Kunigunde in a
17th century painting |
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Kunigunde of Luxembourg was born circa 975 as daughter of Sigfried, Count of the Ardennes. In 999, she married Heinrich, Duke of Bavaria, who was crowned King of Germany in 1002 and received his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1014 by Pope Benedict VIII. At his coronation, Kunigunde was crowned as Holy Roman Empress.
Kunigunde died in 1040 and was canonized by Pope Innocent III in 1200. As St. Kunigunde, she is the patron saint of Franconia and is most popular as the patron saint of the city of Bamberg.
In 1750, sculptor Johann Peter Benkert created six statues to adorn Bamberg's oldest bridge. When a flood in 1784 destroyed the bridge, Kungundes statue was the only one to prevail. The original is now kept in St. Jakob Church. A copy has been placed at the bridge in 1992 and has by now become more popular than the original.
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