Irmina of Oeren

Nuns convent St. Irminen in Trier close to the right bank of the river Mosel (see map)

Irmina of Oeren or Irmina of Trier (d. 704/710) was the wife of Hugobert, seneschal and Count palatine, a leading person of the Hugobertine noble family. While during the High Middle Ages she was believed to be a daughter of King Dagobert II, her parents are actually unknown. Today it is assumed that she came from a powerful Austrasian noble family, strongly connected to the Carolingian dynasty.

Irmina and Hugobert had several children, including:

• Plectrude (fl. 691, d. 717), the wife of Pippin of Herstal and founder of the Abbey St. Maria im Kapitol in Cologne
• possibly Adela of Pfalzel (b. c. 660, d. c. 735) founder of the convent Pfalzel (some have said she is the sister or Irmina of Oeren)
• possibly Reginlind, (b. 660-665, d. 730-740) whose second marriage after the death of her husband was to the duke Theudebert of Bavaria
• Chrodelind
• possibly Bertrada of Prüm (b. c. 670, d. after 721), the founder of the Prüm Abbey and mother of count Heribert of Laon, who was father of Bertrada of Laon, who in turn was mother of Charlemagne.

Echternach Abbey in the valley of the river Sauer

After Hugobert's dead the now widowed Irmina founded with support from the bishop of Trier the Abbey of Echternach by donating (c. 697/698) lands to Willibrord. She also committed herself to a religious life for the remaining years and became second abbess of St. Mary's convent in Oeren (today a part of Trier) which was later renamed after her: St. Irmina (or St. Irminen). Irmina died at an uncertain date between 704 and 710.

Irmina Statute

External links

• Irmina of Trier, abbess and saint (German) Accessed 17 December 2011
• "Ego Irmina ... abbatissa ..." Testament of abbess Irmina of Oeren from 1 December 697/98 donating to the monastery of Willibrord in Echternach, MGH (Latin)