Cellerar

A Cellerar (German : Zellerar or cellar ) is, especially in the monasteries managed according to the Benedictine rules as well as in monasteries and cathedral chapters , the person responsible for the economic interests of the monastery or monastery / chapter. The term comes from the Roman household and came into use in late antiquity in Italy for the functionary of a monastery.

tasks

The cellar is appointed by the abbot or prior and is bound by his instructions. His tasks correspond roughly to those of a CFO and HR manager in a commercial enterprise and include: a. the stockpiling, the distribution of food and clothing to the members of the community, the organization and distribution of the work involved, the trade in the products manufactured in the monastery and on its goods, and the collection and administration of monetary and income in kind. As the head of the business operations, the cellarer is the superior of the civil servants of a monastery or monastery.

Chapter 31 of the Rule of Benedict

The office of cellarar is already described in the rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia (around 530 AD), which was decisive for monastic life in the western church until the 12th century.

“For the cellerar of the monastery you choose someone from the community who is experienced in life and has a mature character who fears God. He should be like a father to the entire convent community.
He should take care of everything. He should do nothing without an order from the abbot. He should follow the instructions received. If a brother makes unreasonable requests, then he should not grieve him by rejecting them with contempt, but modestly refuse the unreasonable request, stating the reason.
He should watch over his soul and always remember the word of the apostle: He who does his service well attains a high rank. He tirelessly cares for the sick, children, guests and the poor, firmly convinced that he must give an account of all of them on the day of judgment. He should regard all equipment and possessions of the monastery as sacred equipment.
He shouldn't treat anything negligently. He should not give in to greed, but neither should he be a squanderer and squanderer of the monastic property, but should keep it in all measure and follow the abbot's instructions.
He is responsible for everything that the abbot orders him to do. May he give the brothers the prescribed amount of food and drink without disparaging them or making them wait. Otherwise he could make her angry.
When the community of the monastery grows, he should be given assistants. With their support, he can administer the office entrusted to him without losing peace of mind. When the time is right, give what to give and ask what to ask so that no one in the house of God will be confused or sad. "

Individual evidence

↑ An older term common in Eastern monasticism, which was used in Western monasteries only in female communities, is "economist" (Greek: oikonomos ). ( [1] )

literature

“Der Cellerar des Klosters,” in: Basilius Steidle: The Benedictine Rule, Beuron, 1975

Web links

Entry to Cellerar on medal online
Publications on the Cellerar in the Opac of the Regesta Imperii

[1] An older term common in Eastern monasticism, which was used in Western monasteries only in female communities, is "economist" (Greek: oikonomos ). ( [1] )