Bernhard Reyder

The coat of arms of Abbot Bernhard Reyder

Bernhard Reyder (* 1652 in Wechterswinkel , today Bastheim ; † March 16, 1717 in Münsterschwarzach ) was abbot of the Benedictine monastery in Münsterschwarzach from 1704 to 1717 .

Münsterschwarzach before Reyder

Before Bernhard Reyder took office, Münsterschwarzach Abbey had largely recovered from the destruction caused by the Thirty Years' War . Under Abbot Remigius Winckel , the monastery experienced a scientific boom and the monastery school was opened to prospective theologians. This scientific renewal was intensified under his successor Benedikt Weidenbusch .

In the second half of the 17th century, mild summers brought a wine of the century to the abbey storerooms. Consequently, Abbot Plazidus Büchs had the Zehnthöfe in the monastery villages expanded. At the same time, however, a split in the convent began, as some monks criticized the monastery’s wealth. However, demands for strict poverty rules were rejected. Instead, Abbot Augustin Voit erected magnificent baroque buildings that served as guest and convent buildings.

Life

Early years

Bernhard Reyder was born in 1652 in the area of the Wechterswinkel monastery , which is now part of the municipality of Bastheim in Lower Franconia . Nothing is known about his family. The sources are also silent about his training and school days. What is certain is that Reyder completed a degree and graduated with a master's degree in philosophy. He then entered the Münsterschwarzach Abbey on July 22, 1670 as a professed professor.

He took his vows a year later, on July 26, 1671. Although Reyder was already a man of science, he decided to leave the abbey in the same year to take up further studies. This time he enrolled in Salzburg on December 30, 1671 . Here, at the university founded fifty years earlier , he wanted to study both rights. Not until 1673 did Reyder return from the Archbishopric of Salzburg.

He now rose quickly within the monastery hierarchy. He became a subdeacon in the year of his return on December 23, 1673. On February 29, 1676 he received his diaconate . He was ordained a priest on September 19, 1676, where he celebrated his primacy on September 22 in the monastery church in Münsterschwarzach. Reyder then became involved in the abbey school. He became a lecturer in philosophy, an office he held from 1679 to 1681.

He then left the monastery again and became a novice master in a Bamberg monastery, where he worked from 1683 to 1684. He then returned to the Main, from 1684 to September 6, 1686 for the first time the office of prior , and thus the monastery administration to have. Reyder stayed for another two years from 1686 to 1688 in the Holy Cross Monastery in Donauwörth. After his return, the abbot and the convent reappointed him prior. This time he managed the abbey from 1691 to February 27, 1694.

As abbot

Bernhard worked in pastoral care for another nine years. He settled as pastor of Sommerach in the monastery village and headed the parish from 1795 to 1704. When Abbot Augustin Voit died in August 1704, the convent elected Bernhard Reyder as abbot on September 4th of the same year. He received his confirmation from Würzburg Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Greiffenclau on September 19, 1704 on the Marienberg . He was benedicted on November 1st in the university church in Würzburg, also by the bishop.

The new abbot interrupted the work on the almost completed buildings of his predecessor. The reason for this was the increasing taxes that had to be paid to the lords, the Würzburg prince-bishop . A few months later, the construction work was finally completed. Reyder then commissioned the court architect Johann Dientzenhofer to prepare an overall concept for the baroque buildings of the abbey. For the first time, Dientzenhofer drew a plan for a new church.

At the same time, the abbot took care of the expansion of the monastery library and had valuable manuscripts brought to the monastery. However, his appearance caused further displeasure within the already divided convent: The abbot donned the splendid pontifical robes that were reserved for a bishop. He also invited the Würzburg upper class to expensive New Year's meals in the city's Schottenkloster .

In 1708 the dispute among the monks escalated. Some wanted to depose the lavish prelate , but failed because a majority could not be found. The conflict smoldered for a few years before it was settled in 1712 by setting up a commission. The 900th anniversary of the abbey was celebrated with a large ceremony in 1715.

On February 2, 1717, Bernhard Reyder fell ill with dropsy and died on March 16 of the same year.

coat of arms

The coat of arms on the rectory in Reupelsdorf

The coat of arms of the abbot Bernhard Reyder has been handed down on a seal on the abbot's jurament from 1704. In addition, the sign is emblazoned on the rectory in the former monastery town of Reupelsdorf . Description: An eight-pointed star accompanied by three 1: 2 lilies. The colors of the coat of arms are unknown.

literature

• Kassius Hallinger: Chronology of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach a. M. (1390-1803). In: Abtei Münsterschwarzach (Ed.): Abtei Münsterschwarzach. Works from their history. Münsterschwarzach 1938.
• Rainer Kengel: The coat of arms of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach. In: Abtei Münsterschwarzach (Ed.): Abtei Münsterschwarzach. Works from their history. Münsterschwarzach 1938.
• Johannes Mahr: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey. Münsterschwarzach 2002.

Web links

Commons : Bernhard Reyder  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Johannes Mahr: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey. P. 42.
2. ↑ Kassius Hallinger: The chronology of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach. P. 116.
3. ^ Johannes Mahr: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey. P. 44.
4. ↑ Kassius Hallinger: The chronology of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach. P. 117.
5. ↑ Rainer Kengel: The coat of arms of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach. P. 150.

predecessor	Office	successor
Augustin Voit	Abbot of Münsterschwarzach 1704–1717	Januarius Schwab