CESARIO di HEISTERBACH. - German Cistercian, born at Cologne around 1180, died about 1240. First master of novices, he later became prior of the monastery called “Valley of St Peter,” commonly known as Heisterbach, which he had entered in 1199. He was also for a short time prior of the abbey of Villers (diocese of Namur, Belgium), under a certain Abbot Carlo. He distinguished himself by piety and learning.
His edifying chronicles are celebrated: Dialogus miraculorum, completed in 1222 (ed. J. Strange, Cologne 1851; 2nd ed. 1922); Libri VIII miraculorum (three surviving, edited by A. Meister, Freiburg i. Br. 1901). In them C. recounts for his confreres the lives, miracles, and examples of the saints, especially of the Cistercian Order; these are valuable works, despite their credulous ingenuousness. He also wrote: Vita s. Engelberti (ed. Acta SS. Novembris, III, Brussels 1910, p. 632 ff.), Vita s. Elisabeth (ed. A. Huyskens, Cologne 1908), the Chronicle of the bishops of Cologne from 1167 to 1238 (in MGH, Scriptores, XXIV, p. 345 ff.), and many sermons on various themes, with exposition of biblical texts (ed. A. Coppenstein, Cologne 1615). A commentary in 9 books on Ecclesiasticus and many edifying works have remained unpublished.
In 1897 the local (non-Catholic) Historical Association erected a monument to him at Heisterbach, in honour of the man who through his writings had elevated culture, especially in the Rhineland countries.