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Reinbern (died 1013 or 1015) was the only bishop of the short-lived Diocese of Kołobrzeg (1000 – c. 1007).

Reinbern was born in the Hassegau area of the medieval Duchy of Saxony. When Holy Roman Emperor Otto III met with his friend, the Polish duke Boleslaw I in the Congress of Gniezno (Gnesen), the Archbishopric of Gniezno was founded. One of Gniezno's subordinated bishoprics was the Diocese of Kołobrzeg., Its purpose was to advance the Christianization of the pagan Pomeranians that shortly before had been subdued by the Poles. Reinbern was made bishop. It is documented that he "baptized" the Baltic Sea by spilling Holy Oil and Holy Water into the sea. He also demolished shrines of pagan gods in Pomerania. Yet, after his bishopric was driven out during a pagan uprising, he returned to Boleslaw's court. In 1009, he accompanied Boleslaw to the marriage arranged between Boleslaw's daughter and Sviatopolk, the prince of Turov in Kievan Rus', where an internal crisis involving Boleslaw's daughter led to the arrest of Reinbern by Vladimir I. Soon afterwards, he died imprisoned in 1012.

References

1. ^ David Warner, Ottonian Germany: The Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg, Manchester University Press, 2001, p.358, ISBN 0-7190-4926-1, ISBN 978-0-7190-4926-2
2. ^ Michael Borgolte, Benjamin Scheller, Polen und Deutschland vor 1000 Jahren: Die Berliner Tagung über den"akt von Gnesen", Akademie Verlag, 2002, p.282, ISBN 3-05-003749-0, ISBN 978-3-05-003749-3
3. ^ Nora Berend, Christianization and the Rise of Christian Monarchy: Scandinavia, Central Europe and Rus' C. 900-1200, Cambridge University Press, 2007, p.293, ISBN 0-521-87616-8, ISBN 978-0-521-87616-2
4. ^ Michael Müller-Wille, Rom und Byzanz im Norden: Mission und Glaubenswechsel im Ostseeraum während des 8.-14. Jahrhunderts: internationale Fachkonferenz der deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft in Verbindung mit der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz: Kiel, 18.-25. 9. 1994, 1997, p.105, ISBN 3-515-07498-8, ISBN 978-3-515-07498-8
5. ^ A. P. Vlasto, Entry of Slavs Christendom, CUP Archive, 1970, p. 275, ISBN 0-521-07459-2

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