Rulrman, Merswin

Rulrman, Merswin one of the "Friends of God," of the 14th century, was born, at Strasburg in 1307. He was a wealthy merchant and banker, when, in 1347, he gave up business, joined the Friends of God, and led a life of severe asceticism, under the guidance of Tauler. In 1366 Rulman acquired the island of Der grune Wort, in the Ill, near Strasburg, and retired thither. He died July 18, 1382. Rulman's writings are, Das Bannerbuchlein (edited by Jundt, Les Amis de Dieu Paris,. 1879): — Das Buch von den neun Felsen (ed. by Schmidt, Leipsic, 1859), and an old Dutch version of the same, Dat Boeck van den Oorspronck, by G.H. van Boossum Waalkes, Lenwarden, 1882). See Schmidt, in Revue d'Alsace (1856); in Reuss und Cunitz, Beitrage zu der theol. Wissenschaft, volume 5 (Jena 1854), and Nikslaus von Basel (Vienna, 1866); Jundt, Les Amis de Dieu, page 140 sq.; Plitt-Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v. (B.P.)