Werner von Ellerbach was a Benedictine monk who served as the inaugural abbot of Wiblingen Abbey near Ulm. Born around 1050, he was sent from the monastery of St. Blasien in the Black Forest in 1093 to establish a new foundation. This monastic community was created following a request from the counts Hartmann and Otto von Kirchberg. He led the monastery until his death in 1126, leaving a significant legacy as the leader of this religious institution.
Life and leadership
In 1093, Abbot Uto von Kyburg appointed Werner to lead a group of monks to Wiblingen to form a new branch of their order. He oversaw the establishment of the monastery on land provided by the local counts. Werner passed away in 1126 and was interred near the high altar of the original abbey church. His remains were later moved in 1782 to a pillar within the current baroque abbey building.
Veneration and legacy
Recognized as a blessed figure, Werner is honored as the patron saint of the sick. His feast day is observed on June 4. Historically, a tradition involving the distribution of blessed bread, known as Wernerbrote, took place annually on his feast day until 1629. This practice continued until the period surrounding the Thirty Years' War.