| Imperial Abbey of Our Dear Lady, Seckau Reichsabtei Unserer Lieben Frau in Seckau |
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| Imperial Abbey of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||
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| Plan of the basilica | ||||
| Capital | Seckau | |||
| Government | Theocracy | |||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||
| - Founded | 1142 | |||
| - Gained Reichsfreiheit | 1218 | |||
| - Secularised to Styria | 1782 | |||
Seckau Abbey or Abbey of Our Dear Lady, Seckau (German: Abtei Seckau or Abtei Unserer Lieben Frau) is a Benedictine monastery in Seckau in Styria, Austria.
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The monastery was founded by the Augustinian Canons, when an already existing community in Sankt Marein bei Knittelfeld was moved to Seckau in 1142. This establishment was dissolved in 1782.
In 1883 the monastery was resettled by Benedictines from Beuron Archabbey, who had had to leave Germany because of the Kulturkampf. In 1940 the monks were evicted by the Gestapo and the buildings were confiscated. In 1945 the monks were able to return.
The abbey maintains a secondary school ("Gymnasium") and carries out the duties of the pastoral care belonging to a parish.
It is part of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation.
The abbey church, a Romanesque basilica, was built between 1143 and 1164. For centuries it was the place of burial of the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburgs.[1] In 1930 it was declared a minor basilica.
Seckau Abbey was selected in 2008 as a main motif for a high value Austrian euro collectors' coin: the Seckau Abbey commemorative coin. The obverse shows a wide view of Seckau Abbey looking west. Located in the center is the Romanesque basilica with its two towers surrounded by the Baroque monastic buildings. The reverse shows a view from the main entrance of the church to the high altar, depicting the mediaeval crucifixion group hanging on four massive chains.
