Norbert was born at Xanten in Germany, around the year 1080. He died at Magdeburg on the 6th June 1134. His name means ‘Prince of the North’ or ‘Illustrious man of the North’.
He became a subdeacon, and did not advance further. For a while he remained at the service of the Archbishop of Cologne, after which he followed the Emperor Henry V in his entourage. He did not ruin himself by penance. More feasting than prayer - more banquets than fasting. A good example of how a cleric should behave! And at that period, he was not the only one – notwithstanding all the efforts made by popes and bishops to bring about a reform. But one day, in the year 1115, while on a journey, he was almost struck by lightening. This fact shocked him profoundly. Undoubtedly it was certainly a sign, and perhaps also a last warning. He therefore returned to his studies, and once ordained priest he began to travel – always barefooted. He preached to the faithful, but above all to the priests. Before correcting the flock, the shepherd had to be corrected.
In the year 1120 he stopped at Laon in France. From Bishop Bartholemew he obtained an uncultivated valley where he settled down with some clerical companions. And with a plan: the forming of a community of Canons devoted to preaching, and with an exemplary life. In 1121 the Order of Regular Canons was thus founded, and called Premonstratensien – name connected to the valley Prémontré. The discipline was similar to that found in a monastery - community life with work, daily and nightly prayer, but with external preaching adjoined. Thus, a community attached – yes – to the original form of monastic life, but also called to evangelise. Norbert partly anticipated what eventually would have been the mission of the Franciscans, the Dominicans, and other mendicant orders. The white dressed Premonstratensiens so converted the East European population to Christianity – also tilling lands and draining marshes in Holland – as they expanded across the whole of Europe, to venture as far as Palestine (where many were then put to death).
After two centuries characterised by a great expansion (12th and 13th), the time of persecution and abandon drew on – because of religious conflicts in Europe, and the French Revolution. When, in 1834 the General of the Order died without successors, everything seemed to be finished. But in 1839 a new start was made, and today the Premontratensiens are present and active in the Church.
In 1126 Norbert was elected archbishop of Magdeburg, after which they involved him in the dramatic events at the summit of the Church. In the year 1130, after the death of Onorius III, there were two popes at Rome – the pope (Innocent II) and the anti pope (Anaclete II). And the German king Lothair wanted to be crowned at Rome but couldn’t distinguish the legitimate pope. Norbert sided with Innocent II (vigorously defended by Bernard), accompanied Lothair to Italy – who knows if he passed by at Sant’Antimo (!) – and intervened so that he was thus crowned by Innocent II. He continued to be active in Germany, making every effort to restore the Church to unity, and so put an end to the schism.
Norbert died at his Archbishopric See. In 1582 he was canonised by Pope Gregory XIII. At the beginning of 1167 his mortal remains were inhumated in the church of the cenoby of the Premontrarensien Canons at Strahow in the city of Prague, where a magnificent altar was then erected in his honour soon after.