Maria Laach Abbey

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Maria Laach Abbey

Maria Laach Abbey (in German: Abtei Maria Laach) is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See, near Andernach, in the Eifel region of the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is a member of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation.

1 First Benedictine foundation
2 Secularisation and the Jesuits
3 Second Benedictine foundation
4 External links

[edit] First Benedictine foundation

Founded in 1093 as a priory of Affligem Abbey (in today's Belgium) by Count Palatine Heinrich II von Laach and his wife Adelheid von Orlamünde-Weimar, widow of Hermann II of Lotharingia, Maria Laach became an independent house in 1127, under its first abbot, Gilbert. Affligem itself had been founded by Hermann, who was a prominent member of the Cluniac reform movement.

The abbey developed as a centre of study during the 12th century, and the 13th century abbots Albert (1199-1217) and Theoderich II (1256-1295) added significantly to the buildings and architectural decoration, including the celebrated tomb of the founder.

In common with most other German Benedictine houses, Maria Laach declined during the 14th century in terms of its spiritual and monastic life, a tendency which was reversed only in the late 15th century, under the influence of the reforming Bursfelde Congregation, which the abbey joined, supported against a certain resistance within the abbey by Abbot Johannes V von Deidesheim (1469-1491).

The consequent improvement in discipline led to a fruitful literary period, prominent in which were Siberti, Tilman of Bonn, Benedict of Munstereifel, but principally Prior Johannes Butzbach (d. 1526). Although much of his work, both published and unpublished, survives, his chronicle of the abbey is unfortunately lost.

[edit] Secularisation and the Jesuits

Maria Laach was dissolved in the secularisation of 1802. The premises became the property, first of the occupying French, and then in 1815 of the Prussian State. In 1820 the buildings were acquired by the Society of Jesus, who established a place of study and scholarship here. Of particular note were Fathers Schneeman, Granderath and Florian Reiss, who produced a number of important works: the "Collectio lacensis" ("Acta et decreat sacrorum conciliorum recentiorum", 7 volumes, Freiburg, 1870-1890); the "Philosophia lacensis", a collection of learned books on the different branches of philosophy (logic, cosmology, psychology, theodicy, natural law) and published at Freiburg, 1880-1900; and, perhaps best-known, the "Stimmen aus Maria-Laach" ("Voices from Maria Laach"), appearing from 1865, at first as individual pamphlets defending against liberalism witin the Roman Catholic church, and from 1871 as a regular periodical. The Jesuits were obliged to leave during the "Kulturkampf" of the 1870s.

[edit] Second Benedictine foundation

The Benedictines of the Beuronese Congregation moved into the monastery in 1892, and it was raised into an abbey the following year. The restoration of the church, at that time still the property of Prussia, was inaugurated by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1897.

In the first half of the twentieth century Maria Laach played a leading role in the Liturgical Movement.

The abbey structure dates from between 1093 and 1177, with a paradisium added around 1225 and is considered a prime example of romanesque architecture of the Staufen period. Despite its long construction time the well-preserved basilica with its six towers is considered to be one of the most beautiful romanesque buildings in Germany.