Johannes VI Ambundii,
Archbishopric of Riga 1418-
1424, secular name
Johannes Ambundii de Swan, also Abundi, Ambundij, Habundi, Habendi, Habindi, Almanni and ~ von Schwan (born
1384 - died on
June 16,
1424) was a
German ecclesiastic. Ambundii is thought to be born in the area of
Stettin (Szczecin). He studied at the Juristical University of
Prague, and graduated in
1391. Later, he got his doctor in
theology and canonical law.
Career
From
1394 -
1399 he was general
vicar of the
bishop of
Bamberg. In
1401, he was general vicar in
Speyer, and in
1408 general vicar in
Würzburg. In
1409 he became
bishop of Naumburg.
In
1412, he visited the Scottish convent of St. Ägidius in
Nuremberg, by order of the
bishop of Bamberg. He was
canon of the church of
Eichstädt and
provost of
Herriden in 1414 or 1415 and as such takes part at the
Council of Constance. On
November 27,
1416, he was elected
bishop of Chur and affirmed by the
archbishop of
Mainz,
Johann II. Shortly afterwards, Ambundii returned to the council.
At this time,
Italy,
France and
Spain demanded the immediate election of the
pope, while the
Holy Roman Empire preferred to first initiate the
reform of the Church. Ambundii convinced Emperor
Sigismund to give priority to the election.
On
July 11,
1418 Pope Martin V by recommendation of the Emperor nominated Johannes Ambundii to the position of
Archbishopric of Riga where he staid until
1424.
On
October 13,
1418 Ambundii participated in the negotiations between the order of the
Teutonic Knights and the country of
Poland in
Wileny.
Ambundii was unhappy with his new office in the far north. The
German brothers from the order deemed him a bitter and scant man,
which is not a laudable trait for great men as a
chaplain said. It was seen with anxiety that Ambundii was a Council of the Emperor and considered his favorite. The order tried to acquire
Livonia as independent property from the Emperor and feared Ambundii would act in opposite to the efforts. In fact, it was caused by him that the
chapter of Riga asked the pope to revoke the
Bulle Bonifacii IX, which incorporated the Church of Riga to the order.
In
1421 he acted as papal delegated judge in a quarrel between the king of
Sweden and the bishop of
Uppsala. In
1422 he organized a
council of the
Prussian bishops, but it did not take place.