Neuzelle Monastery
| Neuzelle Cistercian Priory | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary's Assumption Monastery Church |
|
| location |
 Germany Brandenburg Neuzelle |
| Lies in the diocese | Goerlitz |
| Coordinates: | 52 ° 5 '26 " N , 14 ° 39' 8" E |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
682 |
| Patronage | Assumption of the Virgin Mary |
| founding year | 1268 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1817 |
| Year of repopulation | 2018 (as a priory of Heiligenkreuz) |
| Mother monastery | 1268 Altzella Abbey 2018 Heiligenkreuz Abbey |
| Primary Abbey | Morimond Monastery |
| Congregation | Austrian Cistercian Congregation |
|
Daughter monasteries |
no |
The Neuzelle Monastery (Latin: Monasterium Nova Cella ) is a Cistercian monastery in Lower Lusatia . The former abbey in the community of Neuzelle was founded by the House of Wettin in the 13th century , existed until 1817 and was secularized by the Prussian government . The monastery property went to the state-administered Neuzelle Abbey , which existed until its nationalization in 1955. In 1996, the Neuzelle Abbey Foundation was re-established as a public law foundation for the State of Brandenburg. The monastery church of St. Mary of the Assumption is a pilgrimage church and parish church.
On September 2, 2018 was convent of the priory Neuzelle canonically erected. The priory was settled by monks from the Austrian Heiligenkreuz Abbey and is dependent on them.
history
middle Ages
The monastery Neuzelle was posted on October 12, 1268 by Margrave Henry the Illustrious previously donated the house Wettin in memory of his two days late wife Agnes to by the Piast acquired manorial between Or and Schlaube in the settlement area of the Sorbs to Christianity open to, to develop and use economically. The Neuzelle monastery was a spin-off of the mother monastery Altzella (Cella) in Saxony; a convent existed since 1281.
The Neuzelle monastery complex was built between 1300 and 1330 on a mountain spur protruding into the Oder lowlands , on which a plateau was previously created. The three-aisled hall church of the abbey was built in the brick Gothic style in the brick construction typical of the area .
In the Middle Ages , the administration of the Neuzelle monastery established an extensive manor. Over 30 villages in Niederlausitz and some in the Mark Brandenburg with their income and labor were part of the monastery rule. The town of Fürstenberg (Oder) (today part of Eisenhüttenstadt ) and the Schiedlo Castle at the mouth of the Neisse were also owned by the Cistercians. In 1429, during the Hussite Wars, an army group penetrated from Bohemia and destroyed both the town of Guben and the Neuzelle monastery. Since the monks refused to accept the teachings of the reformer Jan Hus , they were tortured, murdered or abducted. Since then they have been venerated as martyrs , especially Abbot Peter (1408–1429). Under Abbot Nicolaus II of Bomsdorf (1432–1469) the monastery was rebuilt, for which a few heirloom villages were sold. The clergy were trained at the Cistercian College in Leipzig .
Early modern age
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Neuzelle was the only monastery in Lower Lusatia to remain a denominational island in the old faith during the Reformation , while the peasant subjects of the monastery of Neuzelle followed Luther's teachings around 1550. Most of the new applicants came from Northern Bohemia and the Catholic Upper Lusatia and after their novitiate studied at the Charles University in Prague . The monastery was incorporated into the Bohemian Order of the Cistercians. When the Habsburgs ceded Lower Lusatia to the Saxon House of Wettin in the Peace of Prague in 1635 , the Protestant Elector of Saxony had to guarantee the continued existence of the Neuzelle Monastery in the so-called traditional recession. It belonged to the Lower Lusatian state estates and was represented in the state parliament until its dissolution.
The monastery complex was badly damaged during the Thirty Years' War . Two years after the Peace of Westphalia , the monks returned in 1650 and stabilized the manor. Between 1655 and 1658, Abbot Bernardus had the rebuilt buildings frescoed and stuccoed by Italian artists . His successor had the monastery redesigned in the style of the South German Baroque . However, the splendid Baroque style of the building left the spatial structure of the three-aisled hall church with its narrow pillars and the narrow aisles unchanged. The administration of the monastery was under the chancellor Johann Brusch von Neiberg . Almost all of the buildings in the complex that still exist today are characterized by the renovation in the Baroque period or were built during this period. The Neuzeller monastery church is the sacred building with by far the richest furnishings in Lower Lusatia.
19th to 21st century
As a result of the Congress of Vienna , the Saxon Lower Lusatia came to Prussia and the Neuzeller monastery of the Cistercians was in 1817 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III. secularized . In the 19th century, an orphanage in the monastery area was also connected to a Protestant teachers' seminar (until 1922). From 1934 to 1945, a secondary school for girls was housed there within the framework of the National Political Educational Institutions.
The monastery buildings and the property were administered by the state monastery Neuzelle. The former convent church remained Catholic and from 1947 became a pilgrimage church for the faithful in the remaining German part of the Archdiocese of Breslau, who were cut off from the traditional pilgrimage sites in Silesia. Since then, pilgrimages of young people have taken place every year on Trinity Sunday. On the first Sunday in September, the collegiate church is the destination of the diocese pilgrimage of the diocese of Görlitz. The Neuzell pilgrimage song by the Görlitz wood sculptor and songwriter Georg Schröter is sung.
The formerly Catholic parish church of the Holy Cross became a Protestant parish church in 1817 (as part of the establishment of a teachers' seminar in the enclosure). It was built between 1730 and 1740 as a "Leutekirche" and consecrated in 1741.
In 1955 the Neuzelle Abbey was nationalized and served as an institute for teacher training until 1985. In 1996 it was transferred to a foundation and since 1993 the baroque monastery complex, which has largely been preserved, has been renovated. In 2004 the baroque cloister garden and the orangery were reopened after extensive reconstruction.
In November 2016, the Cistercian convent of the Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria decided to accept an invitation from the Bishop of Görlitz, Wolfgang Ipolt , and to repopulate Neuzelle Monastery until the monastery’s 750th anniversary in 2018. The founding convention should initially include eight monks. The first four monks moved to Neuzelle in August 2017, among them the future prior P. Simeon Wester OCist. The Neuzelle priory was canonically established on September 2, 2018. In the following years a new monastery is to be built in the vicinity of Neuzelle.
On September 1, 2019, the Neuzell parish of Beata Maria Virgo was joined by two churches in Eisenhüttenstadt , the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Fürstenberg and the Church of the Holy Cross in Schönfließ , which was consecrated in 1994 and which previously formed a separate parish.
Monastery church
architecture
The church arose from the reconstruction of a three-nave Gothic hall church with seven bays in the Baroque style from the beginning of the 18th century to 1741. The exterior was plastered except for the north wall and the buttresses were converted into sturdy wall templates with capitals. A high cranked wall cornice was arranged above it.
A vestibule with a convex curved facade and a magnificent portal was added to the west. A clock tower was built above it. The existing bell tower of the Gothic church was raised in 1720/30 and provided with a curved dome .
A semicircular closed choir with roof turrets was added to the east. A sacristy extension with mirror vaults was built on the north side of the choir in 1725. The hexagonal Joseph Chapel on the south side of the nave was built around 1730/40.
Inside, the Gothic shape of the room had already been changed after it was destroyed in the Thirty Years War. Under the preserved Gothic vaults, a barrel vault with stitch caps was pulled in in 1654/58 . The vaults, pillars and walls received rich ornamental and figurative stucco decorations by Johann Bartholomäus Cometa. The statues of the twelve apostles on the volute capitals of the pillars, the festoons on the pillars and walls as well as grotesques and busts are to be emphasized .
The stucco was magnificently complemented by vault and wall paintings with scenes from the Old and New Testament in the vaults of the naves (dated 1654/58) and in the upper zone of both aisles with scenes from the life of Christ, signed by Johannes Vanet (Vanetti) .
In the course of the Baroque era, the wall and ceiling paintings were supplemented by Georg Wilhelm Neunhertz and his workshop. In the choir, two vaulted areas were painted in 1740, the wall paintings in the vestibule were painted in 1725/30. Further wall paintings on the lower window zone of the aisle were created in 1728/31. Illusionistic dome paintings in the Joseph Chapel were created in 1735 and the ceiling paintings in the sacristy around 1730.
Altars
The interior of the monastery church was splendidly furnished by masters from the Wessobrunn School under the direction of members of the Hennevogel family.
The magnificent high altar was built in stucco marble in 1740/41 by Johann Wilhelm Hennevogel. It shows a structure rich in figures with an Emmaus group at the tabernacle . The altarpiece shows the Assumption of Mary from the school of Michael Willmann from around 1740.
Eleven further side altars, six of which are attributed to Johann Wilhelm Hennevogel, were made around 1730/40 in wood or stucco marble. A late Gothic carved figure of a Madonna from the 15th century is inserted in the Marien Altar. Particularly noteworthy is the valuable baptismal altar from 1730 made of gilded wood, which comes from the school of J. Wentzl Löw. In the Joseph Chapel there is an altar with a painting of the Holy Family . Two donor altars from around 1730 are housed in the sacristy.
Further equipment
The richly carved pulpit with figurative and ornamental decoration was created in 1728. The baptism was made of marble in the first half of the 18th century and has a wooden lid.
The richly carved stalls in the central nave come from the first half of the 18th century, in the side aisles there are stalls from the second half of the 17th century. Furthermore, four confessionals were made in the first half of the 18th century. On the north wall there are six confessionals from around 1800 by Andreas Nerse. Two marble holy water basins , like the wrought iron altar cabinets, date from the first half of the 18th century. A gilded abbot's chair was created in 1733. Two sideboards were made in 1739 and 1741.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the extremely rich furnishings with liturgical vessels, candlesticks, paraments and liturgical vestments. The monastery also has a library and a collection of paintings.
organ
The richly ornamented organ gallery was created in the first half of the 18th century and shows six putti making music on the parapet. The prospectus of the large organ in the collegiate church by Andreas Nerse dates back to 1806. The current instrument was built into the case in 1906 by the organ builder Wilhelm Sauer from Frankfurt ad Oder (op. 981). It has 24 stops on two manuals and a pedal , the action is pneumatic and operates the cone shutter . The sound of the organ is described as late-romantic-symphonic, the dynamic qualities, especially finely tared with string and flute parts, are particularly emphasized.
Between 1999 and 2001 the organ was extensively restored by the organ workshop Christian Scheffler from Sieversdorf . The neo-baroque changes made by W. Sauer Orgelbau Frankfurt (Oder) in 1954 were reversed and the organ was returned to its original state. A clean-up was carried out in 2014
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- Coupling : II / I, I / P, II / P
- Playing aids : Fixed combinations (mf, f, tutti), electric second game table with electronic typesetting system
Exam
Originally built as a brick exam is an almost perfectly preserved three wings around a square courtyard on the north side of the church. Four cloister wings, each with seven bays, are provided with ornamental and figurative keystones and consoles. In front of the center of the north wing is a polygonal, star-vaulted well house. The core of the complex dates from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 14th century. The east wing is a 14th century building with vaults from the period after 1380. After a fire in 1429, the new north wing was equipped with rich net vaults in the former refectory and chapter house . In addition, the west wing with star and mesh vaults was rebuilt around 1450.
Monastery building
The medieval cloister area was expanded considerably in the 18th century by the construction of representative and administrative buildings around the monastery courtyard, which was laid out to the south and west of the monastery church. Mention should be made of the prince's wing on the north side, the old building with the main portal and the former monastery chancellery on the west side and farm buildings on the south side. The east side remained undeveloped and is open to the monastery gardens.
The prince's wing from the last quarter of the 18th century is a two-storey plastered building with a colonnade . The old building from 1727 connects to the south. It is a single-storey plastered building with a Tuscan colonnade on the courtyard side . The wrought-iron roof railing dates from 1744. On the south side is the main portal of the monastery district, richly structured with an Emmaus relief and figurative sculpture, which is dated to 1736 and is in an axis with the western main portal of the church. The former monastery chancellery is a two-storey plastered building with 13 axes, with a sandstone portal dated 1723 and a main room with a stucco ceiling. The former farm buildings on the south and west side of the Stiftshof are two-wing, two-storey plastered buildings, which essentially date from the 18th century. The former “summer abbey”, a two-story, twelve-axis plastered building, is located in the southeastern area of the monastery courtyard.
The Neuzeller Passion depictions of the Holy Sepulcher
From 1751 to 1753, the Bohemian artist Joseph Felix Seifrit created an ensemble of life-size, painted wooden sculptures on behalf of Abbot Gabriel, which depict the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ in fifteen scenes, spread over five sets . These devotional pictures were used for contemplation . They were placed in the monastery church during Lent until the 19th century .
In 1997, 229 of the originally 242 stored items were found in the attic of the monastery church and restored from 2011 to 2014 in the Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation in Wünsdorf. Part of the ensemble is exhibited in the Museum Himmlisches Theater - the Neuzeller Passion Representations of the Holy Sepulcher , which opened in March 2015. The Neuzeller Passion Cycle follows the tradition of the Holy Graves and is unique in Europe in terms of its diversity and artistic quality.
Literature (sorted by publication)
- W. Bollert: The Cistercian monastery Neuzelle in Lower Lusatia. In: Zeitschrift für Bauwesen , Volume 51 (1901), Col. 205–224, Plate 25–27. Digitized in the holdings of the Central and State Library Berlin .
- Wilhelm Oelmann: The Neuzelle Abbey. Investigations into source studies and property history of an East German Cistercian monastery. Greifswald 1937.
- Wilhelm Oelmann: The development of the cultural landscape in the Neuzelle Abbey. Landshut 1950.
- Heinrich Trost, Beate Becker, Horst Büttner, Ilse Schröder, Christa Stepansky: The architectural and art monuments of the GDR. Frankfurt / Oder district. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Berlin 1980, pp. 170–185.
- Ernst Badstübner : Neuzelle Monastery. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 1985, 2002.
- Winfried Töpler : The Neuzelle monastery and the secular and spiritual powers 1268-1817 (= studies on the history, art and culture of the Cistercians, volume 14). Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-931836-53-3 .
- Walter Ederer, Klaus Reinecke (Ed.): His grave will be wonderful. The holy grave of Neuzelle and its depictions of the Passion from 1751. Schnell and Steiner, Regensburg 1998 (exhibition catalog), ISBN 3-7954-1173-4 .
- Alexander Niemann: Gardens of the Neuzelle monastery. In: White paper on historical gardens and parks in the new federal states . Published by the Bund Heimat und Umwelt in Deutschland, Bonn 2005, ISBN 3-925374-69-8 , p. 57f.
- Winfried Töpler: Cistercian Abbey Neuzelle. (= The Blue Books). 3rd, extended u. updated edition, Königstein im Taunus 2010, ISBN 978-3-7845-1025-5 .
- Gisela Rieck: The monks have come back. After 200 years, Neuzelle is again a Cistercian monastery . In: Cistercienser Chronik 125 (2018), pp. 539-547.
- Eef Overgaauw, Tilman Schladebach (ed.): Cistercians on paper and parchment. Manuscripts from the Cistercian monastery Neuzelle in the Berlin State Library. Verlag für Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin 2020, ISBN 978-3-947215-78-2 .
Web links
- Neuzelle Abbey Foundation
- Neuzelle at cistercensi.info
- Catholic rectory in Neuzelle
- Collegiate Church and Monastery Garden (Video)
- Cistercian life in the Neuzelle monastery - information page on the planned repopulation
Individual evidence
- ^ Law on the establishment of a foundation "Stift Neuzelle" (Stift Neuzelle Law - StNeuzG) , accessed on January 16, 2018
- ↑ Subsidiary monastery founded in Neuzelle . Berliner Morgenpost , September 3, 2018, archived from the original on September 4, 2018 . .
- ↑ Monks from Neuzelle can hope for permanent residence: the end of the temporary arrangement in sight , Domradio from January 15, 2018, accessed on January 16, 2018.
- ↑ Rudolf Grulich: “Maria, Mutter, Friedenshort!” - The Neuzeller Pilgrimage Song , Nidda (2008), accessed on July 19, 2018
- ↑ Thomas Backhaus: Maria, Mutter, Friedenshort , Day of the Lord, Issue 35 (2008), accessed on July 19, 2018
- ↑ Evangelical Parish Church of the Holy Cross , accessed on May 15, 2017.
- ↑ Monks from Heiligenkreuz Abbey choose Neuzelle. Heiligenkreuz Abbey, November 10, 2016, archived from the original on November 10, 2016 ; accessed on November 10, 2016 (press release).
- ^ Catholic News Agency, August 25, 2017
- ↑ Cistercians establish priory in Neuzelle. Ministry of Science, Research and Culture; State of Brandenburg, August 27, 2018, accessed on August 28, 2018 .
- ↑ Negotiations on sales contract begin , world from January 31, 2020
- ^ Parish Heiligestes Herz Jesu-Heilig Kreuz Eisenhüttenstadt. Diocese of Görlitz, accessed on July 27, 2020.
- ^ Organ workshop Christian Scheffler , accessed on February 17, 2016.
- ↑ Information on the organ in the organ index. Retrieved October 28, 2017 .
- ↑ Organ workshop Christian Scheffler. Retrieved October 28, 2017 .
- ↑ Walter Ederer, Klaus Reinecke (ed.): His grave will be wonderful. The holy grave of Neuzelle and its depictions of the Passion from 1751 . Schnell and Steiner, Regensburg 1998 (exhibition catalog). P. 26.
- ↑ Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd): Baroque monastery Neuzelle opens Passionsmuseum ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on March 26, 2015.
- ↑ The Neuzeller Passion Depictions of the Holy Sepulcher
- ^ Catholic News Agency, March 18, 2015