Gregor Waltmann

Gregor Waltmann (born August 20, 1661 in Lüdinghausen ; † November 6, 1739 in the Liesborn monastery ) was abbot of the Liesborn Benedictine monastery from 1698 to 1739 . He greatly improved the economic situation of the monastery. This enabled the new building and the baroque redesign of the complex. He was also active as a spiritual writer.

Abbot Gregor Waltmann (1698–1739)

Life

He was baptized in the name of Gerhard. Gregor was his later order name . His father belonged to the upper middle class and had only moved to Lüdinghausen together with his Anna shortly before the birth of his son.

The son entered the Liesborn monastery in 1680. A year later he took his vows and was ordained a priest in 1687. In the monastery he held the office of master chef before he was elected abbot in 1698. He was benedicted by Auxiliary Bishop Otto Wilhelm von Bronckhorst zu Gronsfeld .

During his abbiat he made a contribution to the economic boom of the monastery. He had a kitchen garden and a convent garden laid out. In particular, he was responsible for redesigning the monastery complex in the Baroque style . In 1701 he had a new east wing built. The interior was also redesigned in baroque style. In 1703 the archive was reorganized and relocated. A year later, the main altar was redesigned in Baroque style and the panel painting by Master von Liesborn was moved to the west wall of the choir of the monastery church. The interior of the church as a whole has been redesigned. Later he also buys a new monstrance, chalices, paraments and the like to furnish the church.

In 1704 he bought a mill in Wadersloh and had the ten house built the following year. Later other mills and land were acquired and registers of the possessions were made. The monks' dormitory was redesigned in 1709. In 1711 he had fish ponds built. Other minor construction work followed. The south wing of the abbey has been rebuilt since 1725. The cells of the monks and the entire cloister area were renewed. The central part of the monastery was rebuilt in 1735. The library was also enlarged. The approximately 4,000 volumes have been reorganized and partly rebound.

In addition, the abbot was also active as a spiritual author. He wrote a Scala mystica Benedicta , a Compendiosa relatio de initio, progressus ac privilegiis sacrae congregationis Bursfeldensis and he continued a monastery chronicle ( Memorabilia Liesbornensia ).

In 1709 and 1730 the general chapter of the Bursfeld congregation met in the monastery. He was present at an abbot ordination in Ammensleben in 1727 and at that of Father Josias Poolmann in the Grafschaft monastery in 1730 .

Although the buildings and acquisitions were large during his abbey, he left behind a wealthy monastery on his death. He was buried in the choir of the monastery church.

There is an almost life-size full portrait of him. There are also two pictures of him in a smaller format.

literature

• Helmut Müller: The cannon convent and Benedictine monastery Liesborn. Berlin / New York, 1987 (Germania sacra NF 23) pp. 261-264
• Paul Bahlmann:  Waltmann, Gregor . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 41, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, p. 126.
• Andreas Priever: Liesborn in Amsterdam. Jacob de Wits portrait of the Liesborn abbot Gregor Waltmann from 1716, in: Oud Holland 121 (2008), no. 4, pp. 245-254.
• Liesborn Abbey Museum. Museum guide / edit. by Jutta Desel. Bielefeld, 2011. ISBN 978-3-89534-900-3 . Portrait of Gregor Waltmann by Jacob de Wit (1695–1754). P. 71