690s – 754

The missions of Willibrord and Boniface among the Germans

The English missionary Willibrord (658–739) preached in Frisia for fifty years. He had the support of the Frankish mayor of the palace Pepin of Herstal.

His assistant Boniface (680–754) evangelized Germany from 719 – Bavaria, Thuringia, Hesse. He reorganized the church there and secured allegiance to Rome across Central Europe. For this he is regarded as the greatest missionary of the early Middle Ages. In 751 he also anointed Pepin the Short as king.