St. Bonifatius (Freckenhorst)

Westwork of the Collegiate Church of St. Boniface

Floor plan of the collegiate church 1886

St. Bonifatius is a former free worldly women's monastery with a collegiate church in Freckenhorst . The official name of the monastery was in 1776 "The noble, imperial, free-worldly monastery St. Bonifatius zu Freckenhorst".

history

According to tradition, the construction of a monastery in Freckenhorst goes back to the Saxon nobleman Everward and his presumed wife Geva, secured by a Fulda spring . It was founded around 854. At that time, Bishop Liutbert von Münster furnished the monastery with relics , including one of St.  Boniface .

Monastery rule

In the 9th century it was still customary for the founding of monasteries to have their own rule. When Rome demanded the submission of all monasteries to an ecclesiastically recognized rule, in the 13th century (before 1240) the monastery became a monastery and the nuns became canons, which probably took over parts of the Augustinian rule .

This assumption is supported by the fact that an abbess was sometimes in charge of several houses at the same time, for example in Westphalia in addition to Freckenhorst the Borghorst , Metelen , Nottuln , Essen and Vreden monasteries .

The abbesses had to originally come from a noble house. With the extinction of the dynasties, the number of canonesses from this circle also decreased. Therefore, in 1298 the community was forced to choose Beatrix von Grafschaft, a canoness from the Meschede monastery . At the same time, the abbesses have since then had to swear to an election surrender to recognize the rights of the convention.

Cross worship

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the veneration of the cross became very popular in Freckenhorst. The cult of the cross and the veneration of the cross is a tradition in the clan of the Counts of Cappenberg . She and her heirs were responsible for the spread of of Bernard of Clairvaux († 1153) founded the Cistercian Order of and in particular the spread of Norbert († 1134) - Subdeacon the noble - son of Count Heribert of Gennep, pen Xanten in Prémontré in Laon founded Order of the Premonstratensians , for example in Cappenberg , Knechtsteden and Flaesheim . But first he and his fellow canons accepted the rule of St. Augustine (priestly association rule  ) in the Benedictine monastery of Laon in 1121 .

Noble free world pen

In 1473 members of the monastery fell into excommunication due to a dispute between Abbess Bonizeth von Isenburg and the convent over material rights. This profound inner development of the monastery finally marks the conversion into an aristocratic free world monastery in 1495. Pope Alexander VI had given his consent to this. The monastery retained its aristocratic character until it was abolished; the abbesses came from the noble family until 1688. Thiathildis, who was addressed as the first abbess, allegedly a niece of the founding couple, gained a reputation for holiness. On the day of her death (January 30th) special celebrations took place until the Reformation . In 1669, Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen had her bones raised and transferred to a new silver shrine.

Collegiate Church

As a collegiate church , St. Boniface was elevated to the status of a collegiate church , the chapter of which probably still exists legally today. In the meantime it has also become the parish church of the monastery settlement that has grown into a minority .

reformation

Since even before 1473 the emphasis on development was placed too much on the expansion of property and the preservation of imperial freedoms, religious life faded more and more into the background. So the Reformation doctrine found its way into the life of the monastery beyond the walls, which brought about a further deep break.

Abbesses who were inclined to Protestantism or who openly advocated it let some ancient church customs fall asleep. Temporarily found Baptist here a protective facility.

Catholic reform

It was not until the beginning of the 17th century that the Catholic Confession succeeded in regaining sole power in the convent .

Until 1793 Therese-Louise von Haxthausen , mother of the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff , was a canoness in Freckenhorst, and then her half-sisters Dorothea, married Wolff-Metternich , and Franziska von Haxthausen, married Bocholtz-Asseburg .

Repeal

The Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. determined in 1805, after Freckenhorst had fallen to Prussia two years earlier , the monastery as a supply institution for noble women of all denominations . The French ordered the abolition of the monastery in 1811, which then finally took place in 1812.

Building history

Cloister with extension from the 1970s

The collegiate church, whose main components date from the 11th and 12th centuries, testifies to the importance of the monastery in the Middle Ages. A part of the cloister from the 13th century still stands from the monastery complex adjoining it in the south . In its place was a Carolingian cloister with the monastery buildings, parts of which were excavated in 1967. A tree coffin cemetery from the 10th century was found in the open space between the cloister and the church . The church contains a baptismal font from the first half of the 12th century, the inscription of which testifies to the consecration of the church for 1129 - after a fire in 1116 - and the tomb of Geva from the second half of the 12th century (?) In the Crypt with the oldest inscription in Low German.

Petri Chapel

The Petri Chapel in the west in front of the church. According to tradition, the first church was in Freckenhorst; their patronage , like the Bonifatius patronage of the collegiate church, could go back to Fulda , to which Everward devoted part of his property.

New abbey

The new abbey (1740), a ladies' curia and two canons on the north side date from the 18th century ; In 1841 the New Abbey became the property of the Counts of Merveldt from Lembeck Castle , who still own it today.

Real estate

The Freckenhorster Heberolle (11th century), famous as an Old Saxon language monument, provides information about the abbey’s rich property. In 1345 Heidemühle came from Freckenhorst Abbey in exchange for the Bishop of Münster .

Abbesses

organ

In 1711 the organ builder Henrich Mencke (Beckum) built a new organ; this instrument has been supplemented and rebuilt several times over the years. In 1936–1937, the organ building company Breil (Dorsten) converted the instrument into an electro-pneumatic instrument with 36 registers on three manuals and a pedal . In 1964 the historical prospectus and the organ stage were removed and stored at the Breil company. This prospectus from 1711, the design of which is attributed to the north German school around Arp Schnitger , was set up in St. Dionysius (Nordwalde) in 2000 . The Breilorgel in Freckenhorst last had 37 stops on two manual works and a pedal and stood in the north arm of the transept.

In 2017, the company Orgelbau Romanus Seifert & Sohn (Kevelaer) built a new instrument with an electric game and stop action mechanism, partially using the existing register inventory. The instrument now has 38 registers (2,178 pipes), including 3 transmissions, on two manual works and a pedal. The playing and stop action is electric.

I Hauptwerk C – g 3 1. Drone 16 ′ 2. Principal 8th' 3. Viola da gamba 8th' 4th Pointed flute 8th' 5. Transverse flute 8th' 6th Octave 4 ′ 7th Reed flute 4 ′ 8th. Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 9. Octave 2 ′ 10. Mixture IV-V 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′ 11. Cornettino III 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 12. Trumpets 8th' 13. Clarinet 8th' 14th Clairon 4 ′

II Swell C – g 3 15th diapason 8th' 16. Salicional 8th' 17th Vox coelestis 8th' 18th Dumped 8th' 19th Principal 4 ′ 20th Flauto traverso 4 ′ 21st Nasard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 22nd Piccolo 2 ′ 23. third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′ 24. Mixture IV 2 ′ 25th Larigot 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′ 26th horn 16 ′ 27. Trumpet 8th' 28. oboe 8th' Tremulant

Pedals C – f 1 29 Principal bass 16 ′ 30th Sub bass 16 ′ 31. Quintbass 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 32. Octavbass 8th' 33. Dacked bass 8th' 34. Choral bass 4 ′ 35. trombone 16 ′ 36. Trumpet (= No. 12) 8th' 37. Clarine (= No. 13) 8th' 38. Clairon (= No. 14) 4 ′

• Coupling: II / I (also as sub and super octave coupling), II / II (sub and super octave coupling), I / P, II / P (also as super octave coupling)
• Playing aids: electronic typesetting system, midi system

Bells

The bells of St. Bonifatius form one of the most extensive ring collections in North Rhine-Westphalia. The new bells (1 to 7), cast in so-called (tin-free) “Briloner Sonderbronze”, are rung electrically, the old bells - to Freckenhorster Krüßing - are rung by a cable. The latter form one of the four completely preserved old monastery bells in Westphalia. Bells 6 and 7 hang in the roof turret on the west tower. In 1988 the bell stalls were restored and the two clock bells made to ring.

Lower bell chamber

No.	Surname	Casting year	Caster	Diameter (mm)	Mass (kg, approx.)	Percussive ( HT - 1 / 16 )
I	Maria	1646	Antonius Paris	1355	1600	of 1 +1.5
II	Boniface	1646	Antonius Paris	1233	1100	it 1 −5
III	Geva- and Thiathildis	1646	Antonius Paris	1112	850	f 1 ± 0
IV	former hour bell	1533	Wolter Westerhues	658	160	of 2 +3
V	former quarter strike bell	1484	Master Volkerus	552	140	as 2 −1

Upper bell chamber

No.	Surname	Casting year	Foundry, casting location	Diameter (mm)	Mass (kg, approx.)	Percussive (HT- 1 / 16 )
1	Holy Cross	1946	Albert Junker, Brilon	1470	1800	of 1 +2
2	Maria	1947	Albert Junker, Brilon	1305	1300	it 1 −2
3	Joseph	1946	Albert Junker, Brilon	1165	900	f 1 −4
4th	John	1946	Albert Junker, Brilon	980	525	as 1 +1
5	Boniface	1946	Albert Junker, Brilon	875	375	b 1 ± 0

Roof turret

No.	Surname	Casting year	Foundry, casting location	Diameter (mm)	Mass (kg, approx.)	Percussive (HT- 1 / 16 )
6th	Bernardus	1946	Albert Junker, Brilon	578	110	f 2 −1
7th	Antony	1946	Albert Junker, Brilon	487	60	as 2 +7

literature

• Wilhelm Kohl : The (free worldly) women's monastery Freckenhorst. de Gruyter, Berlin et al. 1975, ISBN 3-11-002098-X ( Das Bistum Münster 3, Germania sacra . NF 10).
• Ernst Friedlaender (Ed.): The collection registers of the Freckenhorst Monastery, together with the deed of foundation, the order of beneficiaries and court rights. = The Freckenhorst monastery. Brunn, Münster 1872 ( Codex traditionum Westfalicarum 1 ZDB -ID 517685-2 , publications of the Historical Commission of Westphalia 4) - (Reprint: Aschendorff, Münster 1956).

Web links

Commons : Stiftskirche Freckenhorst  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Stift Freckenhorst  - Sources and full texts

• Internet presence of the Catholic parish of St. Bonifatius and St. Lambertus
• The twelve bells of the collegiate church St. Bonifatius Freckenhorst
• List of archives in GenWiki
• Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe: Gardens at Stift Freckenhorst in LWL GeodataKultur
• 360 ° panorama picture of the Church of St. Bonifatius (Freckenhorst) in the Westphalian Cultural Atlas (requires Flash player )
• 360 ° panorama pictures of the Church of St. Bonifatius (Freckenhorst) and the Petrikapelle on the side of the Catholic parish of St. Bonifatius and St. Lambertus

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Leopold von Ledebur : Historical and geographical remarks with regard to the foundation, the bailiff and the register of the Freckenhorst church . In: Wilhelm Dorow (Hrsg.): Monuments of ancient language and art . tape 1-3 . E. Weber, 1823 ( books.google.de ).
2. ↑ Information about the organ on the website of the Orgelbauverein
3. ↑ Information on the new disposition on the website of the organ building association
4. ↑ Claus Peter: The bell landscape Westphalia . Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 1989, pp. 71–72.

Coordinates: 51 ° 55 ′ 15 ″  N , 7 ° 58 ′ 7.5 ″  E