St Lullus
A visitor to the museum from Germany alerted us to a forgotten Malmesbury figure – Saint Lullus.
He was born in Wessex around 710AD and was a monk in the Benedictine monastery at Malmesbury. While on a pilgrimage to Rome in 837AD he was persuaded by Saint Boniface to do missionary work in Germany. He joined the monastery at Fritzlar where he prospered; he became bishop of Mainz in 753AD and a year later archbishop. Under him the church flourished and expanded and the conversion of Hesse Thuringia to Christianity was completed.
He died on 16.10.786 and was buried in Bad Hersfeld where he is still thought of as the founder of that city.
He was canonised on 7.4.852