Reichenbach Abbey am Regen
The Reichenbach am Regen monastery is a monastery of the Brothers of Mercy of St. John of God in the municipality of Reichenbach (Cham district) in Bavaria in the diocese of Regensburg . Benedictines founded a monastery here in
1118 , which was secularized in 1803 and acquired and moved into by the Brothers of Mercy in 1890. They set the end of the 19th century a mental hospital for the mentally and physically disabled one - now supplemented by the technical schools for educational method care Reichenbach Tegernheim .
History of the former Benedictine abbey
Founding of a monastery
The Benedictine monastery , consecrated to the Assumption of Mary , was founded in 1118 by Margrave Diepold III. founded by Vohburg and his mother Liutgard , daughter of Duke Berthold I von Zähringen, the wife of Diepold II von Vohburg . Liutgard took care of the settlement with Benedictine monks from the Kastl monastery near Amberg . Reichenbach experienced an early boom in the first decades of its existence. The church was consecrated by Bishop Heinrich I of Regensburg as early as 1135 . The fire in the monastery in 1181 caused a setback, but the reconstruction was very quick. The confirmation of the letters of protection by Pope Lucius III. and Emperor Frederick I in 1182 reaffirmed the legal status of the monastery.
13th and 14th centuries
After the Wittelsbach family took over the bailiwick in 1204 , Reichenbach lost its regional importance. It sank into a country monastery. In the 14th century, things changed for the better. Under Abbot Friedrich II Heinrichsreutter (1320-1346) an excellent monastery discipline prevailed again. This abbot was the confessor of Emperor Ludwig IV and was entrusted by him with the establishment of the Ettal monastery .
Gothic construction phase and chancellor reform
In 1394 Johannes Strolenfelser, a member of the Kastler convent , was appointed as a reform abbot and Reichenbach was subsequently a reform center. After the introduction of the Chancellor Reform, the abbots made significant contributions in the structural and scientific fields. At the beginning of the 15th century, the monastery was largely rebuilt in Gothic style and fortifications were built. These prevented the conquest by the Hussites in 1428 and 1433 . Until the end of the 15th century, the sciences, especially mathematics and astronomy, were given special support. The astronomical tower northeast of the monastery church is a visible remnant of these efforts. Theology and the humanities were also cultivated; the library at that time comprised over 1000 volumes.
Abolition and regeneration of the monastery
In 1556 the monastery was abolished for the first time after Elector Ottheinrich had introduced the Reformation throughout the Electoral Palatinate . The last abbot Michael Katzberg remained as administrator of the monastery property in Reichenbach, converted to the Lutheran faith and married. The iconoclasts destroyed many works of art around 1570.
After Maximilian von Bayern had conquered the Upper Palatinate in 1621 on behalf of the Catholic Emperor, Reichenbach was recatholicized . In 1632 Jesuits had set up a pastoral care station there; they received two thirds of the income from the monastery property, the remaining third was shared by the bishops of Regensburg, Eichstätt and Amberg. In 1633 and 1641 Swedes occupied the monastery and with them Protestantism returned for a short time. In 1661 the Benedictines moved in again, but still under the electoral Bavarian administration and from 1669 under the administration of St. Emmeram Monastery in Regensburg .
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Ertl_Reichenbach.png)
Baroque construction phase
From 1695 the monastery was again an independent abbey . The St. Emmeram monastery had to pay a transfer fee of 8,000 guilders to the three dioceses so that they could forego their income. In this second Benedictine epoch, the monastery buildings were built from scratch instead of the medieval convent building and the church was redesigned in the late Baroque style. In the second half of the 18th century, the Reichenbach Benedictines developed a lively scientific and literary activity.
Secularization and attempted Benedictine new beginning
These activities ended with the second dissolution of the monastery, which took place in 1803 in the course of secularization in Bavaria . Since then the church has been a branch church of the parish Walderbach . The monastery property became state property. In 1820 the buildings were auctioned. The monastery buildings found different uses, including Heinrich Waffler founded an earthenware factory in 1841, which he operated until 1863.
At the end of the 19th century, Benedictine life returned to Reichenbach monastery for a few years: In 1883, the art consultant of the diocese of Regensburg Cathedral Vicar Georg Dengler acquired the monastery and left it to Father Andreas Amrhein from the Benedictine Abbey of Beuron , who began building a Benedictine missionary community ( the later Benedictine Congregation of St. Ottilien ); but already in 1887 the community left Reichenbach Abbey and founded the Sankt Ottilien Abbey near Emming near the Ammersee . In 1888 the monastery fell back to Georg Dengler and in 1890 it passed to the Barmherzigen Brüder , who founded a nursing home for people with disabilities in 1891.
List of the Benedictine abbots of Reichenbach
From the foundation to the Reformation
- Witigo, 1118–1119, came with the first monks from the Kastl monastery
- Erchenger, 1119–1176, consecration of the first monastery church in 1135
- Reginboto, 1176-1183
- Henry I, 1183
- Heinrich II., 1183-1211
- Albert I., 1212-1224
- Waltmann, 1224-1228
- Heinrich III., 1228-1236
- Konrad I., 1236-1239
- Albero II, 1239-1252
- Frederick I, 1252, from the monastery checking in
- Henry IV, 1252
- Konrad II., Schoenhaintz, 1252
- Dietrich von Runding, 1252 / 53-1264
- Heinrich V. Katzl, 1264-1267
- Eberhard, 1267-1270
- Wernher I., 1270-1271
- Wernher II., 1271-1293
- Gerung von Burchersdorf, 1293-1295
- Henry VI., 1295–1301
- Hermann, 1301-1303
- Otto I. Bertholdshofer, 1303-1319
- Friedrich II. Heinrichsreuther, 1320–1346, appointed visitor of all monasteries in the diocese of Regensburg; allegedly entrusted by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian with the settlement of the newly founded Ettal Abbey
- Heinrich VII. Hoheimer, 1348–1356
- Conrad III. Perchtholtzhofer, 1356-1388
- Konrad IV. Ratzenhofer, 1388-1394
- Johannes I. Strelnvelser, 1394–1417, from the Kastl monastery ; made Reichenbach Monastery a center for the reform of the Chancellors ; Redesign of the monastery church (parts of the Gothic choir stalls from 1416 have been preserved in the monks' choir)
- Lazarus Krazel, 1417-1418
- Thyemo von Stein, 1418–1431, new Gothic building and fortification of the monastery against the Hussites
- Engelhard von Murach , 1431–1436
- John II of Falkenstein, 1436–1461
- Georg Dorner, 1461–1473
- Konrad V. Huber, 1473-1480
- Petrus I. Münzer, 1480–1509
- Leonhard, 1509–1514 (discontinued)
- Friedrich IV. Brentel, 1514–1517 (resigned)
- Otto II. Schwarz, 1517–1536
- Stephan Treutlinger, 1536–1543; when the abbot, who was suspected of embezzlement, fled the monastery, the prior Simon Cholner continued the official business; In 1547 Abbot Stephan resigned voluntarily; he died in the convent ofprüfunging
- Michael Kazbeck, 1548–1556, last abbot before the repeal as a result of the Reformation ; married and became the first administrator of the monastery property; friends with the humanists Caspar Bruschius and Matthias Flacius
From re-establishment to secularization
- Odilo Mayrhofer, 1695–1698, from Sankt Emmeram Monastery , first abbot after the rebuilding of the monastery, beginning of the baroque renovation of the church and the monastery buildings
- Bonaventura Oberhuber, 1698–1735, from Tegernsee Monastery ; from 1695 abbot of the Ensdorf monastery , which he continued to head as administrator until 1715 after being elected abbot of Reichenbach; 1691–1702 General Procurator of the Bavarian Benedictine Congregation in Rome; could therefore only officially take possession of the abbey after his return from Rome
- John Evangelist III. Miller, 1735
- Petrus II Besel (Pesl), 1735–1738
- Placidus Goeschl, 1738–1745, beginning of the redesign of the monastery church in the Rococo style in 1742
- Jakob Deimer, 1745–1752, completion of the redesign of the monastery church in 1747
- Gregor Haimerl, 1752–1773, extraordinary visitor to the Bavarian Benedictine Congregation 1759, 1761 and 1768
- Augustin Meindl, 1773-1801
- Marian Neumiller, 1801–1803, last abbot of Reichenbach; initially stayed with some conventuals in the monastery; then moved to Amberg, where he died in 1832
Building description and building history of the Benedictine abbey church
General
The Romanesque basilica, which consists of a nave, two side aisles and two towers, refers to the Hirsau building school . The original three apses in the east were replaced by a Gothic choir in 1300. A Baroque facade was built in front of the Romanesque westwork in 1716. The choir (around 1300), the vaulted side aisles (15th century) and the raised church towers are Gothic.
Interior
Apart from the two door knockers on the outer portal, nothing has survived from the Romanesque period. The donor's tomb (1304) of Margrave Diepold III, the tombs of his mother Luitgard and other family members are Gothic. On the first pillar of the southern country house is a Gothic Madonna and Child (approx. 1420), a work of the Soft Style . The famous Christ Enthroned , an important Romanesque image of Bavaria, is in the Bavarian National Museum in Munich.
Frescoes
The ceiling frescoes each extend over two yokes and are surrounded by four medallions in the stitch caps. All works can be classified between the 17th and 18th centuries. Shown are King David, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Kings. There are two curiosities in the middle ceiling painting. A horse's front leg is sculpted in the stucco and you can look a dog in the eye from all sides.
Piece
The Reichenbacher stucco impresses with its wealth of forms and finely coordinated colors. It consists of ribbon work with C-arcs, tendrils with green foliage, shell work, flower garlands and lattice stucco. The groin vaults of the side aisles are decorated in the same way as the vestibule. The stucco work is attributed to Jakob Appiania (1687–1742).
High altar
The baroque high altar of the Assumption is attributed to Otto Gebhard . To the left of the tabernacle is St. Benedict and to the right is St. Scholastica .
Side altars
The altar of Mary and the cross altar are similar. The rotated columns refer to the high altar. The late Gothic statue of Mary has survived the iconoclasm and is still venerated as a miraculous image. The black crucifix is unique of its kind and is an ebony work of the 17th century.
Side altars
In the south aisle is the Sebastian Altar (1716/18) decorated with classical ornamentation. Opposite, in the north aisle, is the Holy Kinship Altar, which refers to the Sebastian Altar in its design. Also in the south aisle is the rococo-made Benedict altar (18th century). Its counterpart is the guardian angel altar in the north aisle.
Wittelsbacher epitaphs
In the church there is an epitaph with a skeletonized memento mori representation for the canon, Prince Johann von Pfalz-Mosbach (1443–1486), a grandson of the German King Ruprecht I , who died on a pilgrimage in Jerusalem . In front of it lies the grave slab of his father Otto I. of Pfalz-Mosbach .
Order of the Brothers of Mercy in Reichenbach
The Order of the Brothers of Mercy acquired the building in 1890, moved into it as a convent, and in the spring of 1891 began accepting and caring for people with intellectual disabilities. In 1972 they founded the Fachschule für Heilerziehungspflegehilfe , today's technical schools for Heilerziehungspflege Reichenbach and Tegernheim (branch in Tegernheim since 2014).
The monastery church of the Assumption is pastorally by the parish Walderbach cared, who as a daughter church listened.
Priors of the Brothers of Mercy in Reichenbach
- 1891 Frater Paulus Schmid (event hall named after him)
- 1899 Brother Johannes Förch
- 1900 Brother Paulus Schmid
- 1905 Brother Edmund Fuchs
- 1908 Brother Eberhard Forstner
- 1914 Brother Eucherius Drexel
- 1925 Brother Sympert Fleischmann
- 1928 Frater Gallikan Holzschuh
- 1931 Brother Edmund Fuchs
- 1946 Brother Alexander Mittermeier
- 1953 Father Stephan Hailand
- 1956 Brother Gumbert Schiedeck
- 1962 Frater Pankratius Wolf
- 1965 Brother Silvester Ganghofer
- 1971 Frater Donatus Wiedenmann (currently Prior and General Manager in Neuburg an der Donau )
- 1977 Brother Emerich Steigerwald (currently Prior in Munich and Provincial Economist of the Bavarian Order of the Brothers of Mercy)
- 1983 Frater Eduard Bauer (currently Prior in Kostenz)
- 1986 Frater Donatus Wiedenmann (currently Prior and General Manager in Neuburg an der Donau )
- 1987 Brother Adelmar Schmid
- 1989 Brother Rudolf Knopp (currently First General Councilor of the General Government of the Brothers of Mercy, based in Rome )
- 1992 Brother Timotheus Rohrmoser
- 1995 Brother Erhard Hildebrand
- 1998 Brother Ludwig Schmid
- since 2010 Frater Erhard Hildebrand
gallery
- Rich / sacrifice. - Former Benedictine abbey church
literature
- Josef Klose: Former Benedictine Abbey Church in Reichenbach. 6th, revised edition. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2002, ISBN 3-7954-4115-3 .
- 875 years of Reichenbach am Regen Monastery: 1118–1993. (Ed. Community Reichenbach). Johannes-von-Gott-Verlag, Munich 1993, ISBN 3-929849-20-8 .
- Josef Hemmerle : The Benedictine monasteries in Bavaria. (Germania Benedictina 2). Augsburg 1970, 256-260.
- Maria Kagerer et al .: 100 plus Reichenbacher Rückschau 1890–2000 . (Ed. Community Reichenbach). Verlag Hofmann Druck, Regenstauf 1999.
- Cornelia Baumann, Cornelia Oelwein: The traditions of the Reichenbach am Regen monastery in sources and discussions on Bavarian history. Bavarian Academy of Sciences. Beck, Munich 1991, ISBN 3-406-10401-0 .
- Franz Hiltl: Reichenbach: the great art, cultural and cult monument in the Regental. (Ed. Monastery of the Brothers of Mercy). Reichenbach 1973.
- Elmar Altwasser, Angus Fowler, Gerhard Seib: Reichenbach: Monastery and Teutonic Order Church. (Ed. Burgverein Reichenbach e.V.) Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich, Berlin 1998.
- Manfred Knedlik: “O blessed sixth Saeculum!” On the secular celebrations of the Reichenbach and Walderbach monasteries in the 18th century. In: Castles and Monasteries, City and River. Festschrift for the 36th Bavarian North Gauge Day in Nittenau. (Ed. Oberpfälzer Kulturbund) Nittenau 2006, pp. 171–176.
swell
- Monumenta Boica , Volume 27, Munich 1829 (documents from the Reichenbach Monastery from 1118 to 1565).
See also
Web links
- http://www.barmherzige-reichenbach.de
- Report and pictures of the monastery fire
- Reichenbach am Regen Monastery , basic data in the database of monasteries in Bavaria in the House of Bavarian History
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Katja Putzer: The library of the Reichenbach monastery. In: Tobias Appl, Manfred Knedlik (Hrsg.): Upper Palatinate monastery landscape. The monasteries, monasteries and colleges of the Upper Palatinate. Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 2016, p. 48. ISBN 978-3-7917-2759-2 .
- ^ Hermann Bauer, Anna Bauer: Monasteries in Bavaria: an art and cultural history of the monasteries in Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate. Beck Verlag, Munich 1993, ISBN 3-406-37754-8 , p. 250 ff.
- ^ Josef Klose: Former Benedictine abbey church in Reichenbach. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2002, ISBN 3-7954-4115-3 .
- ^ Website of the Reichenbach monastery church with a description of the epitaph
- ^ Georg Dehio: Handbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler , 1908 (Reprint, London, 2013), p. 425; (Digitalscan) ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://barmherzige-reichenbach.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Allgemein/Festbroschuere_125_Jahre.pdf
- ↑ http://www.pfarrei-walderbach.de/14.html
- ^ Brothers of Mercy: Br. Emerich Steigerwald re-elected. orden online, March 22, 2010
Coordinates: 49 ° 10 ′ 58 ″ N , 12 ° 20 ′ 54 ″ E