Christian Hirschmentzl

Christian Gottfried Hirschmentzl OCist (born January 7, 1638 in Frýdek , Duchy of Teschen , † February 26, 1703 in Velehrad , Moravia) was a Cistercian monk and writer. He is considered to be an important representative of the Silesian and Bohemian Baroque.

life and work

Cistercians in Welehrad and Plass

Hirschmentzel's father, who came from Liegnitz , had converted to the Catholic faith as a Protestant. Hirschmentzel attended grammar school in Brno and Olomouc ; on March 9, 1656, at the age of 18, he entered the Cistercian monastery Welehrad . On May 19, 1657 he made his temporary profession there. Since Abbot Johann Salix, who later became the bishop of Fünfkirchen , removed all non-Hungarians from the monastery, he went to the Plass monastery and made his solemn profession there on March 9, 1658. Under the new Abbot of Welehrad, Bartholomäus Ferreus (1657–1672), he was able to return to his mother monastery and make his profession again. On July 26, 1659, he was admitted to the minor orders and in 1661 was appointed as the monastery archivist. 1662–1663 he studied philosophy in the monastery. In August 1663 he fled from the Turks to Buchlau and in October back to Plass, but was able to return to Welehrad in 1664. On March 9, 1665 he was ordained a subdeacon by Archbishop Ernst Adalbert von Harrach in Prague.

Priests in Borschitz, Bolatitz and Nennowitz. Death in Welehrad

After further studies in the Saar monastery and at the Bernhardskolleg in Prague (where he was vice superior), in 1667 he published the only two writings that he had published in print, a Vita of Saints Cyril and Method , and a sermon on fasting under the title Rex dolorum . He completed his studies in 1668 and was ordained (on September 21) a deacon in 1669 and a priest in 1670 by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Karl II of Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn . In the monastery he initially took over the post of subprior, then he was sent to pastoral care, in 1671 to Borschitz , from November 1674 for almost twenty years as administrator of the donated property in Bolatitz in Czech Silesia . The economy there had not yet recovered after the Thirty Years' War. In addition, he should help with the religious and moral renewal of the surrounding area. As a representative of the monastery, he attended the Prince's Congress in Opava and in 1683 was the liaison to King John III. Sobieski . In 1688 he founded the Rosary Brotherhood. After another parish in Nennowitz ( Brno-Stadt district ), Hirschmentzel returned to Welehrad in 1696 at his own request and spent the last seven years of his life studying further.

The author

In addition to the two printed works, Hirschmentzl left at least 46 other works in the manuscript. It is unclear why there were no further prints. As an explanation, Richter states that he is unpopular among the confreres and their resentment. In any case, on September 27, 1700, he was certified that his numerous manuscripts (at least 7,000 pages) had been incorporated into the inventory of the monastery library. They can be found in the Scientific Library in Olomouc under the shelfmarks MI 396 to 424 and M II 234 to 241.

His most important works include a farmer's quarrel with a townspeople about the advantages of the estate , a Latin study of Polish and Bohemian history, the four-part history of the Bohemian kingdom, the margraviate of Moravia and the Velehrad monastery, and a collection of anecdotal stories, Feriae Christiano Bacchanales .

He campaigned for the feast of the Slavic apostles Cyril and Method to be maintained . He described her life in a Latin document and had a chapel built in her honor; it has not been preserved. Also noteworthy is his document Picking Up the Archfellows of the Holy Rosary in the Bolatitz Temple.

He also appeared as a composer.

Works

Compositions

• 11 Interludes for two clarinos or other soprano instruments . 1977.
• Musica Bohemica Prague , Jaroslav Krcek (dir). 1994.
• Vzhůru na ptáky. Lovecké písně barokní Čechie . Prague 2001. (Baroque Hunting Songs, CD)

Prints

• D1. Rex dolorum sive Oratio de passione INRI . Prague 1667. H48
• D2. Vita SS. Cyrilli Et Methudii, Archiepiscoporum Moraviae, Sivé Vetus Wellehrad . Nunc Primům vinidicatum A F. Christiano Hirsmentzel, Sac: Ord: Cisterciencic Profess: Wellehrad: Cum Licentia Reverendissimorum Superiorům, Excudebat Urbanus Balthasar Goliasch. Prague 1667. H44.

Manuscripts in alphabetical order

In the following, all of his works, as far as they are listed in Richter (R), Halusa (H) or in WorldCat (W), are listed in the alphabetical order of the key word of the title. The respective numbers at Richter and Halusa have been added, as well as the scopes specified at WorldCat.

• M1. Amorosae et dolorosae septuaginta quatuor collectiones sponsae et sponsi sanguinum seu meditationes de passionis Domini. H4, W: 148 sheets.
• M2. Archi-Confraternitas sacri Rosarii BVM in Bolatitz cum Hyperdulia Mariana praedicabili. Arch brotherhood of the Holy Rosary in Bolatitz. Arcibratrství svatého růžence v chrámu Páně Bolatským. R40, H3, W: 366 pages.
• M3. Bibliotheca Breviloqua octopartita divinarum et humanarum, sacrarum et politicarum scientiarum et facultatum. 2 vols.R19, H1, H36, W: 655 + 435 sheets.
• M4. Catechism praedicabilis trifariam divisus. R13, H15
• M5. Cistercium Mater et Caput totius Ordinis… arbor vitae totius ordinis Cisterciensis secundam suam Plantationem, Propagationem et Durationem genealogice chronologice exhibetur. H42
• M6. Cithara trichordia Musica ad Deum ter optimum, ad S. Mariam et de Vanitate mundi sive selecti cantus ascetici. R4, H7, W: 280 pages.
• M7. Collectanea quadripartita circa Ordinem Cisterciensem . R5, H40, W: 185 sheets.
• M8. Cultus Solo-Latreaticus et Sac Scripturae et S. Bernardo. R24, H21
• M9. Dulia in sanctos Dei Ecclesiae Wellehradensis Patronos in Moravia Imprimis Officium Proprium in cantu chorali per festo ss. Cyrilli et Methodii… tandem Cineres sacri. R38, H2
• M10. Elogia quinpartita in vitam SP Bernardi de Claravalle . 1699-1702. R34, H27, W: 268 sheets.
• M11. Ethica christiana . R21, H19, W: 173 sheets.
• M12. Excercitationes antilogicae et Controversiae in Sacra Scriptura . R30, H24, W: 181 sheets.
• M13. Exercitationes in omnes anni Mensea . H47
• M14. Exercitia Bohemica in Passionem Christi . R 22, H31.
• M15. Exercitia monastica religiosa sive documenta XII ad obtinendam perfectionem religiosam ... Item Calendarium Bernardeum. R10, H10, W: 193 sheets.
• M16. Feriae christianae bacchanales , item feria qua Cinerum serio-poenitentialis. Carmina religiosa cum notis musicis. R16, H32, W: 232 pages.
• M17. Forms ecclesiastico-regulare tripartitum in usum in ceremonias sacras tot anni ... ecclesiarum Ordinis Cisterciensis. R 14, H16, W: 215 sheets.
• M18. Fragmenta literaria et varii elaborati conceptus ad usum Religiosorum. R 1, H 45
• M19. Historia Hungariae . Notabilia rerum et regum sive Historia Hungariae triphariam divisa. R37, H43
• M20. Historia Moraviae . Historia de Regno et Marchionatu Moraviae et adjacentium provinciarum. R 25, H 37
• M21. Historia Welehrad . Historia de Veteri et Novo Welehrad. R18, H41
• M22. Horologium monasticum . R32, H26, W: 235 sheets
• M23. Illiricum Sacrum sive Coelites illirici ex variis Linguae Slavonicae gentibus Martirae, Confessores… Quinque libris in duobis Tomis honorati. H39
• M24. Illyricum. Sanctorale Illyricum , sive Sancti Beati Illustres virtute extot Slavonicis Regnis Viri et Mulieres. R 33, H 38
• M25. Institutio Solemnitatis Corporis Christi exordine Cisterciensi. R9, H12
• M26. Iovialium miscellaneorum centuriae septem et Serio jocorum. R2, H5, W: 373 pages.
• M27. Lapis Lydius disceptationum academicarum. W: 148 sheets.
• M28. Mellilegium Bernardaeum pro Vita contemplativa in vitam Christi, Salvatoris nostri, quatuor alvearibus sive libris dulciter emanans. R11, H13, W: 272 sheets.
• M29. Menologii. Auctuarium menologii Cisterciensis , et alii duo tractatus alter Solatia ad monachos alter monita ad Praelatos. R 36, H 28
• M30. Missae. Accessus ad Missae sacrificium sacrosancte tractandum. R15, H 17
• M31. Monita S. Bernardi ad Clerum excellentiorem et Apologia in Pseudo-Abbates commendatorios. S. Bernardus ad excellentiorem in ecclesia clerum R20, H 18, W: 158 leaves.
• M32. Novitiorum. Rudimenta Novitiorum per Monachatu regulari . Ad novitice. R26, H22, W: 144 sheets.
• M33. Officiis propria ecclesiae Wellehradensis . R3, H6
• M34. Orpheus in silvia sacrae solitudinis Wellehrad sub tibia Welebradensi. R27, H23, W: 155 sheets.
• M35. Ortus et progressus Ordinis cisterciensis libri très. Počátky a rozvoj cisterciáckého řádu. R28, W: 193 sheets.
• M36. Oscula sponsae et sponsi sanguinum . R17, H33, W: 183 sheets.
• M37. Philosophia monastica cisterciensis sive vita contemplativa in sacris patrum Cisterciensium solitudinibus. R8, H11, W: 191 sheets.
• M38. Problemata academica centum . R31, H25
• M39. Promptuarium sacerdotale ... iuxta ritum s. Romanae ecclesiae et secundum usum Ordinis Cisterciensis. W: 124 sheets.
• M40. Prototypon regio ethicum faelicissime regnandi. Item ethica praesularis. R39, H29, W: 281 sheets.
• M41. Recipe theologiae pro curandis scrupulis conscientiae . R12, H14, W: 144 sheets.
• M42. Semen evangelicum de sanctis totius annis ... sive Enucleatum et selectum meliorum concionum promptuarium. R6 R7, H8 H9, W: 376 sheets.
• M43. Sigillis. Liber septem sigillis signatus sive Mysteria sacrarum scripturarum. R42, H30, W: 304 sheets.
• M44. Suffragia sacra ex Scripturis utriusque Testament. R29, H34, W: 129 sheets.
• M45. Vita Iesu Christi Cantu figurali et chorali. R35, H35, W: 305 sheets.
• M46. Vita sanctae Hedwigis . Item Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis. R23, H20, W: 187 sheets.
• M47. Zodiacus quadripartitur , regularis, praesularis, prognosticus et Cisterciensis, sive Exercitia sancto Bernardica R41, H46

literature

• Rudolf Grulich : "An unprinted work by Christian Gottfried Hirschmentzel OCist. In the parsonage of Petrinja". In: Archives for Church History of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia 6, 1982, pp. 257–260.
• Tescelin Halusa: "On the scientific activity of the abolished Cistercian Abbey of Wellehrad in Moravia (Oesterr.)". In: Studies and communications on the history of the Benedictine order and its branches 19, 1898, pp. 39–51 (therein 41–44: Hirschmentzl, Christian Gottfried). (on-line)
• Štěpán Kohout: "Kristián Bohumír Hirschmentzel". In: Hlučínsko vlastivědný časopis Muzea Hlučínska 3, 2013, pp. 8–12.
• Eugène Manning : Hirschmentzl (Chrétien-Geoffroy) . In: Emile Brouette, Anselme Dimier and Eugène Manning (eds.): Dctionnaire des auteurs cisterciens . La Documentation Cistercienne, vol. 16, Rochefort 1975-1979, col. 366.
• Edmundus Mikkers: "HIRSCHMENTZL (CHRÉTIEN-GEOFFROY), cistercien, 1638-1703". In: Dictionnaire de spiritualité 7, Sp. 575-576.
• Augustin Alois Neumann: "P. Kristián Hirschmenzel, cisterciák velehradský, zapomínaný ctitel cyrilometodějský". In: Apoštolát sv. Cyrilla a Methoda pod ochranou blahoslavené Panny Marie 1946, pp. 55-56.
• Václav Pumprla: "Christian Gottfried Hirschmentzel - Zpráva o Hané". In: Lidový oděv a tanec na Hané: sborník z 5th conference o lidové kultuře na Hané . Muzeum Komenského, Přerov 1998, pp. 251-256.
• Franz Xaver Johann Richter (1783–1856): "Christian Hirschmentzel. A Contribution to Moravia’s Literary History". In: Archive for History, Statistics, Literature and Art 17, 1826, pp. 505–507, 591–592, 638–639, 694–695, 751–752 (online)
• Jan Trojan: "Orpheus in Sylvis. On the literary-musical interests of the Wellehrad Cistercian Christian Hirschmentzel (1638-1703)". In: Music of the 17th Century and Pavel Vejvanovský . Brno 1994, pp. 87-97.
• Jan Trojan: "Villana hanatica, pastorella hanatica. K stylizaci lidových motivů v umělecké tvorbě na Moravě 17th-18th století". In: Hudba v Olomouci. History a současnost. 2. In honorem Robert Smetana. Univerzita Palackého, Olmütz 2004, pp. 97-114.
• Reinhold Wolny: "Příspěvek k Hirschmentzlovu působení na Hlučínsku". In: Slezský sborník. Věstník Matice opavské 45, 1947, pp. 32–41.

Web links

• People from Bolatice