Charterhouse Gaming

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North view of the former Carthusian monastery "Marienthron"

The Kartause Gaming is the former monastery "Marienthron" of the Carthusians in Gaming in Lower Austria's Mostviertel ( Eisenwurzen ). The monastery was founded in 1330 by the Austrian Duke Albrecht II and was at times one of the largest Carthusian monasteries in Europe.

Street-side view with gate tower

history

founding

Deed of incorporation

With the establishment of Kartause Gaming, Albrecht II redeemed a vow that he and his brother Leopold had taken “in readiness to fight against Ludwig the Bavarian ”, that is, in 1322, immediately before the decisive battle at Mühldorf . Almost a hundred years ago, Josef Lampel removed the basis for the "so cheerful view" that the motive for the two brothers' vows was the liberation of Frederick the Beautiful from his imprisonment in Trausnitz . Nevertheless, this legend continues to be passed on uncritically.

Leopold originally wanted to donate the monastery to the Malters parish near Lucerne. But Albrecht, who was entrusted with the execution of the vows after Leopold's death (1326), chose Gaming as the place where the monastery was founded. Certainly several components were decisive for the choice of location; a very crucial one must be specially emphasized: the new foundation should also contain the ducal burial ground, which was given extraordinary importance as a place of the special presence of the sovereign in the opinion of contemporaries.

Duke Albrecht sponsored several churches and monasteries and, in particular, had the choir of the parish church of St. Stephen in his royal seat of Vienna expanded to the size of an episcopal church. When he set up his burial place in Gaming, deliberately turning away from the Habsburg family burial place in the Königsfelden monastery in Aargau, where his mother Elisabeth and his brother Leopold were buried and where his brother Duke Heinrich († 1327) had been specially transferred from Styria, then the intention here is to set a territorial-political accent that contributed to the consolidation and intensification of national rule.

The foundation of the monastery, which was given the name Marienthron (Thronus Sancte Marie), had probably been prepared for a long time. The immediate cause was probably the death of Frederick the Fair in January and the duke's sudden, serious illness in March of the same year. Albrecht's decision to join the Carthusian Order was probably made not least of all under the influence of the strong personality of Gottfried, the prior of the Mauerbach Carthusian monastery near Vienna founded by Frederick the Fair and a close confidante of the dukes. Monks from Mauerbach should settle the new foundation. Before that, however, the entire monastery complex from the church to the monks' cells had to be built.

In contrast to the usual number of 12 monks in Kartausen, including the mother monastery, the Kartause Gaming was designed from the outset to double the size, a convent of 24 monks with a prior and a corresponding number of individual houses (cells).

On August 13, 1332, the duke, who took a lively interest in his foundation, personally laid the foundation stone for the monastery. The construction work proceeded rapidly. In 1337 the monastery was admitted to the monastery at the Carthusian General Chapter; At this point in time, monastic life must have already been possible. In 1340 the chapter house was consecrated. On October 13, 1342, the climax was the ceremonial dedication of the monastery church.

expansion

In all the years since it was founded, the Duke has been constantly striving to expand and round off the foundation assets of the Charterhouse. Border disputes with neighboring, ecclesiastical and secular manors had been resolved consistently by mutual agreement. The monastery's possessions, with a focus on the Gaming area, Markt Scheibbs and Lake Lunzer, extended as far as Styria (Donnersbach), the Lower Austrian Weinviertel, and Vienna and Baden. The Bergregal and even the regional court were among the rights . Gaming was thus one of the richest monasteries in the country.

Charterhouse towards the south

The wife of Albrecht II, Johanna von Pfirt (Jeanne de Ferrette), died on November 15, 1351 and was buried in Gaming. After about twenty years of existence of the monastery since its foundation, the prior and the convent tried to confirm the sentence pro prima dote from the founding deed in the sense of clear legal certainty in order to be able to use the property undisturbed. One can conclude from this that when Duke Albrecht II complied with this request on the day of light measurement in 1352, a corresponding conclusion had been reached by the founder. This document was confirmed twice by Emperor Charles IV : 1352 sub simplici sigillo ; In 1357 the document mentioned above was confirmed for the second time by Charles IV: sub bulla aurea .

Duke Albrecht II died on July 20, 1358 and was buried on July 23 at the side of his wife in the crypt under the second priory of the important Carthusian writer Konrad von Hainburg (1350-1354, 1358-1360) of the Carthusian Church in Gaming . The eldest son of Albrecht II, Duke Rudolf IV , confirmed the privileges and possessions of the monastery in the same year, but otherwise pursued different ideas and goals, also in the church sector. At this point in time at the latest, but probably as early as 1352, the charterhouse was not only structurally completed long ago - the construction work should have been completed with the consecration of the church - but also fully equipped. With the founding of the Carthusian monastery, part of the development was completed which, after the failure of the dynastic plans of King Frederick the Fair with Duke Albrecht II, brought the first steps with which the Habsburgs had begun to make themselves at home in the Austrian lands. In the period that followed, religious life grew spiritually, also in literary and academic work with close ties to the University of Vienna until the end of the 15th century. In 1371 the privileges were granted by Duke Albrecht III. approved. Shortly thereafter, the first wife of Albrecht III, Elisabeth of Bohemia , who died in 1373 , was buried. In 1375, the Königsfeld Charterhouse founded by Margrave Johann Heinrich near Brno was settled with monks from Gaming.

Three fathoms below the in situ, almost completely still existing, polychromed ribbed vault from the time the monastery church was built (1332–1340), i.e. about six meters below it, a late Gothic was created in 1457 by the Viennese cathedral builder Laurenz Spenning (in older literature incorrectly called Baroque barrel vault marked with stitch caps) retracted ribbed vault. The entire set of late Gothic construction plans has been preserved from this reconstruction plan. In the period from 1451 to 1457, the cemetery chapel consecrated to the Most Holy Trinity (now profaned) was built in the north-eastern area of ​​the large cloister courtyard and appropriately lavishly designed with two small, formerly transept-like side chapels as a paraphrase of the generous choir solution with the double chapel pairs of the monastery church these side chapels at the cemetery chapel are missing today.

Charterhouse in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century. On the left the monk cells, in the center the monastery church

Heyday

1451 to 1458 was the time of the prior Nicholas III from Strasbourg . Kempf , who had previously graduated with a master's degree from the University of Vienna and worked as a university professor there. From 1458 to 1483 the period of activity of Prior Sigismund, who came from the rich and highly respected family of the Phantzagel and was also a master of the liberal arts, took place. Under his priory, the Charterhouse experienced the absolute maximum number of professed (39), with a further (13) who were active either as priors or as interns in other Charterhouses. At that time, no fewer than nine Professes from Gamingen were priors of other Carthusians. To the displeasure of the mother monastery, La Grande Chartreuse near Grenoble, the Gaming Charterhouse was larger than the parent company.

On the orders of the later Emperor Ferdinand I , in 1529 the fourth part of the monastery property had to be ceded as aid to the Turkish Empire due to the Turkish distress . During the Turkish Wars , the Charterhouse suffered heavy losses in terms of properties in the Vienna area. The Turkish onslaught, however, was successfully repulsed before Gaming, so that the monastery complex was not damaged. In the following period there were hardly any problems with leaving the order due to the Reformed teaching of Martin Luther , but difficulties with the rebellious Lutheran subjects.

Kartause Gaming: facade of the church and arcade courtyard (June 2006)

In 1585, 1591 and 1597 the arcade arches were built on the east wing of the prelate's court and the inner portal to the Carthusian cellar in the west wing of the prelate's court. Prior Paulinus Maringius was humiliated twice, at the height of the unrest on the part of Lutheran subjects. After the rebellion, the situation gradually calmed down, and after this consolidating phase, monastic life took off again.

Under the prior Hilarion Danichius (Danisius), extensive renovations and furnishing activities took place from 1609 to 1640: the construction of the arcades and the central projection on the west wing of the prelate's court (1625), the redesign of the courtyard facades in the prelate's court and in the library courtyard, the construction of the new library ( Portal dated 1619), the enlargement of four cell houses at the south end of the west wing in the large cloister courtyard through the conversion to double cell houses, the construction of a new church portal made of Peutenburg marble (dated 1632), stucco decor in the prelate hall (around 1630/40). In 1670 the priors of the Carthusians were raised to the status of prelates (but without pontificals) by Emperor Leopold I.

From 1702 to 1739, the time of Prior Joseph Kristelli von Bochau, who came from Zwittau in Moravia, the baroque library was built in the western part of the south wing of the so-called library courtyard and the adjoining western wing of the same courtyard was adapted for library purposes: the frescoes in particular were created by the highly significant Prague painter Wenzel Lorenz Reiner (dated 1723, although the archival documented order placement and payments only date from 1724), but also the stucco marble and the stucco decor by Balthasar Haggenmüller from Allgäu (1724, written order from 1725) and the complementary paintings in the window reveals by JG Schreyer form a significant accent. From 1742 to 1746, under Prior Johann VIII Jerumb (1739–1757), the interior of the church was redesigned with stucco and frescoes as well as with regard to the furnishings.

Influence of the Charterhouse on the surrounding area

The impact on the entire region was enormous. If the spiritual seat was in Gaming, the secular one was in Scheibbs . In Schloss Scheibbs was the seat of the Priors, and from 1678 to 1684 a monastery with an associated church was built. The parish of Scheibbs was also looked after by Gaming. In addition, the parish church was built in St. Anton / Jeßnitz, where the original altars from the Gamingen monastery church are still to this day.

A not insignificant factor was the custom that medieval castles that were located in the region, that were abandoned or still inhabited and that were acquired and given by Duke Albrecht or acquired directly by the Charterhouse, were immediately razed and rebuilt was prohibited . This explains why there is not a single castle ruin in the entire Erlauftal. These included the castles Scheuenberg near Neustift, Liebegg near Neubruck, Jeßnitz near St. Anton / Jeßnitz and Frankenstein near Peutenburg.

Castles razed by the Charterhouse
Castle Location Date of razing
  • Frankenstein
  • Scheuenberg
  • Liebegg
  • Jeßnitz
  • Peutenburg (Scheibbs)
  • Neustift (Scheibbs)
  • Neubruck (Scheibbs)
  • St. Anton / Jeßnitz
  • 1338
  • 1345
  • 1349
  • 1360

Decline

The Charterhouse Gaming was abolished on January 27, 1782 by a decree from Emperor Joseph II to Prior Stephan Braun. On the evening of January 26, 1782, the repeal commission arrived in Gaming. After the Carthusians left the monastery, the building soon began to fall into disrepair and deterioration. The monastery church was badly affected. Everything that was usable and available in terms of facilities was carried off in all directions. These circumstances of abolition seem incomprehensible today in their severity. The rules of the order were ignored without hesitation and monks, who had led a hermit life for many years, were released into a world that had become strange to them. The monastery servants were even poorer; they became homeless beggars. The abolition of the Gaming Charterhouse caused great damage not only to the inhabitants of the monastery, but to many other people. As a result, the farm building and the cattle were auctioned. Most of the service personnel have been fired. The monastery building itself went into disrepair in a few years, as nothing was done to preserve it.

In 1797 the mortal remains of the donors were transferred to the parish church of Gaming. On September 12, 1825, Count Albert Festetics de Tolna bought the Gaming Charterhouse for 100,000 guilders. The son, Graf Festetics, sold a considerable part of the hunting area to the forest industry company for 1,320,000 guilders. The Gesellschaft für Forstindustrie was liquidated after a financial crash in 1875 and the property was sold to Albert Salomon Anselm von Rothschild . In 1915 the Charterhouse was acquired by the Benedictine monastery of Melk under Abbot Amand John (1909–1942).

Revitalization

Dome over the choir

On August 5, 1983, Melk Abbey sold the Kartause Gaming (without forest) to architect Walter Hildebrand , who since then has renovated the Charterhouse with great financial commitment and personal commitment and has carried out scientific activities with exhibitions and events. In 1985 the bones of the donors were returned.

In 1991 the Lower Austrian State Exhibition Art of Healing took place in the Kartause Gaming.

The Engelwerk's plan to open a branch of its Institutum Sapientiæ University in the Charterhouse failed in 1987 due to resistance from the St. Pölten diocesan bishop Franz Žak .

In 2007 the Byzantine Chapel was consecrated (in the west wing of the main courtyard). It is the first church in Austria that was created for this - all earlier churches for the Byzantine ( Greek Catholic ) rite are rededicated Roman Catholic churches. The icons come from Ioan Gotia (Romania) and Tomas Labanic (Slovakia). She is looked after by the Greek Catholic Central Parish St. Barbara in Vienna.

A brewery pub and a four-star hotel with seminars and events have been in operation since 2008.

In 2009 the International Theological Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family  (ITI) moved to Trumau near Baden.

Today, several foreign universities are rented in the Charterhouse:

such as:

Grave of the donors

inner space

The political significance of the burial place, which can be seen as a form of presence, as the starting point and place of the “memoria” and also as an expression of sovereign power, has already been discussed. The grave was in the middle of the choir of the monastery church, directly in front of the high altar. First the Duchess Johanna, who died on November 15, 1351, was solemnly buried in the prepared burial place. Albrecht II died on July 20, 1358. When the crypt was opened in 1739, they were found laid to rest in large wooden coffins with heavy metal fittings. Large lead tablets with grave inscriptions were attached to the coffins. The texts state the date of death and the name, list all titles as well as the sons and daughters and indicate that the duke or duchess was buried when they founded Gaming. Both panels, which were apparently cast at the same time, probably immediately after Albrecht's death, are decorated with the four coats of arms of Austria, Styria, Pfirt and Carinthia. The addition hoc est verum ('that is true') in the duke's grave inscription indicates the involvement of Rudolf IV, the eldest son, in the creation of the grave inscription; Rudolf often signed the wording under his documents as a handwritten signature. The tablets had been lost since the Josefin abolition of the Charterhouse in 1782. The rediscovery in 1985 when the tomb in the Gamingen parish church, to which the bones had been transferred, was opened, caused a sensation. When the monastery was abolished by Josephs in 1782, the tomb was demolished. The shape of the tomb when the donors were buried or at least soon afterwards is unknown.

Albrecht III. In 1373 he had his first wife Elisabeth of Bohemia, a daughter of Emperor Charles IV, who died young, buried in his parents' grave in Gaming. The Charterhouse continued to enjoy the goodwill of the next generation of Habsburgs; however, the grave was not further occupied.

When the monastery was abolished in 1782, little consideration was given to the venerable tradition of the founders. Due to negligence, the expressly ordered transfer of the bones to Vienna was not carried out. The tomb was neglected and forgotten; It was not until 1797 that the pious burial took place in the parish church of Gaming next to the high altar.

After almost 200 years, on April 13, 1985, the remains of the donors were transferred to the restored burial place of the former monastery church.

See also

Web links

Commons : Kartause Gaming  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature

  • Thomas Aigner: Gaming , in: Monasticon Cartusiense , ed. by Gerhard Schlegel, James Hogg, Volume 2, Salzburg 2004, 82–87.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Johann Josef Böker : The late Gothic reconstruction of the monastery church of the Kartause Gaming. Austrian Journal for Art and Monument Preservation, LIX (2005), pp. 223–234.
  2. ↑ On structural changes after 1825: Gerhard Stenzel: From lock to lock in Austria . Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1976, ISBN 3-218-00288-5 , p. 175.
  3. ↑ Heiner Boberski : The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 248. ISBN 3-7013-0854-3
  4. ↑ Byzantine Chapel Consecration - March 2007 ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.iti.ac.at archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , iti.ac.at - with links to other articles about the chapel;
    Holy Liturgy - a unique celebration , photo show, 8:58 am, Claudia Henzler henzlerworks.com, March 22, 2009, on youtube.com
  5. ↑ Brewery ( Memento of the original from January 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kartause-gaming.at archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , kartause-gaming.at

Coordinates: 47 ° 55 ′ 24 ″  N , 15 ° 4 ′ 54 ″  E