Background
Dorothea was born at Groß Montau, Prussia (Mątowy Wielkie) to the west of Marienburg (Malbork) to a wealthy farmer from Holland, Willem Swarte (Schwartze).
Dorothea was born at Groß Montau, Prussia (Mątowy Wielkie) to the west of Marienburg (Malbork) to a wealthy farmer from Holland, Willem Swarte (Schwartze).
After centuries of veneration in Central Europe, she was canonized in 1976. Almost immediately after marrying she began to experience visions. Her husband had little patience with her spiritual experiences and abused her.
Later, both made pilgrimages to Cologne, Aachen, and Einsiedeln.
While Dorothea, with her husband"s permission, was on pilgrimage to Rome, he died in 1389 or 1390. The surviving daughter, Gertrud, joined the Benedictines.
In the summer of 1391 Dorothea moved to Marienwerder (Kwidzyn), and on 2 May 1393, with the permission of the chapter and of the Teutonic Order, established a hermit"s cell against the wall of the cathedral. She never left that cell for the rest of her life.
Dorothea led a very austere life.
Numerous visitors sought her advice and consolation, and she had visions and revelations. Her confessor, the deacon Johannes of Marienwerder, a learned theologian, wrote down her communications and composed a Latin biography in seven books, Septililium, besides a German life in four books, printed by Jakob Karweyse. Dorothea died in Marienwerder in 1394.
The formal process of canonisation, however, was broken off in 1404, and not resumed until 1955.
She was finally beatified by Pope Paul VI (cultus confirmed) in 1976. Dorothea"s feast day is celebrated on 25 June.