Michael Gorgeous

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Grave slab for Abbot Michael Herrlich in the Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig Abbey

Michael Herrlich (* around 1539 in Weinheim , then Electoral Palatinate , today Baden-Württemberg ; † March 23, 1609 in Göttweig Abbey ) was a Catholic priest , Benedictine and abbot of Göttweig Abbey; he is considered the second founder.

Live and act

Nothing more is known about the early life of the Palatinate. He was originally a conventual in Melk Abbey , where he completed his religious professorship and was ordained priest in 1559. He was the prior of the Benedictine monastery there from an early age and then became pastor of Ravelsbach in the Weinviertel . Here he received the call in 1564 to rebuild the completely depopulated Göttweig Abbey.

This was practically dissolved by the circumstances of the time and no longer had any conventuals. The superiors of the surrounding monasteries, namely Abbot Leopold Lasperger von Altenburg , Abbot Johannes Schröttl from the Schottenstift in Vienna, and Provost Johann Pölzer von Herzogenburg , elected Michael Herrlich on June 28, 1564, in the presence of the imperial representatives, Franz Baron von Sinzendorf and Georg Beyer , to the Abbot of Göttweig. The election was confirmed on August 2nd of that year by the then papal legate to Vienna , Titular Bishop Zacharias Delphinus.

Göttweig Abbey in 1649, after being rebuilt by Abbot Michael Herrlich

Abbot Michael Herrlich became the second founder of the abandoned monastery. Under his predecessor, Abbot Leopold Rueber (1543–1556), most of Göttweig's goods and rights were either sold or pledged. Emperor Ferdinand I had finally appointed the provost of Herzogenburg as the Göttweiger administrator, who was also involved in the election process and whose successor Michael Herrlich now took over. He brought in new friars, gradually consolidated the finances, renovated the buildings and obtained confirmation from Emperor Maximilian II on February 19, 1565, and from Emperor Rudolph II on June 17, 1578, the previous freedoms, rights and goods of the Pen. Within 10 to 15 years he completely renewed his monastery spiritually and financially. In 1580 the complex burned down, but was rebuilt splendidly under the energetic Abbot Herrlich.

After 40 years as an abbot, Michael Herrlich resigned from his office on November 11, 1603. Georg Schedler was chosen as his successor. On Mariä Candlemas (February 2nd) 1609 he celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest in the Schottenstift Vienna, but he died shortly afterwards, on March 23rd of that year. Michael Herrlich was buried in the Gotthard Church in Göttweig Abbey; After the Gotthard Church was demolished, the bones were buried on the Michael Altar of the collegiate church. The grave slab is preserved in the vestibule of the collegiate church (previously set up in the so-called apothecary corridor, the south wing of the cloister), furthermore the depiction of a kneeling figure of the abbot (wooden panel with tempera paints). There is also a silver medal with the bearded portrait of the abbot.

In the old Hellerhof chapel of St. John the Baptist in the parish of Paudorf-Göttweig , the artist Leo Pfisterer created two bronze steles in 2002, the so-called "Göttweiger All Saints Steles". The right, so-called "Salvator Stele" also shows a modern figure of Abbot Michael Herrlich as the re-founder of Göttweig Abbey.

literature

  • Ignaz Franz Keiblinger : History of the Benedictine monastery Melk in Lower Austria , Volume 1, 1851 Scan of the chapter about Abbot Michael Herrlich
  • Joseph Bergmann: Medals for famous and distinguished men of the Austrian imperial state from the 16th until the XIX. Century , Volume 2, 1857 Scan of the chapter on Michael Herrlich
  • History of the Göttweig Abbey 1083–1983. Commemorative publication for the 900 year anniversary . EOS-Verlag, St. Ottilien 1983 (studies and communications on the history of the Benedictine order and its branches, vol. 94, items I – II)
  • 900 years of Göttweig Abbey 1083–1983. A Danube pen as a representative of Benedictine culture, catalog for the anniversary exhibition , Göttweig monastery, self-published, 1983, pages 491 and 760.
  • Clemens Anton Lashofer: Profess book of the Benedictine monastery Göttweig . EOS-Verlag, St. Ottilien 1983 (studies and communications on the history of the Benedictine order and its branches, Erg.-Vd. 26), pages 129-137.
  • Udo Eduard Fischer: Abbot Michael Herrlich. Second founder of Göttweig Abbey, namesake of the Lat Altmanni Church , Paudorf 2016

Web links

Commons : Michael Herrlich  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Source on the designation as the 2nd donor of Göttweig
  2. ↑ To the electing clergy
  3. ↑ To Zacharius Delphinus
  4. ↑ On the re-establishment under Abbot Herrlich
  5. ↑ On the fire of the monastery, 1580
  6. ↑ On resignation as dept
  7. ↑ To the tomb
personal data
SURNAME Wonderful, Michael
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Benedictine abbot in Göttweig Abbey, Austria
DATE OF BIRTH around 1539
PLACE OF BIRTH Weinheim
DATE OF DEATH March 23, 1609
Place of death Göttweig Abbey