Stephan Bodecker

Stephan Bodecker (1384 – 15 February 1459) was the 37th Bishop of Brandenburg and a Christian Hebraist.

He was born the son of a poor cooper from Rathenow, a small town on the river Havel around 20 miles north of Brandenburg an der Havel.

The very gifted young Bodecker studied arts, philosophy and law at the universities of Erfurt, Leipzig and Prague and became a well known scholar and adviser to the Brandenburgian margraves.

As bishop of Brandenburg he became a Prince of the Empire, thus having a very unusual career for the Middle Ages.

Bishop Bodecker was a knowledgeable friend and strong defender of the discriminated Jews in Brandenburg.