Aegidienkloster (Braunschweig)
The Aegidienkloster in Braunschweig was originally a Benedictine monastery and was founded in the 12th century. It had its own district with special rights, called Freedom of Monastery or Freedom of Aegidia . The freedom of the monastery was withdrawn from town charter and was directly subordinate to the sovereign. The Benedictines used it until the Reformation, after which the use of the rooms changed several times. Today there is a branch of the Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum in the remaining premises . It is located on the road “Behind Aegidien”.
architecture
The remaining parts of the monastery next to the Aegidienkirche, part of the cloister and the convent rooms are among the oldest buildings in Braunschweig and are architectural monuments. These mediaeval evidence show Romanesque and Gothic elements. In addition to the enclosure area, monastery gardens, a farm yard and a cemetery also belonged to the complex, but these have not been preserved.
history
The Benedictine monastery was founded in 1115 by the Brunonian Margravine Gertrud the Younger of Braunschweig († 1117) and was initially consecrated to St. Mary. It was later dedicated to St. Aegidius . The monastery received the relics of the holy Auctor , which came to Braunschweig in 1113. Saint Auctor became the city saint and patron saint of the city of Braunschweig in 1200. The monastery was built on the Köpfberg (later called Aegidienberg) southwest of the village of Bruneswiek (Altewiek). A Romanesque church was built as part of the monastery. 1134 took Emperor Lothar III. (1075–1137) the Aegidienkloster in his protection. He had the bailiwick administered by ministerials at Dankwarderode Castle. 1179 confirmed Pope Alexander III. (1100 / 1105–1181) the goods of the Aegidienkloster, including the Magnikirche as well as the Nicolaikapelle and St. Aegidien in Rautheim. Monks of the Aegidienkloster in Braunschweig founded the Benedictine monastery in Lübeck and from there later the Benedictine monastery Wismar . In 1278 the new construction of the St. Aegidien monastery church took place after it and the monastery were destroyed in a major fire. In 1478 the final consecration of the church took place.
The monastery was of great importance, which is proven by numerous episcopal and papal documents. Various historically significant books and testimonies were created and kept in the monastery. The first city view of Braunschweig was published around 1457 in the book Legends and Stories of the St. Aegidien Monastery by Abbot Berthold Meier. After the dissolution of the monastery, these monastery holdings were distributed to libraries, museums and archives. The monastery also kept a relic of the Blood of Christ.
reformation
Some of the Benedictine monks were among the first followers of Luther . In the early phase of the Reformation, the Benedictine monk Gottschalk Kruse (around 1499 - around 1540) worked in Braunschweig and gave sermons and biblical lectures in the Aegidienkloster. Thus he promoted the spread of the Protestant faith in Braunschweig, but at the urging of Duke Heinrich d. J. (1489–1568) left the city in March 1523. He had turned to Lutheran teaching during his studies in Wittenberg.
After the Benedictine monks left the monastery during the Reformation in 1528 and the Benedictine monastery was closed in 1543, it was initially used by Cistercian women and in 1615 a Lutheran convent of virgins moved from St. Leonhard to the Aegidia monastery . This Protestant monastery was now called Aegidienstift. St. Leonhard was previously devastated during the siege of the city.
Profanation
On December 8, 1811, the last service took place in the Aegidienkirche, which was last used as a garrison church. It was then profaned and called aegidia hall a . a. used as a concert hall. In 1821 a headwoman (domina), a provost and eleven conventual women lived in the monastery. In 1832 the monastery building was converted into a prison. Until then, the converted August gate was used . The courtyard served as a place of execution. On October 1, 1840, the Aegidienkloster prison was expanded to become a state penal institution. In order to create the space required for this, the convent of St. Aegidien was transferred to the cathedral curia in the small castle. The buildings were used as a prison until 1867. From 1884 to 1885 a new penal institution was built on the Rennelberg .
The numerous alterations and demolition work on the monastery ensured that only the eastern cloister wing with three adjoining rooms (cloister area) has survived to this day. A round arched window, which was removed when it was demolished, was installed in the converted Kreuzkirche in Lehndorf at the beginning of the 20th century .
In 1902 the Vaterländisches Museum (today's Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum) moved into the still existing monastery rooms, and it also used the Aegidienhalle (the former monastery church) and the adjoining former Evangelical club house. The Aegidienkloster has been restored. The choir of the 15th century Paulinerkloster on Bohlweg, which was demolished from 1902 to 1903, was rebuilt here to provide more space for the museum. On April 25, 1906, the new rooms of the Fatherland Museum were inaugurated in the presence of the regent Prince Albrecht of Prussia .
Todays use
After the Second World War , the Aegidienkirche was given to the Catholic community as a place of worship and was therefore no longer available to the museum. The monastery rooms and the Pauline Choir were damaged during the war and had to be repaired. The work was completed at the end of the 1950s and only allowed small exhibitions during that time. With a new permanent exhibition, the museum was completely opened to the public again in 1960. After the Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum moved to the Vieweghaus on Burgplatz, the building complex around the monastery was used as an exhibition center. In addition to an exhibition on Jewish culture and history with a synagogue room, changing exhibitions took place. Since 2012 there has been an exhibition on the monastery rooms next to the Jewish Museum.
Due to the renovation of the monastery and museum building, it was closed on August 11, 2014 and is expected to be open to the public again in spring 2015.
literature
- Johann AH Schmidt: An attempt at a historical-topographical description of the city of Braunschweig, according to its markets, squares, streets, churches and other public buildings, promenades, public gardens, etc. together with a postal table. Lucius, Braunschweig 1821, ( digitized version ).
Web links
- Website of the Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum about the monastery
- Time locations: BLM exhibition center "Behind Aegidia"
- 3 regional museums: exhibition center "Behind Aegidia"
- City of Braunschweig: St. Aegidien
- Description of the Aegidienkloster on the Lower Saxony monastery map of the Institute for Historical Research
Coordinates: 52 ° 15 ′ 34.1 " N , 10 ° 31 ′ 31.5" E