Seal of the convent of Fulda

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The term “ seal of the Fulda convent ” refers to the main and secondary seals of the convent of the imperial abbey of Fulda , which have been used as an addition to the abbot's seal or as a separate means of authentication since the 11th century. The seal represented Saint Boniface , in whose care the monastery stood.

Seal of the Fulda convent 1212

history

In the Fulda Monastery, founded in 744, the brothers' right of co-determination was established according to the Benedictine rules. The abbot was obliged to seek advice from the convention on important matters relating to the abbey. This led to the convention becoming a decisive power factor alongside the abbot in the 9th century. This process was also accompanied by the separation of property, which resulted in the emancipation of the convent from the abbot.

The development of the independent activity of the convent caused the establishment of its own administration in the middle of the 11th century and, among other things, the procurement of its own seal in order to be able to authenticate the documents that belonged to the affairs of the monastic community. Compared to other Benedictine monasteries , the common use of a seal by the abbot and convent in Fulda was not found.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the convent seal was attached to all legally binding treaties. The year 1219 is the first evidence of the double seal of a fuldischen deed. In 1235 the right of participation of the brothers was given by Pope Gregory IX. fixed. The Pope demanded that every valid legal document bear both seals - by the abbot and the convent. As a result, the individual sealing of the deed was rarely observed by the convent in the 14th century.

use

The affixing of the convent seal was especially necessary in financial matters such as the purchase or sale of goods and tax matters. Before the 13th century, all donations made to Saint Boniface were certified with both seals, because neither the abbot nor the convent alone had the corresponding powers over the property of this type. Sometimes the use of the Convention seal depended on the wishes of the contracting party. In this case, the text of a document could contain a reference to the monastic community as the addressee, and thus the labeling of the document with the seal of the convent turned out to be foreseen.

The convent seal was not used as an authentic seal or as a means of authentication in the case of the third party. The exception was in the case of the double seal - in addition to the abbot's seal.

The hanging of the seal of the convent was seen as a solemn ceremony in the monastery and only had to be entrusted to the representative of the convent. In the case of double sealing, the convent seal followed the abbot's seal. But if the last one was not involved, the convention left its stamp in the first place.

Description of the seal

Compared to the seals of the abbots, the seals of the Fulda convent did not change as quickly. For 700 years there were a total of six different main and seven secondary seals.

Seal of the Fulda convent 1168–1184

Main seal

  1. The pressed seal is round and measures 72 mm in diameter. It is evidenced by impressions from 1062 to 1137 and a heavily worn impression from 1212. The seal shows a half-length portrait of bareheaded Saint Boniface with nimbus and pontifical garb, in his right hand a bishop's staff with an inward-facing staff and in the left hand holding a closed book decorated with a geometric pattern (corners of the book emphasized by double quarter-circle lines with dots in the Centers; in the middle of the book cover a floating bar cross). The inscription is in capital letters the Capitalis held: + S (AN) C (TU) S BONIFATIVS ARCHIEP (ISCOPU) S
  2. The round seal is known from documents from 1168 and 1184. The seal image is similar to that of the first seal, but the staff is directed outwards and the book is adorned with a St. Andrew's cross made of two thin lines (intersecting diagonals of the book cover corners). The inscription is in capitals of the capitalis and the uncial : + S (AN) C (TU) S BONIFACIVS ARCHIEP (IS) C (OPUS)
  3. The attached seal is pointed oval, 89 mm long and 62 mm wide. It is documented by seal impressions from 1222 to 1250 and shows Saint Boniface with nimbus, miter and pontifical robes, sitting on an armchair decorated with dogs' heads, holding an inwardly turned bishop's staff in his right hand and a closed book in his left. The inscription is in capitals of the capitalis and the uncial: + SIGILLV (M) · S (ANCTI) · BONIFACII · ARCHIEPI (SCOPI) · ET · MARTIRIS · XRI (STI) · I (N) FVLDA
  4. The round seal is 82 mm in diameter and is evidenced by seal impressions from 1256 to 1356 and from 1374 to 1397. It depicts the seated Saint Boniface with a halo, miter and pontifical robes, his right hand raised in blessing and in the left holding a bishop's staff turned outwards. On the left is a group of five approaching, bareheaded monks with hoods falling on their backs. The scene is framed by a Romanesque church building and the banner in capitals of the Capitalis: S (AN) C (TU) S BONIF (ATIUS) ARCHIEP (IS) C (OPUS) ET M (A) R (TYR Above the roof of the There is a label in the building: + SIGILLVM · CONVENTUS · MAIORIS · EC (C) LESIE · FULDENSIS By autumn 1360 at the latest, the seal was implemented with the fifth main seal.
  5. The round seal is 81 mm in diameter and is evidenced by impressions from 1360 to 1373. The seal image is similar to that of the fourth seal. Saint Boniface is not sitting on the armchair, but on the back of a lion turned to the right. Under the figures of Boniface and the five monks there is a small five-petalled flower as a decorative element, which is bordered by two three-leafed three-leaves. The banner is written in uncials, the words are not separated by dots, but by small five-petalled flowers: + SIGILLVM CONVENTVS MAIORIS EC (C) LESIE FVLDENSIS The second banner reads: S (AN) C (TU) S BONlF (ATIUS) ARCHIEP ( I) S (COPUS) ET M (A) R (TYR)
  6. The round seal, 80 mm in diameter, is known from documents from 1410 to 1447. The representation is cut after the fourth and fifth seals. The vertical banner in Gothic minuscule, which is placed vertically and rolls up slightly at the top, hovers behind the figure of Bonifatius: s (an) c (tu) s bonifacius archiep (is) c (opus) et m (a) r (tyr) The inscription is in Gothic minuscule : sigillum: conventus: maioris ec (c) lesie fuldensis

Secondary seal

  1. The round trade seal (67 mm in diameter) is evidenced by seal impressions from 1361 to 1736. The seal image: Saint Boniface with miter and nimbus sits on an armchair decorated with dog heads; the right hand is raised in blessing, the left hand holds the stick turned outwards. To the right and left of him are the saints Simplicus and Faustinus with nimbus and long robes. Both saints have a martyr's palm in the right and a heraldic shield in the left: on the right with lily stems , on the left with the Fulda cross. In a Gothic arch below, four kneeling monks pray and raise their hands to the saints. The inscription, which is interrupted by the seal image at the top and bottom, is in capitals of the Capitalis and the Uncial : S (IGILLUM) COVENTVS · MAIORIS + <Siegelbild> + ECC (LESI) E · FVLDEN (SIS) · AD CAVSAS
  2. Around 1730 the seal appears, which should be placed as a secondary seal in terms of its dimensions, but a main seal in terms of its inscription. This smaller convent seal is attested by two impressions from 1733 and 1780. It is round and 37.5 mm in diameter. It shows Boniface with nimbus, miter and pontifical robes in a circle formed by two martyrs' palms facing each other, holding in his right hand an obliquely positioned sword that spears through a closed book, and in his left a staff that is supported by one Cloverleaf cross is crowned. The inscription is in the capital letters of the Antiqua : * SIGILLUM CONVENTUS FULDENSIS
  3. The round seal for letters has a diameter of 37 mm. It is documented by seal impressions from 1565 to 1707 and shows the bust of Saint Boniface without a halo, with miter and pontifical robes, in the right a closed book, in the left an outward-facing bishop's staff. The saint is located under the canopy, underneath there are two inwardly inclined heraldic shields: on the right with the Fulda cross, on the left with the three lily stems. The inscription, which is interrupted above and below by the seal image, is in Gothic minuscule: s (igillum) eccl (es) ie fulden (sis) <seal image> ad missiuas

Development of the seal

Illustration

In the case of the seal of the Fulda convent, it is the portrait seal of Saint Boniface, the patron of the Fulda abbey. The depiction of the saint on the seal represented his presence on site, which was expressed on the other hand by the relics protected and venerated by the monastery community.

The image development of the Fulda convent seal corresponds to the general change in portrait seals since the 13th century. The bust of St. Boniface was under the Abbot Conrad III. (1222–1249) replaced by a throne seal. A short time later, the convent seal took on a scenic representation from the saint's life - the blessing of the five monks approaching St. Boniface. This seal remained in use until the 15th century.

The central feature of the seals of the clergy includes inscriptions through which communication with the observer is established. You are experiencing the same change. Since the middle of the 13th century, the convent seal has been framed by the banner (archbishop and martyr Bonifatius), which under Conrad III. with the word sigillum and the location.

In the middle of the 14th century, the coat of arms with the lily attribute appeared in the seal of the Fulda convent, after the same image had appeared in the abbot's seal.

shape

The shape of the convent seals evolved largely for practical reasons. The lack of space brought about the evolution from a round seal to a pointed oval seal, although this tradition did not develop until Konrad III. (1222-1249) enforced. Pressed-through seals were replaced by fastening the seal with cords or strips of parchment. Red and yellow and red and green silk cords came into use in the 13th century.

material

Wax was used as a sealant in the Fulda Abbey. Initially, the uncolored wax with the addition of white pitch or other resin was used for this purpose. Under Konrad III. red wax came into use. After a short time, the uncolored sealing material regained importance. In the middle of the 14th century there were green convent seals. Since the 15th century, the color combination of the uncolored and green wax has prevailed.

Use of multiple seals

Around the middle of the 14th century it became necessary to use the second seal. It was used to certify minor business documents. The large seal represented St. Boniface blessing five monks who came to him. The smaller seal - sigillum ad causas - represented Boniface enthroned, flanked by Saints Simplicus and Faustinus. The first evidence of this seal comes from the document 1361. Since the middle of the 15th century, it replaced the larger seal and took its place.

See also

Web links

literature

  • Friedrich Küch : On the history of the seal cut in Hessen , in: Hessenkunst 1929, pp. 3–17.
  • Hans Alfons Simon: The constitution of the spiritual principality of Fulda , Fulda 1912.
  • Johann Friedrich Schannat : Historia Fuldensis , Frankfurt 1729.
  • Konrad Lübeck : Rights of the Fulda monastery convent. Archive for Catholic Church Law , 4th episode, Vol. 33, Mainz 1951/1952.
  • Philibert Schmitz : History of the Benedictine Order , vol. 1: Expansion and constitutional history of the order from its foundation to the 12th century, Einsiedeln 1947.
  • Philibert Schmitz: History of the Benedictine Order , Vol. 4: The external development of the order from the Council of Trento to the middle of the 20th century - constitutional history from the 12th to the middle of the 20th century, Einsiedeln 1960.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Erich Kittel: Siegel , Würzburg 1970, p. 413 (Library for friends of art and antiques, 11).
  2. ↑ Ludwig Weth: Studies on the seal system of the Reichsabtei Fulda and its territory , Darmstadt / Marburg 1980, p. 16 (sources and research on Hessian history, 41).
  3. ↑ Ibid., P. 22.
  4. ↑ Erich Kittel: Siegel , Würzburg 1970, p. 414 (Library for friends of art and antiques, 11).
  5. ↑ Ludwig Weth: Studies on the seal system of the Reichsabtei Fulda and its territory , Darmstadt / Marburg 1980, p. 74 (sources and research on Hessian history, 41).
  6. ↑ Ibid., P. 18.
  7. ↑ Cf. Friedhelm Jürgensmeier (edited): The Benedictine monastery and nunnery in Hessen , Vol. 7: Hessen, St. Ottilien 2004, pp. 427–433; see. also Ludwig Weth: Studies on the sealing system of the Reichsabtei Fulda and its territory , Darmstadt / Marburg 1980, pp. 76-78 (sources and research on Hessian history, 41).
  8. ↑ Beatrice Marnette-Kühl: From the abbot to the convent. A stage in the history of the order seal , in: Gabriela Signori (ed.), The seal. Usage and meaning, Darmstadt 2007, p. 74.
  9. ↑ Ludwig Weth: Studies on the seal system of the Reichsabtei Fulda and its territory , Darmstadt / Marburg 1980, p. 34ff (sources and research on Hessian history, 41).
  10. ↑ Ibid., P. 28.
  11. ↑ Ibid., P. 32f.