Saint Maurice

Saint Maurice was the leader of the Theban Legion. Around AD 300 all of them (nearly 6,000) were massacred at Agaunum by order of Maximian Herculius.

According to tradition, the legion, entirely composed of Christians, had been called from Thebes in Africa to go to Gaul. They were ordered to suppress a revolt by the Bagandae (Bagaudae ?). To celebrate their military victory, the Christian soldiers were ordered to sacrifice to the gods, but they refused. Every tenth soldier was killed. More orders followed, they still refused, thanks in part to encouragement from St. Maurice. They were then all massacred.

St. Maurice is depicted in full armour, in Italy with a red cross. In the Magdeburg and other eastern German depictions he is often shown as a Moor.

In 929 Henry I the Fowler held a royal court gathering (Reichsversammlung) at Magdeburg. At the same time the Mauritius Kloster in honor of St. Maurice was founded.