Norbert

c.1080-1134. Founder of the Premonstratensians.* He was born of a noble family at Xanten, Germany. After a period as a member of Henry V's imperial court and a canon of Xanten, he renounced this official type of clerical life in 1115. He gave away his goods, received ordination, and went about preaching in poverty. In 1120 Norbert founded a community at Prémontré, which grew into the Premonstratensian Order. He preached in Germany, France, and Belgium, where his fame was responsible for his summons to Antwerp to win back its inhabitants from the heretic Tanchelm in 1124. In 1126, the year Honorius II confirmed his order, Norbert became archbishop of Magdeburg and won great respect as a clerical reformer. He traveled to Rome with the emperor Lothair in 1132-33 and successfully supported Innocent II against the antipope Anacletus II. In 1133 Lothair made him chancellor of Italy. Norbert died at Magdeburg, and was canonized by Gregory XIII in 1582.