Lambert of Hersfeld
Once considered a reliable source of eyewitness information about the lay investiture struggles of the XI Century, Lambert's Annals is now praised for its style. Lambert (c. 1024-c. 1077/89) was a Benedictine monk who supported Cluniac reforms. Educated at Bamberg, he became a monk at Hersfeld c. 1058 and was ordained the following year. He travelled to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage and eventually joined the Benedictine community at Hasungen. He is thought to have become abbot after the monastery joined the Congregation of Cluny.
The Annals, a history of the world from creation to 1077, is written in a skilled manner and follows classical models. The part of its narrative from Genesis to 1040 has few details, while the latter part is highly detailed. Lambert's description of the penance of Henry IV at Canossa is vivid and was thought to have been impartial. It is now considered biased toward Gregory VII. The work is still considered reliable in its descriptions of feudal society in the German states.
Karen Rae Keck
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