, go to the length of abandoning her son's claims and birthright. Therefore when the noble and knightly vassals, who attended Ludwig, arrived with his corpse back in Thuringia, Elizabeth met with them and insisted that they not allow the son of their lost lord to be robbed of his inheritance.
She gave up the care of her children to others. Finally Konrad of Marburg reached a compromise with the family of the landgrave, that Elizabeth (Elisabeth) would receive a one time payment as well as a transfer of property title to the gates of the distant German town of Marburg. There in the year 1228 she built a hospital and dedicated it to St. Francis who had just been canonized. She gave herself up entirely to the care of the sick.
The pope encouraged her in a personal letter: "...we are very pleased to find such a glowing sign of love and belief in the way of life followed by someone of such high standing, such tender sex, such young years and the victim of such a hard fate... May your tears be your bread and sustenance for the days and nights until your bridegroom can sooth your soul in heavenly paradise". Meanwhile Gregory IX officially gave Konrad the position of spiritual mentor to Elizabeth (Elisabeth). At this time Konrad was beginning to be feared for the power that came from his recent nomination to the position of inquisitor. Konrad proved himself to be an obdurate and relentless taskmaster in his new position as spiritual mentor to Elizabeth (Elisabeth). He was a man who did not shy from using the rod and other corporal punishments. He appointed women to spy upon Elizabeth (Elisabeth) and who had the job of making sure Elizabeth (Elisabeth) completed the hard penance he assigned to her. Elizabeth (Elisabeth) had to give up her own ladies in waiting. After demanding too much from her body, after placing it under such demands burdens for years, Elizabeth (Elisabeth), weakened and exhausted, died on November 17, 1231.
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