Zwettl Abbey
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| Zwettl Abbey | |
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| Stift Zwettl | |
| image | location |
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Cistercians  |
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| Patron: | Bernhard of Clairvaux |
| Location: | Zwettl/Austria |
| Date of Foundation: | 1138 |
| Style: | mixed, Romanesque - Baroque |
| First Abbot: | Herrmann, monk from Heiligenkreuz |
| Current Abbot: | Wolfgang (Peter) Wiedermann |
The Cistercian Abbey of Zwettl is a filiation of Heiligenkreuz, of the line of Morimond, situated in Lower Austria, in the Diocese of St. Hippolyte.
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[edit] History
This monastery was founded in 1137 by Hademar I of Kuenring[1], with Herrmann, a monk of Heiligenkreuz, as its first abbot (1137-47). The foundation was confirmed by Innocent II (1140) and by several other popes and emperors. Several members of the family of the founder were buried in the monastery.
As a typical monastery of the order of the Cistercians, the Abbey was constructed in a river's valley, in this case, a sinuosity of the river Kamp. Extensive buildings were erected, and the church, chapter-room, and dormitory were blessed in 1159, though the entire monastery was not completed until 1218. Zwettl Abbey soon became one of the most important monasteries in the order.
Towards the end of the fourteenth century, the abbey was repeatedly plundered, especially in 1426, when 4000 Hussites sacked and burned it down, one brother being killed because of his catholic belief. It was rebuilt under Abbot John (1437-51). Near the end of the fifteenth century, over forty priests lived in Zwettl Abbey. Under the Lutheran Reformation the convent was reduced to six monks and one secular priest. By an imperial rescript the monastery was forced to sell one-fourth of its large possessions. It flourished again under Abbot Erasmus (1512-1545) and his successors during the Baroque period[1], notwithstanding the Thirty Years' War and the Turkish invasion, during which it was saved from destruction by the friendship of Count Thurn for Abbot Siegfried.
During the administrations of Abbot Linck (1646-71), author of Annales Austrio Claravallenses, and Abbot Melchior (1706-1747), who rebuilt a great part of the abbey and enriched it with many precious vessels and vestments, it reached its zenith. The latter encouraged study and opened schools of philosophy, theology, etc., in the monastery. During the period of Josephinism Abbot Rainer was obliged to resign, to be succeeded by a commendatory abbot (1786), but after 1804 the community was allowed to elect its own abbot. From 1878 the abbey was administered by Abbot Stephen Roessler, the sixty-first from its foundation; besides him two other noted historians were members of Zwettl during the nineteenth century; John von Frast (d. 1850) and Leopold Janauschek, the author of Originum Cisterciensium.
[edit] Buildings
The monastery contains buildings of all architectural styles from Romanesque until Baroque. The most important relict of the Romanesque cloister. Today's form is a result of the reconfiguration of the monastery in 18. century, when main parts of the abbey were rebuild in Baroque style. Among others parts the western tower was constructed by Joseph Munggenast. The plans of the tower were designed by Matthias Steinl. Only one other tower in Lower Austria is higher than this building's 82 meters. Another part of this construction period is the library, which contains frescoes, made by Paul Troger.
From 1728 to 1731 Johann Ignaz Egedacher from Passau constructed the famous Egedacher-Organ, one of the biggest and most expensive organs of the region of Vienna and Lower Austria.
[edit] Present day
The abbey's library, contains over 60,000 volumes, 500 incunabula, and 420 manuscripts. Most famous manuscript is the Stiftungsbuch of Zwettl.
The community is now formed of 23 priests, who have care of fourteen incorporated and four other parishes. The monastery lives of a forest holding of about 2,500 hectares, a fish farming enterprise of 90 hectares an agricultural enterprise of 110 hectares and the Vineyards of Schloss Gobelsburg with about 35 hectares.
The buildings now contain a school.
Since 1983 every year an organ festival is organized.
[edit] References
- Kubes, Karl, Rössl, Joachim, Fasching, Herbert: Stift Zwettl und seine Kunstschätze . Verlag Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus, St. Pölten, Wien 1979, ISBN 3-85326-481-6
- Pechloff, Ursula: Stift Zwettl, Zusatz zum Titel English, italiano, česky. Kunstverlag Peda, Passau, 1995, ISBN 3-930102-71-4
- Walli, Stefan: Evaluierung der Dauerausstellung "Wer’s glaubt, wird selig?" im Stift Zwettl. Hochschulschrift, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Diplom-Arbeit, 2004
- Exner, Walter: Der Bernhardi-Altar im Stift Zwettl. Siebenberg-Verlag, Bad Wildungen, 1981
- ^ a b Zwettl Abbey. Allegro Vivo. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
[edit] External links
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
