Neresheim Abbey

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Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806) .svg
Territory in the Holy Roman Empire
Imperial Abbey of Neresheim
coat of arms
Neresheim coat of arms1.JPG
The abbey's fourth coat of arms is in this abbot's coat of arms at the top heraldic left
map
Neresheim Abbey Territory.jpg
Territory of the Imperial Abbey of Neresheim (pink)
Location in the Reichskreis
Swabian district map around 1750.jpg (around 1750)
Alternative names Reichsstift ; Reichsgotteshaus
Arose from ordinary abbey
Form of rule Elective monarchy
Ruler / government Abbot ; Reich Abbot
Today's region / s DE-BW
Parliament since 1764 in the Reichsfürstenrat : 1 curiate vote on the Swabian prelate bank
Reichskreis Swabian Empire
Capitals / residences Neresheim
Denomination / Religions Roman Catholic
Language / n German , Latin
surface 1.5 square miles = 80 km²
Residents 2.500 Ew. (2nd half of the 18th century)
Incorporated into 1803 Thurn and Taxis House ; 1806 to the Kingdom of Bavaria ; 1810 to the Kingdom of Württemberg


The Neresheim Abbey ( St. Ulrich and Afra ) is a Benedictine monastery in the Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese in Baden-Württemberg and a member of the Beuron congregation . The monastery complex is located above the town of Neresheim in the Ostalb district on the Ulrichsberg in a dominant position above the Härtsfeld . The church, a late work by Balthasar Neumann and recognized by Georg Dehio as “shockingly great”, is considered to be one of the most important church buildings of the late Baroque.

Neresheim Abbey, aerial photo (2016)
The monastery church (western end of the nave ), in front of it the older bell tower, built between 1617 and 1627, on the right the convent building

history

West view of the entire site
View from around 1875

11th to 18th centuries

See also: Neresheim Castle

Even in the 17th century it was assumed that the Neresheim monastery was founded by Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria in 777 . was donated. According to tradition, the monastery was destroyed during the Hungarian invasions (899-955) and rebuilt by the Counts of Dillingen until 1095. This story is not tenable with today's knowledge.

The monastery was founded in 1095 by Count Hartmann I von Dillingen and his wife Adelheid von Winterthur-Kyburg , probably a daughter of the last Winterthur Count Adalbert II and thus ancestral mother of the Counts of Kyburg , as an Augustinian canon monastery at his Neresheim castle and in 1106 in converted into a Benedictine abbey, which joined the Hirsau reform . The first (Benedictine) monks came from Petershausen Monastery in 1106 and a second group from Zwiefalten Monastery in 1119 . In addition to the men's community, there was also a women's convent, which ended in the middle of the 13th century.

The Dillinger had only secured the bailiff's rights over the abbey, which triggered a centuries-long legal dispute over the status of the monastery after the counts died out in 1258, which in no way wanted to come to terms with the threatened residency . As the successors of the Dillinger family, the Counts of Oettingen claimed these rights. In addition, the Augsburg bishopric , whose bishop was related to the founding family, asserted claims. In 1263, a judgment by Albertus Magnus - for the time being - ended the dispute: The bailiwick was formally transferred to the bishopric, but remained de facto in the form of a pledge at Oettingen.

In the 13th century, the abbey owned seven villages, as well as free float and income in 71 other places, especially in Härtsfeld, and 10 parishes were incorporated into it . The monastery was repeatedly destroyed by fires, but also by acts of war: as early as the 12th century, when Neresheim was on the papal side with other Hirsau reform monasteries, in the Schmalkaldic War , in the Thirty Years' War and in the wars following the French Revolution .

From 1497, the abbey was based on the Benedictine Melker Observanz , which was particularly promoted by Abbot John II. Vinsternau (1510-1529). From 1685 Neresheim belonged to the Augsburg Benedictine Congregation of the Holy Spirit . In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Neresheim Convention had lively relationships with the University of Dillingen . Until 1806 there was also a home study for philosophy and theology and a grammar school at the monastery. Under Abbot Simpert Nagel (Niggl) (1682–1706; † 1711) the monastery complex was converted to Baroque style, under Abbot Aurelius Braisch (1739–1755; † 1757) and Abbot Benedict III. Maria Angehrn (1755–1787) built the baroque abbey church. Abbot Angehrn was instrumental in the recognition of the imperial immediacy of his abbey, which in his abbey was finally achieved in 1764 after centuries of disputes (see below). Since then, Neresheim has been an imperial abbey .

At the end of the 16th century, the conflict over the imperial immediacy of the abbey flared up again when Oettingen-Wallerstein demanded jurisdiction . An imperial commission brokered a settlement in Munich in 1583 . In 1739 the parties got into another dispute over the sale of wood, which triggered a veritable avalanche of litigation: The Counts of Oettingen-Wallerstein filed a lawsuit before the Reich Chamber of Commerce in Wetzlar , the abbey before the Reichshofrat - the convention may have hoped for better opportunities there. Since the Oettinger presented more quickly, the procedure, which was carried out with great effort by both sides and was accompanied by propaganda , was conducted by the Reich Chamber of Commerce. After more than 20 years of litigation, a settlement was agreed which, after amendments, was also approved by the Reichshofrat: In 1764 the abbey gained imperial status , but bought it with the cession of numerous properties (including the city of Neresheim) to the Counts of Oettingen- Wallerstein. The abbot could therefore only exercise secular rule over a tiny area.

Secularization and Reconstruction

The monastery was abolished by secularization in 1803 and fell to the Princes of Thurn and Taxis , to Bavaria in 1806 , and finally to Württemberg in 1810 . Valuable furnishings and fittings from the abbey were bought by Thurn und Taxis in 1993 and passed on to the Free State of Bavaria . A large part of the library is now on loan in Neresheim after a sale that was planned in 1828 was not realized. The library catalogs from the 18th century are still in Regensburg .

In 1919, the Princes of Thurn and Taxis made it possible for Benedictines to settle again from the Archabbey of Beuron and the Abbey of Emaus in Prague . On June 14, 1920, Neresheim Abbey was re-established under canon law. Bernhard Durst (1921–1965) became the first abbot after the re-establishment . His successor was Johannes Kraus (1965–1977). He was followed by Abbot Norbert Stoffels (1977–2012). He was re-elected in 2006 for a last possible term of 6 years after reaching the age limit for abbots of the Beuron Congregation of 70 years.

Eminent abbots

Pilgrim von Berrieden (1126–1138), who led an extensive correspondence with Hildegard von Bingen , Johann Vinsternau (1510–1529), who initiated the Melker Reform in Neresheim, and Benedikt Maria Angehrn (1755–1787), stand out among the monasteries . , during whose tenure the monastery church was built and the imperial immediacy (see above) could finally be acquired.

present

The inner courtyard, west side

Eight monks between the ages of 26 and 89, seven of whom have made perpetual profession , now form the convent of Neresheim Abbey (as of March 2019). The monastery belongs to the Beuron congregation . It maintains a conference and guest house and offers retreats and courses.

After the end of the term of office of Abbot Norbert Stoffels, Father Albert Knebel was elected prior administrator for a three-year term by the abbey convent on March 7, 2012 . The chairman of the electoral chapter was Abbot President Albert Schmidt from Beuron. On March 10, 2015, Knebel was confirmed as Prior Administrator for a further three years and re-elected as Conventual Prior on March 9, 2018 for six years.

In 2013, after his election as superior of the monastery, Father Albert Knebel discovered that the deceased Abbot Norbert Stoffels had opened two secret accounts with a total fortune of around 4 million euros. The origin of the funds could only be partially clarified. In September 2018, the Federal Court of Justice finally decided that the property should go to the monastery. The money can now be used to cover part of the ongoing costs for renovation work on the monastery buildings.

Father Albert Knebel directs the "Boys' Choir Abtei Neresheim" which he founded in 2004 ( see below ). The abbey and the city of Neresheim are honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music in London. Once a year there is a concert by the Academy.

The “Association for the Preservation of the Abbey Church Neresheim e. V. “is committed to the preservation and support of the abbey and promotes the renovation of the abbey building.

Since the end of October 2009, the convent building has housed the newly created monastery museum, which depicts the history of the abbey. As part of a guided tour through the monastery museum, both the Michaelisaal and the grandly designed ballroom by Dominikus Zimmermann can be viewed - the only ballroom designed by the builder of the Wieskirche .

Monastery church

West view of the abbey church
Floor plan of the monastery church, as of 1954

History and architecture

The medieval monastery complex with a Romanesque basilica (built 1126–1190) was located south of today's church. In 1568/69 a larger choir was added , and in 1695 it was made Baroque .

The master builder of the convent building was Michael Wiedemann from Unterelchingen. Shortly before that (1697) he had started building Freudental Castle .

After the previous building was demolished, today's abbey church was built from 1747 to 1792 according to plans by Balthasar Neumann . In 1748 Neumann submitted a plan for a building with seven domed rooms and a Latin cross plan. The main dome is supported by four free-standing pairs of columns, it is 32 meters high, 24 meters long and 20 meters wide. The church building is 83 meters long and 35 meters wide. The longitudinal and central building are harmoniously connected. The construction management on site was carried out by Leonard Stahl, a student of Neumann. The foundation stone was laid on July 4, 1750. Neumann died on August 19, 1753, and Johann Baptist Wiedemann from Donauwörth was appointed his successor . Wiedemann wanted to continue working according to Neumann's plans, but the convent under the leadership of Abbot Benedikt Maria Angehrn decided in 1759 to make changes. The originally planned stone vaults should now be designed as flat wooden vaults and the lantern above the dome of the crossing should not be placed on top. In the winter of 1770 the vaults were finished, after twenty-two years of construction work could begin. The church was designated by Abbot Angehrn in 1777.

In his documentation of German art history, Georg Dehio describes the abbey church as a "masterpiece of European baroque architecture" and judges: "Baroque architecture not only in Germany, but Europe has little that can compete with this space."

On the back of the 50 DM note , which was valid from 1991 to 2002, the monastery church is shown as a longitudinal section - albeit in a non-executed design variant (the front shows the architect Balthasar Neumann).

In 1965 the church was threatened with collapse, as subsidence in the main dome caused cracks in the wall. From 1969 to 1975 the building was extensively restored.

Frescoes

Detail from Knoller's ceiling fresco

The builder Stahl hired the court painter of the Austrian governor in Milan, Martin Knoller , to produce the frescoes . Between 1770 and 1775 the fresco created seven dome frescoes, which are counted among the most important of the late Baroque.

Furnishing

The master builder Thomas Schaidhauf provided the church interior from 1776 to 1792 with sparse arcatures and furnishings in the style of early classicist regularity.

  • The choir wall crucifix is ​​6.6 meters high.
  • The two side altars are characteristic of the work of Schaidhauf and consecrated to the Trinity and Our Lady.

Interior views

  • the pulpit

  • Neresheim monastery church interior 3.JPG

  • The high altar

  • Group of figures made of stucco

Organs

Main organ

The main organ was built from 1794 to 1797 by Johann Nepomuk Holzhey from Ottobeuren . Its prospectus drafted Thomas Schaithauf, the Planning Director Abbey. It is inspired by that of the main organ of the Weingarten Basilica by Josef Gabler, as well as by the somewhat earlier Holzheys brochures in red on the Rot and Weißenau . After several changes, the original condition of the organ was largely restored in 1979 by the Swiss organ building company Kuhn .

  • Baroque Holzhey organ

  • Free-standing console from the Holzhey organ

I main work C – f 3
1. Bordon (from g 0 ) 32 ′
2. Principal 16 ′
3. Octav 8th'
4th Coppel 8th'
5. Violoncello 8th'
6th Piffarre 8th'
7th Quintadena 8th'
8th. Octav 4 ′
9. Flute 4 ′
10. Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
11. Octav 2 ′
12. Mixture VII
13. Cimbal V
14th Cornet V (from g 0 )
15th Trumpet 8th'
16. Cromorne 8th'
17th Claron 4 ′
II Oberwerk C – f 3
18th Principal 8th'
19th Bordon 8th'
20th Slack travers 8th'
21st Salicet 8th'
22nd Gamba 8th'
23. Unda Maris 8th'
24. Holflöt 4 ′
25th Waldflöt 4 ′
26th Field flute 4 ′
27. Flagiolet 2 ′
28. Nazard V
29 Sexquialter III
30th Sonnet II
31. Hoboe 8th'
32. Douce Clarinet 8th'
III Echowerk C – f 3
33. Night horn 8th'
34. Dulciana 8th'
35. Pointed flute 4 ′
36. Fugari 4 ′
37. Syflöt 2 ′
38. Cornet IV
39. Hörnle III
40. Vox Humana 8th'
Tremulant
Pedal C – f 1
41. Prestant 16 ′
42. Bordon 16 ′
43. Lulls 8th'
44. Flute bass 8th'
45. Violon bass 8th'
46. Bompart 16 ′
47. Trumpet 8th'
48. Claron 4 ′
Timpani A and d 0
  1. ↑ C – f sharp 0 from Bordon (No. 19).
  2. ↑ C – f sharp 0 from Salicet (no. 21).
  3. ↑ C – f sharp 0 from night horn (No. 33).
  4. ↑ a b bass / treble divided
  5. ↑ before restoration 1979: up to a 0

Choir organ

Since 1949, the abbey church has a choir organ of the company Steinmeyer with two manuals and 27  registers . It can also be played from the console of the main organ. Your prospectus comes from the old choir organ from 1781, built by Joseph Höß.

I main work
Gospel page
1. Principal 8th'
2. Reed flute 8th'
3. Salicional 8th'
4th Praestant 4 ′
5. Flauto dolce 4 ′
6th Quintad 4 ′
7th Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
8th. Octav 2 ′
9. Third II 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
10. Mixture IV 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Tremulant
II subsidiary work C
- epistle page
11. Bourdon 16 ′
12. Singing Principal 8th'
13. Dumped 8th'
14th Gemshorn 8th'
15th Beat (from c) 8th'
16. Ital. Principal 4 ′
17th Coupling flute 4 ′
18th Forest flute 2 ′
19th Sif flute 1'
20th Cymbel III 1 1 ⁄ 2  ′
21st Terzian II 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′ + 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
22nd Trumpet 8th'
pedal
 
23. Pedestal 16 ′
Bourdon (transmission) 16 ′
24. Subtle bass 8th'
25th Octavbass 4 ′
Flute bass (transmission) 4 ′
26th Choral bass 4 '
Quintad 4 ′
Octave 2 ′
27. trombone 16 ′

Peal

The bell of the abbey church consists of 7 bells, 5 of which were cast in 1961 in the Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock foundry . Two other bells date from 1571 and the 15th century.

Chime Year of casting / founder
h 0 Petit & Edelbrock, 1961
d 1 Petit & Edelbrock, 1961
e 1 Petit & Edelbrock, 1961
g 1 Petit & Edelbrock, 1961
a 1 Petit & Edelbrock, 1961
h 1 Cristoph Glockengießer, 1571
d 2 Anonymous, 15th century

Boys' Choir of the Abbey

The hymn choir boys from Stuttgart sang in 2007 in the abbey church

The boys' choir of Neresheim Abbey was founded on February 13, 2004 and is under the direction of Conventual Prior Father Albert Knebel OSB. The choir regularly sings at church services in the abbey church and at independent performances. In addition to monophonic and polyphonic choral movements from different epochs, Gregorian chant is of particular importance. Currently (November 2019) the boys' choir has 21 choirboys and young male voices between the ages of 5 and 25 and is mixed denominationally.

The main goal of the choir is to rehearse spiritual chants that can be used in monastic services. Gregorian chant, the unanimous liturgical chanting with a Latin text, is a specialty.

Boys' choirs from all over the world are also guests at Neresheim Abbey. They give concerts in the abbey church and help organize services for the monks' convent.

literature

  • Georg Sigmund Graf Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden: The restoration of the Neresheim abbey church. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 4th year 1975, issue 4, pp. 149–154 ( PDF ) [not evaluated]
  • Wolfgang Aumer: Benedictine Abbey Neresheim. (= Little Art Guide No. 1480). 10th, revised edition. Schnell & Steiner publishing house, Regensburg 2007.
  • Hermann Baumhauer, photos by Joachim Feist: Neresheim Church and Abbey. Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 3-8062-0422-5 .
  • Otmar Engeldardt: 900 years of the Benedictine Abbey of Neresheim . MSW-Verlag, Aalen 1995
  • Georg Dehio (founder): Handbook of the German art monuments . Baden-Württemberg I. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 1993, ISBN 3-422-03024-7 .
  • Ulrich Höflacher: Johann Nepomuk Holzhey. A south German organ builder of classicism. For the 200th anniversary of death. In: Ars Organi. 57th year, issue 4, December 2009, ISSN  0004-2919 , pp. 219-225.
  • Max Miller , Gerhard Taddey (ed.): Handbook of the historical sites of Germany . Volume 6: Baden-Württemberg (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 276). 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-520-27602-X .
  • Bettina Müller-Ueltzhöffer: The 500-year legal dispute of the Neresheim monastery about obtaining imperial immediacy. At the same time a contribution to the legal process before the highest imperial courts in the middle of the 18th century . Frankfurt am Main 2003, ISBN 3-631-51063-2 . Reviews on this book .
  • Karsten Pressler: Impairment of a cultural monument or “cladding in accordance with the architectural style”? To replicate a Baroque gable on the convent building of the Benedictine Abbey of Neresheim. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. 33rd year 2004, issue 4, pp. 203–213 (PDF)
  • Hans Ulrich Rudolf (Ed.): Old monasteries, new masters. Secularization in the German Southwest. Volume 2.2 (Articles). Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-7995-0212-2 .
  • Paulus Weissenberger : The letter book of the abbot Johannes Vinsternau of Neresheim (1510 to 1529) and the episcopal curia in Augsburg . In: Yearbook of the Association for the History of the Augsburg Diocese, 6th year 1972, Augsburg 1972, pp. 209–240.

Web links

Commons : Neresheim Abbey  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Neresheim Abbey  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Georg Dehio: Süddeutschland (=  Handbook of German Art Monuments . Volume 3 ). Berlin 1908, p. 316 ( digitized version, Heidelberg University Library [accessed on February 19, 2016]).
  2. ↑ See article on building history and site plan sueddeutscher-barock.ch
  3. ^ Topographia Sueviae: Neresheim
  4. ↑ a b Chronicle abtei-neresheim.de, accessed on December 26, 2019.
  5. ↑ Neresheim Monastery: Prior Albert Knebel elected administrator orden-online.de, accessed on December 26, 2019.
  6. ^ Father Albert Knebel forwarded to Neresheimer Klosterspitze Heidenheimer Zeitung , March 10, 2015.
  7. ^ Prior Albert Knebel in duty for another six years Heidenheimer Zeitung, March 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ What does the monastery do with the inherited secret millions? Augsburger Allgemeine , November 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ Homepage of Neresheim Abbey , see statement from Conventual Prior Father Albert Knebel, accessed on December 26, 2019.
  10. ↑ a b Abbey Neresheim Abbey Museum
  11. ^ Peter Hirscher, Karl Christian Sachs, Richard Welschinger: Contributions to the history of the Bodanrückdörfer Langenrain and Freudental. 1986, p. 92.
  12. ↑ Architecture and Painting abtei-neresheim.de
  13. ↑ a b c d e Hermann Baumhauer, photos by Joachim Feist: Church and Abbey Neresheim. Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 3-8062-0422-5 , pp. 18-21.
  14. ↑ Helmut Völkl (Ed.): Orgeln in Württemberg. Hänssler-Verlag, Neuhausen-Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-7751-1090-9 , p. 194 ff.
  15. ↑ a b General information on the boys' choir abtei-neresheim.de, accessed on December 26, 2019.
  16. ↑ Foreign boys' choirs in the abbey abtei-neresheim.de, accessed on June 13, 2018.

Coordinates: 48 ° 45 ′ 21.1 ″  N , 10 ° 20 ′ 37.2 ″  E