Norbert Mussbacher

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Coat of arms of Abbot Norbert Mussbacher on the west facade of the collegiate church Lilienfeld

Norbert Mussbacher OCist (born December 31, 1926 in Ollersbach in Lower Austria ; † November 10, 2004 in Lilienfeld ) was a Cistercian , 64th  abbot of Lilienfeld Abbey , titular abbot of Marienberg, order historian, heraldist, local historian and poet.

Life

Friedrich Josef Mussbacher, son of a gardener, attended the commercial academy in Znojmo . At the end of the Second World War he was first drafted into the Reich Labor Service and then into the Wehrmacht . After his release from American captivity, he passed the teaching exam and worked as a secondary school teacher in Ravelsbach. In 1949 he became a Cistercian by joining the Lilienfeld Abbey and taking the religious name Norbert. He completed his studies in philosophy and theology in Heiligenkreuz and Vienna . After his ordination in St. Pölten Cathedral on June 29, 1954, he was a catechist in Traisen for a short time , then a chaplain in Lilienfeld and from 1956 to 1960 pastor in Unterdürnbach . From 1960 he worked at Lilienfeld Abbey as a worker, building authority and electrical works manager.

On February 12, 1968 he was elected 64th abbot of the Lilienfeld monastery. His motto was: Adjuvante Domino. In 1973 he received his doctorate from the University of Vienna in the subject of church history with a dissertation on Abbot Matthew III. Kolweiß from Lilienfeld. From 1977 to 1985 Abbot Norbert was the first assistant of the Austrian Cistercian Congregation .

During his tenure as abbot he had the monastery complex itself and several churches and parsonages in the monastery parishes restored to a large extent. A highlight of his tenure was the Lower Austrian regional exhibition on the subject of "1000 Years of Babenberger in Austria", which took place in 1976 in Lilienfeld Abbey. This exhibition brought almost 500,000 visitors to Lilienfeld. In the same year he was able to achieve that Pope Paul VI. elevated the collegiate church to the " Basilica minor ".

On the occasion of the 750th consecration day of the monastery basilica on November 30, 1980, Abbot Norbert Mussbacher donated the "Cross of Honor of the Lilienfeld Monastery".

Abbot Norbert promoted the art collections and church music in Lilienfeld Abbey and engaged Karen De Pastel as Lilienfeld's organist and organizer of numerous musical events at the Abbey. On August 12, 1993, he had a statue of Saint Bernhard , donated by the "Advent in Lilienfeld" association, erected in front of the Porten building of the Lilienfeld Abbey.

He wrote historical and local history publications and individual volumes of poetry. After his resignation on October 25, 1993, he continued to devote himself to his studies and poetry. He headed the monastery gate from 1995 and took part in the regular life of the Fathers of Lilienfeld Monastery until shortly before his death. From 1984 to 1995 he was the order prelate of the Grand Priory of Austria in the Order of Lazarus .

After his death in 2004, his body was buried in the abbot's vault in the Lilienfeld city cemetery. His two successors, Abbot Matthäus Nimmervoll (1993 - 2019) and Abbot Pius Maurer (since 2019) both entered the monastery under him.

Cross of honor of the abbot of Lilienfeld Abbey

On the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the consecration of the Lilienfeld Abbey, Abbot Norbert donated the Cross of Honor of the Abbey of Lilienfeld Abbey , which has been awarded since 1980 to people who have made special contributions to the Abbey. It is awarded in the form of gold, silver and bronze.

The specific reason for the foundation was the report that the monastery was to be blown up when the German troops withdrew in 1945. Edmund Welten, who received this order as a non-commissioned officer , did not carry it out, but defused the explosive device so that the pen was protected from damage. Welten was unable to receive the award intended for him in 1980, as he died shortly before.

Awards

Publications

  • Die Lichte Pforte, collection of poems, St. Pölten 1964 (and other editions)
  • The Lilienfeld Abbey, in: Heimatkunde des Bezirk Lilienfeld 1, Lilienfeld 1971, 11–38.
  • Matthäus Kolweiß von Lilienfeld (1620–1695), in: Analecta Cisterciensia 31 (1975) 3–148.
  • The veneration of Mary by the Cisterciens, in: Die Cistercienser. History - Spirit - Art, Wienand, Cologne 1974 (and other editions).
  • Lilienfeld Abbey, Bergland Verlag, Vienna 1976.
  • Crystallization, volume of poetry, Lilienfeld 1977.
  • Lilienfeld's efforts to re-establish the Zirc Abbey 1659–1699, in: Analecta Cisterciensia 38 (1982) 22–42.
  • Blooming twigs, volume of poetry, Lilienfeld 1989.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Cross of Honor of the Abbot of Lilienfeld Monastery by Jörg C. Steiner on the order of the Order, accessed on September 16, 2010

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Mussbacher, Norbert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mussbacher, Friedrich Josef (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian Cistercian
DATE OF BIRTH December 31, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Ollersbach , Lower Austria
DATE OF DEATH November 10, 2004
Place of death Lilienfeld , Lower Austria