Petrus Klotz

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Petrus II. Klotz OSB (real name Karl Klotz , born April 9, 1878 in Kaltern , South Tyrol, † October 6, 1967 in Vienna ) was Archabbot of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter in Salzburg and travel writer.

Life

Karl Klotz joined in 1898 as a monk in the Benedictine - Abbey of St. Peter (Salzburg) , where he the religious name was Peter. He studied philosophy and theology . On September 22nd, 1901 he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Archbishop Johannes Baptist Katschthaler . From 1912 to 1916 he made a trip around the world, during which he covered 200,000 km. He communicated his experiences in many lectures and in seven books ( inter alia, At Stranger Worlds Gate , What I found under palm trees ). In 1922, Father Peter was elected 83rd Abbot of St. Peter. In 1925 Klotz was also elected Abbot President of the Benedictine Congregation of St. Joseph .

Crucifix by Jakob Adlhart in the St. Benedict College

In memory of the old Salzburg Benedictine University , Abbot Petrus II endeavored to re-establish a Catholic university in Salzburg. In 1926 this led to the foundation of the Benedictine college, the St. Benedict college , through a confederation of all German-speaking Benedictine monasteries. To accommodate the students, a third cloister courtyard was created in St. Peter's Abbey from 1924 to 1926; the plans for this came from the German architect and designer Peter Behrens . The courtyard of the building was decorated with frescoes by Anton Faistauer , in the entrance hall there is the well-known crucifix by Jakob Adlhart made of linden wood. This achievement, which would subsequently lead to the re-establishment of the University of Salzburg , was honored by the Pope in 1927 by elevating the St. Peter monastery to an archabbey , with which Petrus Klotz also became 1st Archabbot of St. Peter. However, this construction caused considerable financial difficulties for the monastery, which was on the verge of bankruptcy with a debt of 3 million schillings. All German-speaking Benedictine abbeys had come together to found an all-German Catholic university in Salzburg, but St. Peter's Abbey was solely responsible for the construction costs. After a papal visitation in 1931, Petrus Klotz resigned as abbot, his successor Jakob Reimer had to sell the monastery property and art treasures to cover the debts (only at the request of the pope in 1934 the confederation of monasteries had to assume part of the costs). After that, Petrus Klotz lived mainly in Vienna.

Petrus Klotz has traveled extensively and written about his experiences. He was also one of the initiators of the Salzburg University Weeks . Since 1926 he was a member of the KDB Vindelicia zu Salzburg in the RKDB (today in the ÖCV ).

Klotzbankl with a view of Lake Kaltern

A medal created by the sculptor and medalist Theodor Georgi commemorates Petrus Klotz . On the front there is a portrait of Thomas Klotz with the inscription PETRVS ABB. S. PETRI SALISBVRG (translated: Petrus Abbot of Sankt Peter in Salzburg builder ). On the back there are three coats of arms, on the right the coat of arms of the St. Peter monastery, on the left the coat of arms of the abbot, in the middle the Kolleghof with the fortress Hohensalzburg , including the date of inauguration and three more lines: MCMXXVI / KAL. MAII / I. + INAVG. SHOULD. COLLEG. BENEDICT. AD S. PETR. SALISBURG (translated: Solemn inauguration of the Collegium Benedictinum near St. Peter in Salzburg ).

In Kaltern in South Tyrol, his birthplace, the so-called "Klotzbankl" (a wooden bench with the inscription "1901 Dr. Petrus Klotz 1951") reminds of him, an idyllic vantage point in the Altenburg Forest with a view of Lake Kaltern and the surrounding area. It was one of his favorite places, and it was where he often retreated to reflect.

Klotzbankl with the inscription "1901 Dr. Petrus Klotz 1951"

Publications

  • What I found under palm trees . From the sketchbook of an orienteer, Herder: Freiburg im Breisgau 1911.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fritz Aldefeld (ed.): Total directory of RKDB Neuss 1,931th
  2. ↑ Christoph Mayrhofer (2017). Medal portraits of two Benedictines. Salzburg Museum, volume 30, April 2017, sheet 348.
  3. ↑ [1]
predecessor Office successor
Willibald Hauthaler Abbot of the monastery St. Peter
1922 - 1931 		Jakob Reimer
Willibald Hauthaler Abbot Praeses of the Austrian Benedictine Congregation of St. Joseph
1925 - 1930 		-
personal data
SURNAME Klotz, Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Klotz, Karl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian Benedictine abbot and travel writer
DATE OF BIRTH April 9, 1878
PLACE OF BIRTH Kaltern , South Tyrol
DATE OF DEATH October 6, 1967
Place of death Vienna