Benno Vigny

Benno Vigny (28 October 1889 – 31 October 1965) was a French-German novelist and screenwriter.

Life and works

Vigny was born in Commercy and grew up in Vienna. He moved to Berlin in the 1920s. There he began working as a screenwriter in collaboration with other writers, particularly for German-British co-productions.

In 1927, his novel Amy Jolly, die Frau aus Marrakesch (Amy Jolly, the Woman from Marrakesh) was published, which became the film Morocco (1930) in the USA, in which Marlene Dietrich made her Hollywood debut. Another novel, Nell John. Der Roman einer Verjüngten (Nell John, The Tale of a Rejuvenated Woman), appeared in 1927.

At the beginning of the 1930s, Vigny went to Paris where he continued to collaborate as a screenwriter for international co-productions. The little known film Bariole, from this period, is his only work as a film director.

After this period, Vigny worked only occasionally as a screenwriter. His last screenplay was the critically acclaimed Der Verlorene (The Lost One) (1951), co-written with Peter Lorre,who also directed and acted in the film.

Benno

Saint Benno (c. 1010 – 16 June 1106) was Bishop of Meissen from 1066 until his death. Venerated since the 13th century, he was canonized in 1523.

Life

Little is known of Benno's early life. Born in Hildesheim, it is reported that he was the scion of a Saxon noble family, such as the Woldenburgs; and may nave been educated at the monastery of St. Michael in Hildesheim. However it is certain that Benno was a canon of the Goslar chapter. He became a monk in 1028 and was ordained in 1040. In 1066 he was nominated by King Henry IV to the episcopal see of Meissen.

Benno appears as a supporter of the Saxon Rebellion in 1073, though the chronicler Lambert of Hersfeld and other contemporary authorities attribute little weight to his share in it. Henry IV imprisoned Benno in 1075, however, but released him soon after on his taking an oath of fidelity, which he did not keep. In the fierce Investiture Controversy, he appeared again in the ranks of the king's enemies and allegedly took part in the election of antiking Rudolf of Rheinfelden in 1077. After Rudolf's death he turned to the new antiking Hermann of Salm and was accordingly excommunicated and deprived of his bishopric by the 1085 Synod of Mainz. Benno betook himself to Archbishop Guibert of Ravenna, supported by Henry as Antipope Clement III, and by a penitent acknowledgment of his offences obtained from him both absolution and a letter of commendation to Henry, on the basis of which he was restored to his see.