Engelszell Abbey
| Engelszell Abbey | |
|---|---|
 Facade of the collegiate church |
|
| location |
 Austria
|
| Lies in the diocese | Linz |
| Coordinates: | 48 ° 29 '56 " N , 13 ° 44' 3" E |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
691 |
| founding year | 1293 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1786 |
| Year of repopulation | 1925 ( Trappist ) |
| Mother monastery | Wilhering Abbey |
| Primary Abbey | Morimond Monastery |
| Congregation | (Trappists) |
The Engelszell (lat. Abbatia Cella Angelorum ) is a Trappist - abbey near the village Engelhartszell in Innviertel in Upper Austria . It is the only Trappist monastery in Austria and in the German-speaking area.
history
The monastery was founded in 1293 by Bishop Bernhard (Wernhart) von Prambach and settled in 1295 by the Cistercian order . As a subsidiary of Wilhering Abbey , it belonged to the filiation of the Morimond Primary Abbey .
Founding of a monastery
On March 12, 1293, Wernhart von Prambach, Prince-Bishop of Passau , had considered that place on the Danube , which is now called Cella Angelica (angel cell), particularly suitable for the location of a Cistercian monastery. At this site, which has given rise to disputes and feuds between the Diocese of Passau and its neighbors since time immemorial , 12 Cistercians from Wilhering, as "true sons of peace", were supposed to establish peace and order for all times. In addition, the inhospitable area would be cultivated and a place of worship would be built halfway between Efferding and Passau, and pilgrims and tired hikers would get a hostel . This monastery was founded in a letter from March 12, 1293.
The paragraph concerning the monastery in German reads:
In our endeavor to take advantage of this invitation, we have considered that place in our diocese, which is now called Engelszell, to be suitable for the establishment of a monastery of the Cistercian order and first of all we have the church there, generally known under the name Engelhartszell, Completely freed from our authority, both with regard to the diocesan law and with regard to the jurisdiction, and with the kind approval of our chapter have declared them exempt, together with their chapels, tithe and annexes. And because we want this church to enjoy that unrestricted freedom that the monasteries of the Cistercian order enjoy, we have solemnly given it to the just mentioned order at the same time as the Engelhartszell market .
The convent was closed from 1577 to 1618 during the Reformation period and brought the monastery a considerable economic and intellectual decline. In 1571, a plague epidemic had swept the inmates down to the last monk within three weeks and administrators managed the property and the income of the associated manor . This decline was stopped during the re-Catholicization from 1618 under Abbot Martinus Ridt, again through the commitment of the mother monastery Wilhering. The pen came back to the Order of the Cistercians .
In 1699 the buildings burned down except for the chapter house , and the monastery church was also badly damaged. Debts forced Engelszell to manage from Wilhering until 1740. During the term of office of Abbot Leopold Reichl, the monastery and church were renovated in the Baroque style and, where necessary, rebuilt. The Prince-Bishop of Passau, Count Leopold Ernst von Firmian , gave the newly built collegiate church the consecration in 1764 .
One day after the death of Abbot Leopold Reichl, on May 7, 1786, the monastery was closed by Emperor Joseph II in the course of secularization . The facility was sold. Valuables such as silver and books were confiscated, the organ came to Linz and the library to Vienna. The archive was destroyed as "worthless paper". As a result, the monastery buildings served secular owners until 1810, including as a porcelain factory and as a representative residence. Under Emperor Napoleon it was given to Field Marshal Carl Philipp von Wrede , and after 1868 to Count Pachta at Vichtenstein Castle .
1925 After the end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918, the Trappists , expelled from the Alsatian Abbey of Oelenberg , who had previously found a temporary home in the Franconian monastery of Banz, found their new home in Engelszell. In 1931 Engelszell Abbey was elevated to an abbey , Prior P. Gregor Eisvogel was elected abbot and received benediction from Johannes Maria Gföllner , Bishop of the Linz diocese in Wilhering Abbey .
Engelzell was dissolved between 1939 and 1949 during the annexation of Austria to the German Reich. The Gestapo closed the monastery in 1939 and drove out or arrested the 73 monks. Five brothers, four of whom died, were deported to a concentration camp. Twenty-three monks returned after the end of World War II in May 1945 and continued their monastic life. Five German Trappists, who had fled the Mariastern Abbey, joined the group and strengthened the convent . They looked after the nursing home in the monastery, which was set up during the war. Today the home is maintained by Caritas . The religious community got smaller and smaller over time due to the death of the monks. Of the four brothers living here today, two are old; the others are involved in ongoing operations; Occasionally, priest monks still work in pastoral care in the surrounding communities. They are supported by family and lay employees.
Engelszell Abbey manages around 120 hectares of forest and 80 hectares of arable land. 2 hectares of which are garden land, enough to feed up to 160 people a day. In addition, the monastery has commercial operations, a small power station, a saw, a locksmith's shop and a tailor's shop. The products of the liqueur factory and the brewery are known throughout Austria and are a considerable source of income.
Collegiate church
Today's Engelszell Collegiate Church (built from 1754 to 1764) is an impressive rococo- style church and goes back to previous buildings in the Baroque and Gothic styles , of which components are still preserved today. The church of Markt Engelhartszell , which was first mentioned in a document in 1194 as a toll booth, is within sight of the Engelszell monastery and has a separate architectural history.
The collegiate church impresses with a 76 meter high tower that can be seen from afar and is equipped with works of art by Johann Georg Üblhör , Joseph Deutschmann and Bartolomeo Altomonte . Construction began during the time of Abbot Leopold Reichl on June 9, 1754. His aim was to provide the convent with a renovated church after the devastating fire in 1699. It is not known who drew the plans for the building. The Prince Bishop of Passau, Count Leopold Ernst von Firmian gave the church on October 21, 1764 consecration .
During the construction period, a new monastery courtyard was laid out, around which the refectory, dormitory and monastery library were lined up. At the time of the consecration, a large part of the interior furnishings in the late Baroque style was probably already finished; this assumption results from the stylistic classification of the figures and the dates on the altar leaves. The collegiate church of Engelszell offers a harmonious overall impression in the style of the Rococo period . Abbot Leopold Reichl may have taken over one of the plans drawn for the mother monastery Wilhering Abbey for Engelszell.
Exterior view
An avenue leads from Engelhartszell to the towering tower front of Engelszell Abbey. The long side of the church building is leaned against the monastery building, the light-colored plastered walls of which are structured by yellow stripes, which are connected at the bottom and top by a surrounding band. The middle section of the nave is divided by pilasters. The large windows are bell-shaped. The upper part of the building is separated from the roof by a cornice. The end of the church is the magnificent single-tower facade on the west side. The high entrance portal is accompanied on the right and left by a banded plinth, the facade is structured by Doric pilasters, a triangular gable closes the portal area. The white architectural elements stand out against the yellow background. An attic leads from the substructure to the upper floors of the tower. Ionic pilasters wrap around the edges of the bell storey. A clock is built into the entablature. The bonnet, crowned with a cross, is curved several times and pierced several times in the upper part. The portal, marked 1763, was built by the sculptor Joseph Deutschmann and bears the initials of Abbot Leopoldus Abbas Engelszellae (Abbot Leopold II von Engelszell). The portal is richly decorated, equipped with putti and crowned with the abbot's coat of arms.
inner space
The interior is accessed through the portal in the Rococo style, through which you first get into the tower vestibule, which has rooms. The lattice in the vestibule bears the year 1748. The transverse rectangular chancel with a square choir closes with an apse. The altar niches are separated by high pillars with pilasters on top, these pillars are typical of the entire building. The altar niches have transverse barrel vaults. The choir gives the impression of being a crossing with a small transept. This impression is also reinforced by the dome vault. On closer inspection, the assumed transept consists of two niches in which the choir stalls are located. The nave is divided into bays with domed vaults. Originally, Bartolomeo Altomonte painted all the vaults with frescoes. Of these works, only the pictures in the chancel have survived, they were made around 1760. The large picture in the nave was broken off in 1839 due to a damaged vault. The ceiling of the nave nave was adorned with a painting by Fritz Fröhlich from Linz around 1957 after a structural damage . The fresco covers around 400 m² and is one of the largest post-Baroque ceiling frescoes. It shows Mary surrounded by angels. A painted mock architecture leads to scenes from the Old and New Testament. The choir is raised by one step from the rest of the church. The choir stalls, a work by Joseph Deutschmann, which stand in two rows, are carved with gold-framed shellwork and reliefs. The carved reliefs show Robert von Molesme, Bernhard von Clairvaux, Stephan Harding, the four evangelists and the church fathers. Slender youthful figures of the archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, created around 1753 by Deutschmann, stand in shell niches on the choir windows. The ornamental carvings on the gallery parapet in the area of the choir are also typical of the Deutschmann workshop.
Furnishing
- The high altar fits into the structure of the rounding of the apse. The white stucco ornaments and the marbled frame in pink and brown give it its effect. Gold was used on the tabernacle. The structure with six pillars rises above a high base with passageways on the side. High windows let light into the interior between the stuccoed marble columns. The entablature is curved and adapts to the course of the nave. The altar extension is richly decorated with putti, in the middle there is a round window. The tabernacle is decorated with white and gold ornaments made of stucco and putti. The lamb of the apocalypse with the book with seven seals crowns him. According to recent beliefs, the four life-size male saints in front of the columns represent the saints Archbishop Konrad II of Salzburg, Otto von Freising, and Pope Eugene III. and Bishop Reginbert von Passau. Johann Übler (1703–1763) made the remaining stucco figures of the high altar. With the exception of the figure of Peter von Tarentaise, they were probably not yet completed by his death, which is indicated by the different quality of the works.
- The six side altars were built by the artists who also created the high altar. This gives the interior a uniform appearance. The altar leaves are dated throughout, they date from 1759 to 1762. The altars are marbled brown and each have a structure. The extracts with volutes are crowned with putti.
organ
The large organ was built in 1768–1770 by Franz Xaver Krismann , who, however, had to transfer it to the old cathedral in Linz in 1788 after the abolition of the monastery . There it was installed in a new case and later rebuilt by the Breinbauer organ workshop under the guidance of Anton Bruckner , who played it as organist in the Old Cathedral from 1855–1868 . In 1892 Johann Lachmayr placed an instrument with 15 registers in the empty case in Engelszell, but it did not match the appearance of the large case or was generally too small. In 1996 the Lachmayr organ was removed and taken to the parish church of Rauris , where it was installed in the Hans Mauracher organ case that once stood in the Ursuline Church in Salzburg . A Kögler organ with 1640 pipes , which has 28 registers on two manuals and a pedal , was purchased for Engelszell .
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- Coupling : II / I, I / P, II / P
present
Since 2017, Superior ad nutum Hubert Bony has headed the monastery community of 4 monks (as of 2018). Tourism and the associated sale of the monastery’s own products, such as monastery liqueurs, play an essential role in the economic existence of the abbey . The monastery has also been producing a Trappist beer since 2012 . In addition to Engelszell Abbey, there are seven other Trappist breweries worldwide: Westmalle , Achel , Chimay , Orval , Rochefort and Westvleteren in Belgium ; as well as La Trappe in the Netherlands . The recipe for the bitters was invented by a Swiss pharmacist, it is kept a secret and kept in the monastery archive. 42 herbs, spices and roots such as bitter clover , St. John's wort and galangal form the basis . In total, the brothers developed twelve different liqueurs.
Stiftsgarten
The Engelszeller Stiftsgarten serves as a place for therapy for the patients of the nursing home, but is also open to visitors. It is conducive to meditation and preserves the diversity of plants in the region. The garden includes the following areas:
- Old types of wine
Old grape varieties from the region are planted and preserved here. They come primarily from Sigharting , Schardenberg, Pyrawang, Engelhartszell and Oberranna . The names of these varieties have largely been forgotten.
- The forty-two herb garden
The creation of herb gardens has a long tradition in monasteries. They were used for medicine and the production of spirits . Many of the herbs grown here are part of the liqueurs produced. The garden is based on the baroque model and takes into account the special body functions in the way the herbs work.
- The meditation garden with a labyrinth
This part of the garden is located on the monastery meadow, it is laid out in the style of a classic labyrinth , which emerged from the Cretan original form and incorporated Christian symbols. The cross shape in the center is a symbol for Christian values . The walkways are bordered with river stones, peace and internalization should be found and then promote cosmopolitanism.
- Old varieties of fruit trees
Regional, old and endangered types of fruit such as pears, apples, cherries and plums are planted in this show garden. The aim is to preserve these varieties and to convey their benefits.
- The water sensory path
In the area of the mini-Danube, this stream was created according to the teachings of the hydrotherapist Sebastian Kneipp . The aquatic plants growing there are typical of the region.
- The garden of the confused senses
This part of the facility is not open to the public. It was created for the patients of the Caritas facility invita , who are treated here.
Apiary
The monastery's own apiary - named after the Latin name of Engelszell's "Cella Angelorum" - takes up an old monastic tradition. For the production of beeswax candles , which were indispensable for the liturgy , the monks have always kept bee colonies, but also to extract honey . The beehives are kept in the highlands according to old tradition.
Major superiors
- Gregor Eisvogel , 1925–1950, titular prior, from 1931 dept
- Basile Sartorio, 1950-1951, Sup. Intérimaire
- Bonaventure Diamant, 1951–1952, Superior ad nutum
- Benno Stumpf, 1952–1966, Superior ad nutum, from 1953 Dept.
- Willibald Knoll, 1966–1983, Dept.
- Klaus Jansen , 1982–1989, Apostol. Administrator, from 1983 Dept.
- Nivard Volkmer, 1989-1991, Superior ad nutum
- Marianus Hauseder , 1991–1995 and 2012–2017 Superior ad nutum, 1995–2012 Dept.
- Hubert Bony, Superior ad nutum since 2017
See also
literature
- Engelszell Peda Art Guide HrsG Engelszell Art Publishers Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9
- Gerhard Stenzel: From pen to pen in Austria. With aerial photographs by Lothar Beckel. Verlag Kremayr & Scheriau Vienna 1977, ISBN 3 218 00298 2 , there: page 75, The Cell of Peace, Engelhartszell, Upper Austria, Trappist monastery, former Cistercian monastery Engelszell with an aerial photo of the Rococo church 1754–1763 and the two-door complex; and page 177 with a contribution to the Engelhartszell monastery history
- Erna Putz, The fate of the Engelszeller monks in the Nazi era , 2017 ( online )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cella Angelorum
- ↑ The only Trappist monastery in Austria
- ^ Foundation of the monastery
- ^ Fire and reconstruction
- ^ Dissolution of the monastery
- ↑ Closure by the Gestapo and deportation
- ^ History , accessed June 2, 2017.
- ↑ Rococo style
- ↑ Stift Engelszell Peda Kunstführer HrsG Stift Engelszell Kunstverlag Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9 , pages 5 to 7
- ↑ Stift Engelszell Peda Kunstführer HrsG Stift Engelszell Kunstverlag Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9 , pages 7 and 8
- ↑ Stift Engelszell Peda Kunstführer HrsG Stift Engelszell Kunstverlag Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9 , pages 8 and 9
- ↑ Stift Engelszell Peda Kunstführer HrsG Stift Engelszell Kunstverlag Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9 , page 11
- ↑ Stift Engelszell Peda Kunstführer HrsG Stift Engelszell Kunstverlag Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9 , page 15
- ↑ Stift Engelszell Peda Kunstführer HrsG Stift Engelszell Kunstverlag Peda Passau ISBN 3-927296-75-9 , page 20
- ↑ Information on the organ
- ↑ Recipe ( Memento of the original from December 28, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Sensory Garden
- ↑ Erbe und Arbeits , Vol. 93 (2017), p. 124.
Web links
- stift-engelszell.at , website of the monastery
- Entry to Engelszell Abbey on medal online