Sister house Rosental
The sister house Rosental (also Rosendal ) goes back to the medieval beguinage Rosental in Münster . Even after the forced adoption of the Augustinian rule in 1507, the community still retained peculiarities from earlier times.
history
Beguinage and aftermath
The building of the later sister house belonged to the Überwasserstift in the parish of the same name in the city of Münster. It was in the northeast of the Überwasserstift on Rosenstrasse. Abbess Ida von Sayn leased the Rosendal farm to a couple in 1232. About a hundred years later, in 1326, a beguinage can be found there under the same name. This was one of the oldest in Münster. A founding legend that assumes that it was made around 1230 is fictitious.
In many ways the life of the Beguines was similar to that of the later sisters. Higher mental activity did not matter. The residents lived by handicraft. The number of sisters was twelve even later. Nothing is known about the history of the beguinage until the 15th century.
When Bishop Johann von Pfalz-Simmern prescribed that the Beguines accept the Augustinian Rule in 1463, the Beguines ignored this. It is unclear whether they joined the movement of the Devotio moderna . At least visitors were appointed. These ensured a certain at least outward alignment of life with the Devotio moderna.
The long association with the Beguines meant that this older way of life remained effective longer in Rosental than in other sister houses. In 1502, Bishop Conrad IV von Rietberg felt compelled to push again for the adoption of the Augustinian rule. The reservations about monastic life continued to have an effect for a long time. In 1691 the sisters did not have their own monastery church and preferred to attend the service in the Überwasserstift. There they had locked pews. Nor was a separate clergyman chosen for services in the small chapel of the house.
At the time of the abolition, the authorities were still aware of the difference to the other sister houses. On the other hand, the community did not benefit from the momentum of the Devotio Moderna, especially since the number of sisters was not increased.
Development since the 16th century
During the reign of the Anabaptists in 1534, the monastery was converted into a prison. Women who disobeyed their husbands were caught there. These were considered unbelievers in the sense of the new teaching.
The monastery was spared from the fire in the quarter in 1551 and 1592. On the occasion of the episcopal visitation of 1571 it became clear that the dean of the Überwasserstift served the sisters as preacher and confessor. The collections from three vicarages benefited the community. The vicarages were later lost. During another visit by the vicar general in 1626, he asked the sisters to take a strict retreat . Because of the narrow space of the monastery, this requirement could not be implemented. The monastery survived the Thirty Years' War unscathed. During the war, the community was exempted from paying civil burdens by the city of Münster. The attempt by backers to acquire neighboring buildings for an extension of the monastery failed due to the objection of the city authorities.
The community was also spared the fire of 1671. In 1688 a house chapel was consecrated. But it should not have been a new building. In addition, the sisters continued to attend the service in the Überwasserkirche. In 1691, based on papal instructions , Bishop Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg ordered the introduction of the strict enclosure. Due to the lack of a church of his own, he continued to allow visits to the Überwasserkirche. The sisters, for their part, disregarded the strict requirement for an enclosure. Despite the threat of punishment, they took part in processions.
In the last few years they planned to open a convent school. It never came to that. In 1803 the monastery was converted into a supply institution for women. The authorities of the Grand Duchy of Berg repealed it in 1808/1809. The remaining sisters received pensions. Most of the property was sold by the now French authorities in 1813. The monastery building initially served as a hospital, later a calico printing plant was housed there. It was rebuilt in 1821 and served as a barracks for hussars in 1849. In 1890 the construction was canceled.
Convention
The conditions for admission were marital birth, good reputation, and a minimum age of twelve and a maximum age of twenty-two. The vow could not be taken before the age of twenty. The strength of the convent was no more than twelve sisters. Most of the time, the number was undercut. Most of these came from the bourgeoisie of the city of Münster. Many came from the families of officials.
The community had house rules that precisely timed life. The sisters were only allowed to leave the house in exceptional cases. The sisters did handicrafts such as sewing, embroidery, spinning and weaving. They also worked as host bakers. The clothes were made by myself. This consisted mainly of white fabrics. It is unknown whether the sisters switched to black dress in the eighteenth century.
The community was led by a mother. These came from the Convention and were elected by it. In principle, they were elected for three years. However, there was probably not such a frequent change in the sister house in Rosental as elsewhere. Other offices were later differentiated. A procurator was responsible for economic matters. There were also a kitchen master, a sexton, a discipline master and a nurse. In the end, the following offices existed: superior, prioress, waitress, sexton, undercoost and collectress.
literature
- Wilhelm Kohl: The sister houses according to the Augustinian rule. Berlin, 1968 (Germania Sacra NF 3, 1) pp. 296-318