Millstatt Abbey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Millstatt Abbey (Stift Millstatt) is a former monastery in Millstatt in Carinthia, Austria, now used by the Austrian civil service.

For centuries the monastery was the spiritual and cultural centre of Upper Carinthia and with its possessions round the Millstätter See, in the valley of the Görtschitz, in Friuli and in Salzburg, was one of the largest in the province.

Contents 1 History 2 Buildings 3 Sources 4 External links

[edit] History

It is presumed to have been founded in about 1070, but had definitely been established before 1122 and was run as a Benedictine abbey. In 1469 the buildings and assets were taken over by the Order of St. George, an Austrian order founded to combat the invading Turks. After its collapse in 1598 the premises passed to the Jesuits.

Under Emperor Joseph II, the monastery was dissolved in 1773.

[edit] Buildings

The church is now the property of the parish, while all other buildings belong to the Austrian government and are used by the Austrian State Forestry Commission (Österreichische Bundesforste).

[edit] Sources

• Schroll, Anton, 2001: Dehio-Handbuch. Die Kunstdenkmäler Österreichs. Kärnten, pp. 536-548. Vienna. ISBN 3-7031-0712-X
• Weinzierl, Erika, 1951: Geschichte des Benediktinerklosters Millstatt in Kärnten (Archiv für vaterländische Geschichte und Topographie, vol. 33). Verlag des Geschichtsvereines für Kärnten: Klagenfurt. (no ISBN)

[edit] External links

• Millstatt.at: Description of the abbey church (German)
• Stiftsmuseum Millstatt (German)