Ansgar

Ansgar (Ansecharius), the Apostle of the North, was born in Picardy in 801. Under the patronage of Louis le Débonnaire, he went, with his colleague Authert, to preach Christianity to the heathen Northmen of Sleswick. He suffered many persecutions; but had nevertheless such success that, in 831, the pope established an archbishopric in Hamburg (transferred to Bremen in 847), and Ansgar was appointed the first archbishop. He made several missionary tours in Denmark and Sweden, and died in 865 at Bremen. See his Life by Tappehorn (Münst. 1863).