Wolfgang Seidel

Wolfgang Seidel (Sedelius) was born in 1491 or 1492 in the town of Mauerkirchen, lower Bavaria (now upper Austria). It seems likely his family was poor, but that he received support from a Cistercian monk to pursue his studies. He studied at the Latin school in Landshut and matriculated at the university in Ingolstadt in 1516. That same year he entered the Benedictine monastery of Tegernsee where he continued his studies, including Greek and possibly Hebrew. His interests and writings were very diverse encompassing Latin poetry, music and astronomy, and he was also very skilled in many practical crafts including dyeing metals, etching and casting bells.

However it is as a preacher that Seidel is most remembered. In 1527, he had written a guide to the spiritual life and this was probably a factor in his appointment as preacher at the Augustinian church in Munich. In this role he vigorously upheld Catholic beliefs and opposed the new Protestant thinking, and wrote several books in the same vein. He came to the attention of Duke Wilhelm IV, receiving his support and that of his son and successor, Albrecht V. Even so, Seidel was a critic of excess and poor financial administration at the Bavarian court.

In 1551, Seidel attended the Council of Trent on behalf of Duke Albrecht. His reputation was such that he was also invited to preach in other towns in Bavaria and the wider region, including Salzburg.

He preached in Munich for the last time on Good Friday 1560, after which he retreated back to the monastery at Tegernsee, where he died in 1562.