Wessobrunn Monastery

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Wessobrunn Monastery towards the end of the 17th century after a copper engraving by Michael Wening
Gatehouse, parish church of St. Johannes Baptist and Gray Duke . On the right in the picture a former defense tower .
Historic fountain house Wessobrunn
Magnificent stucco in the prelate wing.
Sculptures and architectural fragments from the Wessobrunn Monastery in the Bavarian National Museum in Munich.

The former Wessobrunn monastery was the nucleus of today's place Wessobrunn in the district of Weilheim-Schongau in Upper Bavaria.

Legend of the founding of the monastery

According to a St. Emmeram legend of the 11th century, the monastery was owned by the Bavarian Duke Tassilo III. who had to spend a night hunting in the Rotwald , the Rotter Forest, in 753 . In a dream he saw a spring, the water of which flowed in four directions, and from which a ladder led to heaven, where angels went up and down. At the top of the ladder stood Peter singing an office . The next day Tassilo had the spring searched until his hunting companion Wezzo found springs in the shape of a cross. The Duke understood his dream as a heavenly instruction and had the monastery built in honor of Peter on the site of the springs.

First Benedictine monastery in Wessobrunn (8th century to 955)

The founder and year of foundation of the Wessobrunn Monastery cannot be determined with certainty. It was mentioned in a document in 817 in the Carolingian imperial monastery register of Emperor Ludwig the Pious . Wessobrunn also appears in Bavarian family tables as the burial site of the earliest known ancestor of the Törring family , Albeck Töringer or Taringer, also called Alwicus I, who lived around 753 and is said to have served as chief hunter under Duke Tassilo in Bavaria.

The founding year 753 mentioned in the legend is considered unlikely, since Duke Tassilo would only have been 11 or 12 years old. Nevertheless, in 1753 the monastery celebrated the millennium of its existence. The anniversary celebration was triggered by the monastery chronicle published by the Wessobrunn monk Coelestin Leuthner in 1753, which Duke Tassilo seeks to put in the light of the monastery founder, the older age of the monastery is skipped and is therefore still controversial today. Co-authors of the jubilation published in 1754 were, among others, Abbot Beda Schallhammer (1684–1760) and the Salzburg professor for canon law Gregor Zallwein (1712–1766).

Regarding the founding, two different traditions circulated for a long time, both of which were only written in the middle of the 11th century. One tradition, which is mainly based on documents from the Benediktbeuern monastery from the 8th and 9th centuries, says that around 740 the nobleman Landfrid from the Huosi family and his brothers Waldram and Eliland founded eight monasteries in the Pfaffenwinkel around the same time namely the five men's convents Benediktbeuern , Schlehdorf , Seiferstetten , Wessobrunn and Sandau as well as the three women's convents Polling , Staffelsee and Kochel am See monastery . For the purpose of founding the five men's convents, Landfrid recruited a total of 150 Benedictine monks, 50 of whom he employed to build the Benediktbeuern monastery and 25 each to build the other four monasteries. After the completion of the three women's convents, 25 nuns are said to have been quartered in each. Landfrid was the first abbot of Benediktbeuern.

The other tradition, which went out from the Wessobrunn monastery, saw Duke Tassilo as the founder thanks to the founding legend and the Wessobrunn founding note. A number of historians leaned towards this view. In the European academic church history , however, the prevailing doctrine was that the Wessobrunn monastery was founded in the period 740-741.

Some historians did not see an insurmountable contradiction in the two apparently irreconcilable claims, namely on the one hand that the Wessobrunn monastery was founded around 740 and, on the other hand, that Duke Tassilo can be considered its actual founder, not an insurmountable contradiction. They considered it likely that either Tassilo's mother as guardian or, in later years, he himself had the monastery restored and expanded.

From the fact that initially twice the number of monks was used to found the Benediktbeuern Abbey, historiography sometimes concluded that Wessobrunn was founded from Benediktbeuern. Reinhard Höppl, who examined the relationship between Wessobrunn and Benediktbeuern, emphasizes that the Benediktbeur tradition itself does not say that Wessobrunn was founded by Benediktbeuern. The origin of the first monks from Benediktbeuern, however, was not disputed by Wessobrunn either. Furthermore, the existing findings do not speak in favor of a foundation by Duke Tassilo. Höppl therefore considers it probable, based on other indications, that the monastery was founded as an own monastery by a noble family from Rott in the second half of the 8th century . His conclusions found support in science.

The Benedictine monastery Wessobrunn served to secure the Lech border and to reclaim the surrounding forest area. The place name Wessobrunn (885 Uuezinesprunnin "source of the Wetsin ") was originally probably a field name that the monastery took over. According to another source, the word Wesso could come from the Celtic vocabulary and the name Wessobrunn could mean something like 'hound fountain'.

With the deposition of Tassilos III. by Charlemagne Wessobrunn was 788 Carolingian Empire monastery. In 817 it was still considered so penniless that it did not have to pay the emperor any taxes for a campaign, only prayers. Around 900 it fell to the diocese of Augsburg . The monastery finally went under in 955. Legend has it that the Hungarians burned the complex and murdered Abbot Thiento and six of his monks.

Secular Canon Pen (955-1064)

After the defeat of the Hungarians on the Lechfeld , the spiritual life in Wessobrunn was continued in the form of a secular canon monastery. Not much is known about this period. Only a list of the provost names has survived. It is believed that Wessobrunn lost a large part of its goods during this period.

Second Benedictine monastery (1064–1803)

A Benedictine monastery was not founded again until 1064. The last provost, Adelbero, was also the first abbot. From around 1100 to 1220 there was also a women's convent in addition to the men's. The abbot of the men's convention presided over both monasteries. Wulfhild, fourth daughter of Heinrich the Black , who was married to Count Rudolf von Bregenz († 1160) and became a nun after his death as a widow in Wessobrunn, was one of the famous nuns of the women's convent , where she died at an unknown time. She was beatified in 1668 . The women's convent was located on the site of today's parish church .

In 1141 Wessobrunn freed itself from the authority of the Bishop of Augsburg and was again under the direct control of the sovereign. Large parts of the monastery burned down in 1220. Extensive new buildings followed. The overall happy development of the monastery allowed intensive artistic care. The interior of the monastery church was modernized in 1655. In 1680 Abbot Leonhard Weiß started the new construction of the monastery complex, in which the monastery subjects are employed. The ambitious plans were not implemented in full due to lack of funds. From the workshops of the monastery, which attracted outstanding specialists, the so-called Wessobrunn School arose today , where the training of numerous outstanding artists, in particular plasterers, took place, who influenced the entire southern German area and beyond from here.

Klosterhofmark

In 1330 the Wessobrunn monastery received lower jurisdiction from Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian . The scope of these rights was initially limited to the immediate vicinity of the monastery.

From 1506 Wessobrunn was finally called Hofmark , 1606 as a closed Hofmark. From the 16th century, the monastery increasingly acquired jurisdiction in surrounding villages.

In 1761, the Wessobrunn monastery yard area comprised all farms in the former municipality of Forst , Rott , Wessobrunn , Haid , Gimmenhausen , Ludenhausen , Riedhof , Pessenhausen , Abtzell ( Zellsee and Kochbauer), Kreuzberg , Schellschwang , Pählschwang ( Stillern ), Feistenau and Vilgertshofen . Abtsried was owned by the monastery and is therefore not listed in the tax register. The jurisdiction owned a total of 300 properties, of which 261 were original Hofmarks and 39 were bought later.

After secularization (1803-1913)

In the course of secularization , the monastery was closed in 1803. In 1810 the monastery church was torn down because it was in disrepair. Large parts of the monastery buildings were cannibalized as material reservoirs in order to rebuild the burned down upper town in Weilheim. In 1861 the historian Johann Nepomuk Sepp from Tölz saved the remaining buildings by buying part of the complex. The free-standing bell tower survived the secularization only because the Wessobrunn parish church next door has no bells.

Third Benedictine monastery (1913–2012)

Theodor Freiherr von Cramer-Klett donated the facility to the Mission Benedictine Sisters from Tutzing in 1913 . They moved into two of the former monastery wings and formed a new Benedictine monastery on site. From 1955 to 2001 the sisters ran a youth sanatorium here. In 2012 the last sisters moved out of the monastery.

Mostly secular use since 2014

In 2014 Martina Gebhardt bought the former monastery for her natural cosmetics company. The monastery garden was planted with medicinal herbs. Half of the buildings were used for the company, while traditional craftsmen and a seminar company moved into the other half. Negotiations with the buyer have ensured that the parish can continue to use the parish rooms in the monastery on a permanent basis.

In 2017, BR Fernsehen visited the monastery for the report The last one turns off the light? About the conversion of monasteries .

Abbots and provosts

see list of abbots and provosts of the Wessobrunn monastery

literature

  • Irmtraud von Andrian-Werburg : The Benedictine Abbey Wessobrunn. Verlag Walter de Gruyter (= Germania sacra NF 39), Berlin / New York, 2001, ISBN 978-3-11-016912-6 ( digitized version )
  • Gabriele Dischinger, Eva Christina Vollmer: Quick Art Guide No. 526: Wessobrunn. Former Benedictine monastery, parish church of St. Johann Baptist and Kreuzberg chapel. 16th edition. Schnell und Steiner publishing house, Regensburg 2003, ISBN 978-3-7954-4312-2 .
  • Reinhard Höppl: The traditions of the Wessobrunn monastery. Verlag Beck, Munich 1984, ISBN 978-3-406-10392-6 .
  • Reinhard Höppl: The documents of the Wessobrunn monastery 1364–1562. In two volumes. Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 978-3-406-10410-7 .
  • Coelestin Leuthner: History of the Wessobrunn Monastery. With references to the general and special history of Bavaria. German translation from the Latin original from 1753. Wessofontanum, Wessobrunn 2001.
  • Wessobrunn community (publisher): 1250 years of Wessobrunn. Festschrift. Fink Verlag, Lindenberg 2003, ISBN 978-3-89870-128-0 .
  • Wolfgang Winhard: The Benedictine Abbey of Wessobrunn in the 18th century. Schnell und Steiner publishing house, Munich 1988, ISBN 978-3-7954-0463-5 .
  • Eberhard v. Fugger: Wessobrunn Monastery: a piece of the cultural history of our closer fatherland . Edited from documents and historical sources . Meßner, Munich 1985.
  • Rogerius Schranzhofer: The monks of Stams zu Wessenbrunn. With certificates . In: The collector for history and statistics of Tyrol , Volume 5, Innsbruck 1809, pp. 229-251 ( e-copy ).
  • Pankraz Fried, Sebastian Hiereth: Altbayern Row I, Issue 22–23: Landsberg Regional Court and Rauhenlechsberg Nursing Court . In: Historical Atlas of Bavaria . Komm. Für Bayerische Landesgeschichte, Munich 1971 (327 pages).

Web links

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

Coordinates: 47 ° 52 ′ 37.9 "  N , 11 ° 1 ′ 34.2"  E

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Wening : Description of the Elector and Duchy of Upper and Nidern Bavaria . Part I, Munich 1701, pp. 143-144.
  2. ↑ Karl Popp: A defense tower in the former monastery at Wessobrunn . Munich 1871 ( e-copy ).
  3. ↑ Eva Prockl: The history of the Benedictine Wessobrunn from its inception until the 17th century. Article in the commemorative publication: 1250 years of Wessobrunn , Lindenberg 2003, pages 11–26
  4. ↑ Family tables of the dukes of Bavaria and noble Bavarian aristocratic families , 1725. Stamm-Tafel A , p. 207 .
  5. ↑ Höppl, 1984, p. 117 *.
  6. ↑ a b Beda Schallhammer, Aegidius Madlseder, Gregor Zallwein, Benedictus Milbaur, Romuald Schleich, Leonhard Holtzer, Georgius Echter, Sulpitius Schöttl and Veremund Eisvogel: A Thousand Meal Blessed Brünnen Wessonis. That is, two-fold Danck jubilation and joy festival of the ancient and liberated Closter Wessobrunn of the Benedicti order in Ober-Bayren . Augsburg 1754 ( e-copy ).
  7. ^ Coelestin Leuthner: History of the Wessobrunn Monastery. With references to the general and special history of Bavaria. German translation from the Latin original from 1753. Wessofontanum, Wessobrunn 2001.
  8. ^ Josef Hemmerle : The Benedictine Abbey Benediktbeuern . de Gruyter, Berlin and New York 1991, p. 89 ff. ( PDF; 12 MB ).
  9. ^ Judas Taddäus Zauner: Biographical news from the Salzburg legal scholars from the foundation of the university to the present day . Salzburg 1889, pp. 95-97.
  10. ^ Zauner, 1889, pp. 101-109.
  11. ↑ a b cf. Hemmerle, 1991, p. 80 ( PDF; 12 MB ).
  12. ^ Martin Zeiller : Tractatus De X. Circulis Imperii Romano-Germanici. Ulm 1665, p. 230 and p. 273
  13. ↑ On Kochelsee Monastery, see Joseph Ernst von Koch-Sternfeld : The fishing (the jus picandi) in Bavaria and Austria above the Enns according to the most ancient land law; juxtaposed pragmatically: the "fish woad in the Bavarian lakes according to cultural-historical sketches by Hartwig Peetz : Munich 1862" . Munich 1863, p. 19, especially footnote 4) .
  14. ↑ Among other things: Georg Hager: Building activity and art maintenance in the Wessobrunn monastery and the Wessobrunn stucco. 1893/94, p. 205; Romuald Bauernreiß: Pictures from Bavarian History. 1953, p. 41; Josef Hemmerle: The Benedictine monasteries in Bavaria. 1970, p. 366; Ludwig Holzfurtner: Foundation and founding tradition . 1984, p. 80 f.
  15. ↑ cf. Philippe Macquer, Peter von Osterwald and Ferdinand Sterzing: Chronological introduction to church history from the French . Second part: VIII. To XII. Century , Munich 1771, pp. 31–34 .
  16. ↑ cf. Johann Heinrich von Falckenstein: Historia Boiorum Pragmatica . Part II, Munich and Ingolstadt 1763, pp. 511-312.
  17. ↑ A point of view that was taken more recently by Josef Stadler: Wessobrunn Monastery. 1953, p. 3.
  18. ↑ Höppl, 1984, p. 105 * f.
  19. ↑ Höppl, 1984, p. 106 *.
  20. ↑ Höppl, 1984, pp. 107 * -117 *.
  21. ↑ Höppl, 1984, pp. 117 * -119 *.
  22. ^ Andrian-Werbung, 2001, p. 81.
  23. ^ Andrian-Werbung, 2001, p. 82.
  24. ↑ Höppl, 1984, p. 104 * ff.
  25. ↑ Vincent von Pallhausen: Bajoariae topographica Romano-Celtica, or Baiern, as it was in the oldest times . First part: Roman road from Verona to Augsburg . Munich 1816, p. 255 .
  26. ^ Tobias Weller : The marriage policy of the German high nobility in the 12th century . Böhlau, Cologne 2004, ISBN 3-412-11104-X , p. 255 ( e-copy ).
  27. ↑ Placidus Braun: Life history of all saints and blessed, who were born, lived or died partly in the city and partly in the diocese of Augsburg . Augsburg 1825, p. 165.
  28. ↑ Wolf Schmid: How Johann Sepp saved the monastery. In: Weilheimer Tagblatt dated February 9, 2012, Local , p. 6.
  29. ↑ Sarah Kanning: The sanctuary becomes a cosmetic factory. In: sueddeutsche.de . July 4, 2014, accessed January 18, 2020 .
  30. ↑ A chance for Wessobrunn? In: ARD Mediathek . Bayerischer Rundfunk , October 31, 2015, accessed on January 18, 2020 .
  31. ^ Catholic News Agency (KNA), June 13, 2014.
  32. ↑ The last one turns off the light? About the conversion of monasteries. BR television, March 27, 2017.