This paper deals with the Version B of the "Vita sanctae Geretrudis", one of the most important sources for the early Pippinids, the later Carolingians, which has hardly been reviewed until now. The paper consists of two parts which will be published consecutively: the present part of the paper gives a short presentation of the manuscripts containing the "Vita B". Here, the consensus that the "Vita B" is a Carolingian reworking of the oldest 7th-century vita can be refuted because all the known manuscripts date from the 11th century or later. Afterwards, I will give an overview of the history of Nivelles Abbey in order to analyse the "Vita B", situating it within the eventful 11th century, especially in regards to the situation of Nivelles Abbey.
The second part of the paper concentrates on the spread of the "Vita B", which can be found in Trier soon after its composition in Nivelles. However, the Trier witness does not focus on Gertrud of Nivelles, but on the Trier abbess Modesta of Oeren. The latter only appears in the miracles of Saint Gertrud, which were as widely spread as the vita itself. Due to the events in 11th-century Trier, in many cases these miracles no longer show up as the miracles of Saint Gertrud, but as "Vita sanctae Modestae". I will show that these renamed miracles of Saint Gertrud are a precious source for 11th-century Trier. [Reproduced from the Frühmittelalterliche Studien pages from the University of Munster website: https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/md/content/fruehmittelalter/publikationen/fmst/abstracts_bd._52-55.pdf]