The Document of 1030 represents a significant milestone in the history of the family as the first official use of the name Padberg as a surname. The document also becomes a precursor to a long history of struggle to maintain the identity of the family and its property in the Sauerland amidst the ever-changing geo-politics of Europe and the Church.
The document itself, which measures 20 inches in width and 19 inches in height, is written in secular Latin, the official language of the Holy Roman Empire. The style of script, called Carolingian Minuscule, was among the first to utilize both upper and lower case letters. The text read at court was officiated both by the seal of the Emperor and the monograph.
The original is preserved in the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia at Münster, Germany.
CONRAD II, EMPEROR OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
CONRAD, by the favor of divine clemency, august Roman Emperor. Be it known to all Christians, present and future, that on the intervention and petition of our beloved spouse Gisela, august Empress, and of our very dear son King Henry, as well as Meinwercus, Bishop of the Church of Paderborn, we have consigned the terrain called Padberg (Pathberch) of a certain Count Bernard, together with ten fiefs adjacent to the same mountain, situation in the district of Nichterga and in the territory of Count Haholde, which therefore came into our possession by legal inheritance since the same Bernard was a spurious count and was commonly called Wanburtich [i.e. “Bastard”], to the monastery of the above mentioned Bishop of Paderborn, which is dedicated to St. Mary, St. Kilian, martyr, and St. Liborius, confessor, together with the services of both sexes, the colonies, sites and building, acres, cultivated and uncultivated ground, roads and roadless places, fields, pastures, woods, hunting, water and streams, fishing, mills, expenses and receipts, interrogations and investigations, as well as all appurtenances accruing to the same estate, in such fashion that the said monastery shall have perpetual control thereof. And in order that this consignment may remain firm and unshaken for all time, we have ordained that this document, signed by our own hand, be corroborated by the impression of our seal.
Attested by Odalricus, Chancellor in lieu of Archchaplain Aribo.
Given on the Calends of June in the year of the Lord’s Incarnation 1030, the 13th Indiction, the 6th year of the reign of Lord Conrad, and the 4th of his empire. Done at Mersburg.
1030 Document Original Latin Text:
CONRADUS DIVINA FAVENTE CLEMENTIA ROMANORUM IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS. Notum sit omnibus Christi fidelibus, praesentibus scilicet atque futuris, qualiter nos ob interventum ac petitionem nostrae dilectae Conjugis Gisla, Imperatricis videlicet augustae, et amantissimae prolis nostrae Heinrici Regis, nec non Meinwerci Paderburn Ecclesiae Episcopi, quoddam Bernhardi Comitis praedium Patberch dictum, cum mansis decem circa eundem montem adjacentibus in Pago Nichterga et in Comitatu Haholdi Comitis situm, quod ideo haeredictario jure in nostram potestatem successit, quid idem ipse Bernhardus comes spurius erat, quod vulgo Wanburtich dicunt, ad Paderburn praescripti Episcopi Monasterium in honore sanctae Mariae et S. Kilianis martyris, santique Liborii Confessoris consecratum, tradidimus cum mancipiis utriusque sexus villis, areis aedificiis, agris, terris cultis et incultis, viis et inviis, pratis, pascuis, silvis, venationibus, acquis aquarumque decursibus, piscationibus, molendis, exitibus et reditibus, quaesitis et inquirendis, nec non cum omnibus appendiciis ad idem praedium jure pertinentibus, ea videlicet ratione, ut in praescripti monasterii potestatem perpetualiter existat. Et ut haes nostra traditio stabilis et inconvulsa omni permaneat aevo, hanc paginam inde conscriptam propriaque manu roboratum sigilli nostri impressione jussimus insignivi. Odalricus Cancellarius vice Aribonis Archicapellani recognovit. Data Calendis Junii anno Dominicae Incarnationis MXXX. Indictione XIII Anno Domni Conradi regnantis VI imperii vero IIII. actum Mersburg.
