Liesborn Monastery

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Liesborn monastery church
Liesborn Abbey built by Michael Spanner

Liesborn Monastery in Liesborn , Warendorf district, was founded around 815 as a women's monastery. In 1131 this was abolished and in its place came a Benedictine - Abbey , which was secularised 1,803th

history

The ladies pen

The sources for the period up to 1130 are poor. Apart from a document from 1019, a list of 13 abbesses and a copy of a necrology , there are no documents. Therefore, the story is also very uncertain in the time of the women's pen. According to older assumptions, it was founded in 785 by Charlemagne . It is more likely that the actual founding took place around 815, according to other sources around 860, by the Saxon nobles Boso and Bardo . These are also named as founders in the monastery's memory book. The four main courtyards (curtes) Hollenhorst, Haskebrügge, Hentrup and Liesborn were part of the founding equipment.

The monastery was consecrated to St. Mary, St. Cosmas and Damian and the Holy Prophet Simeon. The first abbess was Roswindis, venerated as a saint, or Roswitha von Liesborn . It used to be assumed that she was a sister of Charlemagne. According to the more recent opinion, like the founders of the monastery, she belonged to the Bardonen family . She could have been Count Bardo's sister and widow of Count Liudolf, an Ekbertin . Other abbesses came from the local nobility. The convent had close ties with the Herzebrock Abbey . Their first headmistress was educated in Liesborn.

In 1019, Emperor Heinrich II granted the Bishop of Münster the right to appoint the bailiff for the monastery in Dreingau and to regulate spiritual matters. This was possibly the reason for a feud between Count Hermann von Eenham , whose sphere of influence included Dreingau, with the bishop.

At least in the 11th century, members of the Werl-Arnsberg Count House were bailiffs. There were still close connections later on. Members of the house such as Heinrich I with his sons Heinrich II and Gottfried II transferred properties to the monastery.

In the course of time life in the monastery took on more and more secular features. In 1121 the monastery was destroyed by fire by the troops of Duke Lothar von Sachsen . Reconstruction proved difficult. On the instructions of Bishop Egbert von Münster , the nuns were expelled with reference to their earlier “reprehensible way of life”. One important reason was that the reform efforts made by the bishop were rejected by the sisters. The former residents were, if they so wished, entertained with funds from the monastery. Some stayed nearby, others entered pens in the area.

Boom in the High Middle Ages

View of the choir of the monastery church

In 1131 it was converted into a Benedictine monastery. The canonesses were replaced by Benedictine monks. The convention probably followed the Hirsau reform . Bishop Egbert granted the monastery free choice of abbots, but reserved ordination and consecration . The clergy belonging to the former monastery as well as the nobles and ministrals had to accept this decision. The origin of the first monks is unclear in research. Because the first abbots are also mentioned in the Hildesheim sources , this place is not unlikely to be of origin.

The economic situation was initially bad. After a fire in 1121, the church and building had probably not yet been restored. As a result, the monastery received numerous donations from the Münster bishops. In 1144 the abbot also got the Liesborn archdeaconate rights of the monastery church, which had previously been with the cathedral chapter . Associated with this was further income. In 1186 the monastery was given over to customs in Neuss .

The monastery subsequently gained considerable prestige and came into contact with other spiritual institutions. Liesborn had been part of a tight network of prayer fraternities since the 13th century .

In 1270 the monastery was again almost completely destroyed by fire. A chronicler described this event in hexameters.

Crisis in the late Middle Ages

With the increase in prosperity in the 13th century, monastery breeding declined again. The monastery increasingly became a support institution for later sons of noble families. Therefore, the number of prebends has been set precisely to prevent overcrowding. According to a document from 1298, these were 22 full benefices and 6 for boys. In the long run, however, these measures had no effect.

It was only under Abbot Florin (1304-1328) that the new building of the church began. He obtained the pontificals with a forged document . The monastery was badly affected by the plague between 1348 and 1351. The monastery was almost completely destroyed again by arson in 1353. Since then, the roofs have been covered with slate for safety reasons.

Since the second half of the 14th century in particular, there have been clear signs of secularization. Some monks did money business and were almost always absent. Others bought goods and servants or kept hunting dogs.

In addition, there were strains from the feuds from the late 14th century to the middle of the 15th century. Liesborn was particularly affected because of its border location in the monastery of Münster .

Monastery reform

Part of the former high altar from 1465

In 1464/1465 the monastery joined the reform community of the Bursfeld congregation . After that, the monks' stabilitas , which had often not been observed until then, was taken into account again. Under the abbots Heinrich von Kleve (1464–1490) and Johann Smalebecker (1490–1522) there was also an economic boom. New buildings were built and the spiritual and artistic life experienced an upswing. Smalebecker was appointed several times to important offices in the Bursfeld Union. The new spirit also influenced the reform of other monasteries and women's monasteries in the spirit of the Bursfeld congregation. The monk Bernard Witte (1490 to around 1534) was strongly influenced by humanism. He wrote a Westphalian history and a history of the abbey.

Decline in the Denominational Age

A short time later this phase was over. The monastery fell into economic, but also spiritual, crisis. Abbot Anton Kalthoff was influenced by the ideas of the Anabaptists and was therefore deposed. Abbot Gerhard Schultmann and his successor Gerlach Westhof (1554–82) played an important role as counselors and ambassadors for the bishop. As a result, they were often absent, which led to the monastic discipline slacking off. In addition, the abbots' expensive lifestyle resulted in high levels of debt. Nevertheless, or possibly because of this, the abbey in Gerlach's Abbatiat twice housed the General Chapter of the Bursfeld Reform Union within its walls, the first time in 1556 and again in 1578. Visitations showed that the monks were no longer fulfilling their monastic duties. A large number of servants resulted in high costs, for which monastery property was sold. In 1610 the debt was 24,154 thalers. There was no longer any possibility to be seen but to drastically reduce the size of the Convention. Only the abbot with a few monks were to remain, while the remaining monastery inmates were distributed to other monasteries. In addition, there were attacks by various mercenary groups during the Thirty Years' War . Christian von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel extorted 8,000 thalers, and the Swedes plundered the monastery nine times in a row. In 1633 there were no more monks living in Liesborn after the rest of the convent had fled to Lippstadt . Only gradually did the monks return from 1638.

Recovery and End

After the end of the war, 18 brothers lived in the monastery again. The monastery flourished again under Abbot Gregor Waltmann (1698–1739) and his successors. Despite various looting, the community was also able to recover economically. The monastery was redesigned in the baroque style. In the 18th century up to 40 members of the convent lived in the monastery at times. The economic upswing meant that the library could be expanded. In addition, in the last century of its existence, the abbey was chosen four times as the meeting place for the Bursfeld General Chapter: 1709, 1730, 1751 and the last chapter of the congregation was to take place in Liesborn in 1785, although only 5–6 abbots appeared for this.

In the course of secularization , the monastery was abolished on May 2, 1803 by the new Prussian sovereign. The Benedictine monks were retired and the servants dismissed. The monastery became a royal domain (later the domain was sold to the Dukes of Croý). The abbey church was merged with the parish church and consecrated as the new parish church in 1823. The remaining monastery buildings were demolished or sold. The valuable library and numerous works of art such as the Liesborner Altar, which today only exists in fragments, were auctioned off.

Building history

Floor plan of the monastery church

After the fire of an older church, a new building took place in 1121. An existing tower was included. Another new church followed in 1306. Initially, only the choir was rebuilt. The nave followed between 1441 and 1465. The transept was then built between 1499 and 1503.

The high altar by Johann von Soest , also called Master von Liesborn, is of great importance in art history .

In 1701 the convent building was rebuilt. From 1735 the new building of the monastery followed by Michael Spanner . The baroque abbey is a three-wing building. It has a representative portal with an outside staircase. The north wing was added between 1739 and 1755.

After secularization, the convent wing became a quarry. The high altar was dismantled and sold. Valuable manuscripts and books came to Münster and are now kept in the university and state libraries .

Other parts were restored in the late 19th century. In 1952 the north wing of the abbey was restored. The Liesborn Abbey Museum has been housed in the monastery since 1966 . The administration of the community Liesborn was quartered there until 1974.

The high altar

Part of the former high altar

The high altar created by Johann von Soest was consecrated by Abbot Heinrich von Kleve in 1465 along with four other side altars. In the middle it showed Christ on the cross and further scenes from the life of Mary and saints. The altar was probably not a winged altar, but the pictures were lined up next to each other. The exact composition of the altar can no longer be completely and unequivocally reconstructed, as it is only preserved in fragments. The middle picture was also fragmented.

In the course of the secularization of the monastery around 1807 under the French occupation, the altar was sawn into 14 or more individual paintings and sold. Eight major parts came into the possession of the National Gallery, London, in 1854 as part of a major purchase of Westphalian art from the Middle Ages. Even then, this purchase began to emphasize the “beauty and importance” of a “Westphalian school” and the work of a Liesborn master .

Other parts like the crucifixion of Christ ended up in the collection of the LWL State Museum for Art and Cultural History in Münster. They are still in the possession of the Westphalian Art Association and the State Museum, where they are counted among the “most beautiful and most important paintings in the collection”.

A plaque was placed on the altar in Brant Broughton Church , Lincolnshire .

Abbots

Abbot Gregor Waltmann (1698–1739)
  • Baldwin (1130–1161)
  • Franco (1161 / 62–1178)
  • Wenzo (1178-1190)
  • Engelbert (1190–1198)
  • Werner (1198-1221)
  • Burchard (1221-1239)
  • Gottschalk (1239-1241)
  • Gottfried (1241-1265)
  • Gerhard (1265–1304)
  • Florin Ketelhot (1304-1328)
  • Arnold (1328-1340)
  • Friedrich Mare (1340-1358)
  • Heinrich von Rodenberg (1358-1381)
  • Wessel von der Recke (1381–1384)
  • Hermann van dem Sande (1384–1431)
  • Lubbert Oldehoff (1431–1462)
  • Stephan Walrave (1462–1464)
  • Heinrich von Kleve (1464–1490)
  • Johannes Schmalebecker (1490–1522)
  • Anton Kalthoff (1522-1532)
  • Gerhard Schultemann (1532–1550)
  • Maurus Huggelmeier (1550–1554)
  • Gerlach Westhoff (1554–1582)
  • Johannes Rodde (1582–1601)
  • Lambert Lemme (1601-1610)
  • Jakob Veltmann (1610-1620)
  • Hermann Zurgeist (1620–1651)
  • Georg Fuisting (1651–1668)
  • Maurus Schräder (1668–1678)
  • Bonifazius Middendorf (1678–1688)
  • Anselm Langen (1688–1698)
  • Gregor Waltmann (1698–1739)
  • Heinrich Hase (1739–1751)
  • Ambrosius Rappert (1751–1767)
  • Ludger Zurstraßen (1767–1798)
  • Karl von Kerssenbrock (1798–1803)

literature

  • Karl Hengst (Ed.): Westphalian monastery book. Part 1: Ahlen - Mülheim. Aschendorff, Münster 1992, ( Sources and research on church and religious history 2, publications of the Historical Commission for Westphalia 44), ISBN 3-402-06886-9 , pp. 522-529.
  • Helmut Müller: The dioceses of the church province of Cologne. The diocese of Münster. Volume 5: The cannon convent and Benedictine monastery Liesborn. de Gruyter, Berlin et al. 1987, ISBN 3-11-011002-4 ( Germania Sacra NF 23; complete digitized version ).
  • Heiko KL Schulze: Monasteries and monasteries in Westphalia. History, building history and description. A documentation. In: Géza Jászai (Ed.): Monastic Westphalia. Monasteries and monasteries 800–1800. Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Münster 1982, (exhibition catalog, Münster, Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, September 26, 1982 - November 21, 1982), ISBN 3-88789-054-X , pp. 377–378.
  • Walter Ziegler : The Bursfeld Congregation. In: Ulrich Faust , Franz Quarter (edit.): The Reform Associations and Congregations of the Benedictines in the German-speaking area. St. Ottilien 1999, ISBN 3-8306-6994-1 , pp. 315-407 ( Germania Benedictina . Volume 1).
  • Paulus Volk: The General Chapters of the Bursfeld Benedictine Congregation. Münster / Westf. 1928 ( Contributions to the history of old monasticism and the Benedictine order. Issue 14).

Web links

Commons : Kloster Liesborn  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Helmut Müller: The dioceses of the church province of Cologne. The diocese of Münster 5. The canon monastery and Benedictine monastery Liesborn. (Germania Sacra NF 23) DeGruyter, Berlin, New York 1987, p. 66.
  2. ^ Johann Suibert Seibertz: State and legal history of the Duchy of Westphalia. History of the country and its states. Part 2: The times of prosperity and strength of the German Empire. 1. (912-1272). Ritter, Arnsberg 1861, p. 125 .
  3. ↑ Sign on the monastery building
  4. ^ Liesborn, files 357
  5. ↑ Inscription "1952" and notice board on the north wing
  6. ↑ cf. P. Pieper: The Liesborn Altar. In: Kunstchronik 6/1966 and further R. Brandl: The Liesborn Altar-Piece: A New Reconstruction, Burlington Magazine 135 (1993), pp. 180-189.
  7. ↑ see in particular H. Müller: The Dioceses of the Church Province of Cologne. The diocese of Münster 5. The canon monastery and Benedictine monastery Liesborn . Berlin 1967, p. 19f.
  8. ^ H. Kornfeld: A Westphalian Altarpiece. In: The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 62/361 (1933), p. 160.
  9. ↑ E. Mackowsky: A Lost Altarpiece by the Master of Cap Mountain . In: The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs. 65/378 (1934), p. 126 ff.
  10. ^ LWL Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (Hrsg.): (Press) release from March 6, 2008 - A house for art for 100 years . Münster 2008
  11. ^ Master of Liesborn . In: Hans Vollmer (Hrsg.): General lexicon of fine artists from antiquity to the present . Founded by Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker . tape 37 : Master with emergency names and monogramists . EA Seemann, Leipzig 1950, p. 198-199 . (with references to other works prior to 1950)

Coordinates: 51 ° 42 ′ 45.1 ″  N , 8 ° 15 ′ 34.7 ″  E