Saint Emmeram was a Christian bishop and martyr born in Poitiers, Aquitaine. In the early seventh century, he traveled to Regensburg to carry out missionary work at the court of Theodo I. During his three-year stay, Emmeram was highly regarded as a pious man and founded a monastery that would later bear his name.
The only known biography of Emmeram is the Vita Sancti Emmerami, written by Arbeo of Freising in 750. According to the Vita, Emmeram was born to a noble family and it is speculated that he may have briefly held the office of Bishop of Poitiers, but this cannot be verified. After hearing of idolatry in the region, Emmeram traveled to Theodo I's court in Bavaria to carry out missionary work. The Vita also includes a legend about Emmeram's relationship with Uta, the daughter of Duke Theodo. The legend states that Uta confided in Emmeram that she was expecting a child out of wedlock, and he advised her to name him as the father to lessen some of her shame.
Shortly thereafter, Emmeram was attacked in Helfendorf by Theodo's son, Lantpert of Bavaria, tortured, and beheaded in retaliation, unaware that the story about Uta was false. There are conflicting reports of his death, with one stating that he was found alive but died on the journey back to Aschheim. His remains are entombed in St. Emmeram's Basilica, in the Wolfgang Crypt of the west building. His feast day is celebrated on September 22 in the Catholic Calendar of Saints.