Pius Engelbert of the Abbey of Gerleve died in Coesfeld on 6 October at the age of 87. He made a name for himself as a historian of the Middle Ages both in Germany and in Rome.

Pius Engelbert was a close friend of Erwin Gatz and thus also closely associated with the Görres Society and the Roman Institute. From 2006 to 2013, he was academically active at the Sant'Anselmo University in Rome, so that during this time he was also a frequent guest at the Görres Lectures and also a dinner guest at the College.

As early as 1988, he published the fundamental ‘History of the Benedictine College of St Anselm in Rome’. It is well known that this abbey on the Aventine was strongly German in its beginnings - it was founded in the same year as the Roman Institute of the Görres Society: 1888! 

Engelbert has been a member of the advisory board of the Görres-Gesellschaft since 1989 and was responsible for the Middle Ages on the advisory board of the Römische Quartalschrift from 1993 to 2013. From 2010 to 2014, he was also a member of the directory board of the RIGG.

He wrote numerous articles for the Römische Quartalschrift, which are now available online:

Adalbert von Prag (1997)

Bischöfe und Klöster im Frühmittelalter (2002)

Heinrich III. und die Synoden von Sutri und Rom (1999)

Papstreisen ins Frankenreich (1993)

Das Papsttum in der Chronik Thietmars von Merseburg (2002)

Regeltext und Romverehrung (1986)

Wilhelm von Hirsau und Gregor VII (2005)

Pius Engelbert has written his last essay - on medieval church reforms - for the homage to Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI, which will be published by Herder in a few weeks.

Pius Engelbert holds the ceremonial address for Erwin Gatz in March 2010 on the occasion of the celebration of Erwin Gatz's 35th anniversary as rector and golden jubilee as a priest. Here are Gatz's subsequent thanks.