BRUNO DI MAGDEBURGO

BRUNO of MAGDEBURG. – A cleric of the cathedral of Magdeburg in Saxony, who lived in the 11th century. A warm supporter and friend of Bishop Werner of Merseburg, he experienced the tragedy of the Saxon people and fought against Henry IV, the persecutor of his nation and at the same time the stubborn antagonist of the Gregorian and reforming action. His brief account of the struggles of the Saxons against the Salian usurper, the *De bello saxonico* (1073–1081), is of extreme interest, though it must be used with discernment in view of its obvious bias. In light of this, one can understand the exaggerations and even the most serious omissions, such as that concerning the Council of 1080. One may note a progressive enrichment of the information, which shows the author’s ever-growing interest in his work.