Burchard of Basel

BURCARDO di BASILEA. — Bishop, born around 1040, died, it seems, in Basle on 12 April 1107. Son of Ulrich, count of Féni, he was a canon of Eichstätt and subsequently chamberlain to Siegfried, archbishop of Mainz. In 1072 he became bishop of Basle. In 1076, after the outbreak of hostilities between Gregory VII and Henry IV, he took part in the assembly that voted for the deposition of the Pope and was a member of the embassy sent to Italy to persuade the Roman bishops likewise to support the imperial cause. Struck, like all Henry IV’s supporters, by excommunication, he too obtained Gregory VII’s pardon at Canossa and then followed Henry IV once more to Germany, assisting him during the war he undertook against Rudolf of Swabia and receiving in compensation from Henry IV the county of Herkingen for the church of Basle. Remaining faithful to Henry IV even after the second bull of excommunication, issued on 7 March 1080, he attended the election of the antipope Clement III, which took place in Rome on 21 March 1084. Having returned to Germany, he subscribed to the deposition of Gregory VII and to the confirmation of the antipope. From Henry IV he also received dominion over Ribeuapierre in Alsace and the abbey of Pfafers.