Caspar II. Thoma

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Abbot's coat of arms; originally at the monastery mill of Weitenau Monastery , since 1900 at Brombach Castle

Caspar II. Thoma (* in Mühlheim an der Donau ; † November 20, 1596 in St. Blasien ) was a Benedictine and from 1571 abbot of the St. Blasien monastery .

During his reign a new library was built , for which he had many books purchased. The New Minster received a new organ, which was made by the organ builder Eusebius Ammerbach from 1581 to 1583 . As an artist, Caspar employed the Rottweiler painter David Rötlin and his journeyman Wolff Abent from Passau. The high altar of the New Minster was designed by the Dutch sculptor Hans Morinck . Abbot Caspar had new fountains made in addition to the interior decoration with works of art such as tapestries, church utensils and pictures. The bell founder Peter Füßli from Zurich cast a big bell on site; it weighed 76 quintals and cost 3,000 guilders. Through Wolff Abent, Caspar II. Thoma had portraits of all his predecessors made, and later also of the conventuals who had worked abroad as abbots or bishops.

He had new offices built in Schaffhausen, Basel and Krozingen . Other buildings were built in Stallikon , Schönau , Steinen , Tüllingen , Schneisingen , Wislikofen , Weilheim , Grießen , Todtmoos , Achdorf , Kleinkems , Bürgeln , Aichen and Fützen (church). A new church was built for the Berau monastery in 1588 after the previous Romanesque building burned down in 1442. In 1595 Caspar had a small church built in Urberg with his own funds. In his research, Paul Booz names the painters Daniel Lindtmayer , Jakob Mengs and the stove maker Hans Kraut as other artists who probably worked for him . The goldsmiths Jakob Hofmann (Basel), Heinrich Eglof (Constance), Fladerer (Freiburg), Nikolaus Leiß (Augsburg) and the Schaffhausen coppersmith Alexander Hurther definitely worked for him. In addition to the artists, Abbot Caspar employed most of the builders (bricklayers, carpenters and plasterers).

Despite this numerous work and expenses, he left large financial resources to his successor.

coat of arms

A black key in one hand, next to it three gold crowns lined with red on a blue plate.

The coat of arms made of sandstone (see photo) shows the stag of St. Blasien in the first and fourth fields of the shield and the personal coat of arms of the abbot in the second and third fields. The crest shows heraldically on the right (from the point of view of the wearer) a dog holding a piglet in its mouth and on the left a miter and crook.

literature

  • Paul Booz : Building and Art History of the St. Blasien Monastery and its domain , Schillinger, Freiburg 2001, ISBN 3-89155-264-5 .
  • Heinrich Heidegger, Hugo Ott (Hrsg.): St. Blasien 200 years monastery and parish church. ISBN 3-7954-0445-2 .
  • Exhibition catalog 1983: The Thousand Year St. Blasien, 200 year cathedral anniversary. 2 volumes. ISBN 3-7617-0221-3 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Paul Booz, Marianne Booz (ed. And edit.), Building and Art History of the Monastery of St. Blasien and its domain , p. 69 ff.
  2. ^ Franz Xaver Kraus : The art monuments of the Grand Duchy of Baden , Tübingen and Leipzig, 1901, fifth volume - district of Lörrach; P. 200 online
predecessor Office successor
Caspar Molitoris Abbot of St. Blasien
1571–1596 		Martin Master I.
personal data
SURNAME Thoma, Caspar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Benedictine abbot
DATE OF BIRTH 16th Century
PLACE OF BIRTH Mühlheim on the Danube
DATE OF DEATH November 20, 1596
Place of death St. Blasien Monastery (Black Forest)