Magnus of Füssen

Saint Magnus of Füssen probably lived as a hermit in the 8th century in Fussen. In the tradition of the Abbey of St. Mang (c. 840-1802/1803 ) applies Magnus as their monastery founder and first Dept.

Although the historical person Magnus is hard to describe, but the effect of history of a saint and miracle worker revered is over a period of more than a thousand years in the field of art and popular piety, especially in the Allgäu and Tirol, in Upper Swabia and Switzerland still multiform comprehensible. His worship is also expressed in the title of Apostle of the Allgäu. The Magnus is celebrated on 6th September.

Historical figure

By Magnus almost nothing historically certain is known. The oldest written document presents a biography, the " Vita S. Magni ," which was probably written around 895 by an anonymous author. A copy of the " Urvita " from the beginning of the 10th century is located in the Abbey Library of Einsiedeln in Codex 265

In the earlier research literature, the Vita is questioned as a historical source critical and it traced the life: Thus, Magnus was born probably 699 near St. Gallen and was probably in 746 proselytise to Füssen, where after 26 years of work he 772 died.

In contrast, the latest research literature, this Vita is interpreted as a literary work, as a symbol legend that portrays the quest of the Holy to perfection. The Vita will no longer be used as a historical fact report.

" The proof is only that he lived. He was probably a local hermit Füssen area, (...) is probably died sometime in a September 6 in the 8th century. "

Stefan Vatter, however, points out in his latest monograph on Magnus out that Magnus will have been a iroschottischer monk from St. Gallen based on the information of the oldest Vita Magnus and his way of life described therein. Magnus goes with the iroschottischen monks Gallus and Columbanus as one of the three " Allgäu saints." In one built in 2000 Highway Chapel, on the A 96 at the rest stop in Winterberg Leutkirch im Allgaeu, Allgäu, the three saints were depicted in a bronze sculpture. General scientific and literary works to Magnus are controversial. Rather, the Christianization of the Allgäu by Magnus is interpreted as a legend.

Even the year of death of Magnus is no longer preserved. In the local tradition, has 750 naturalized as a death year.

Vita S. Magni

The conceptual meaning of the Vita S. Magni was lifted clear of Dorothea Walz. The desire to follow Christ and to achieve perfection pervades the spirit of this biography and expresses itself in a well-defined order, symbolized in number combinations from.

The chapter divisions contains the key for the deeper understanding of the Vita, which consists of 28 chapters. The number 28 was in the Middle Ages as " numerus perfectus " as a perfect number, because the sum of its divisors (1 2 4 7 14 = 28 ), in turn, the number obtained is 28. Chapters 1 to 25 describe the earthly life of Magnus, the last three events and the miracles after his death. First, in the first 8 chapters Magnus is as an Irish prince dedicated to St. Columban follows as a student, described the next eight chapters describe him as a disciple of St. Gallus. After these 16 chapters of student life, which ends with his departure from St. Gallen and the healing of the blind in Bregenz, Magnus is presented as a perfect master in the following nine chapters. He subdues the snake boa in Kempten, defeated the dragon in Rosshaupten, destroyed the river and mountain spirits in the Lech gorge at the place of the " fauces " ( gullet, throat) is called = feet, and founded here a cell and an oratorio. And in turn connects to the classification scheme of these 25 chapters a special combination of numbers, namely the division of a square number into two squares (25 = 16 9 ), as in the theorem of Pythagoras.

After Magnus ' death, his cell was destroyed. The Bishop of Augsburg Sintpert let this build again and finish under his successors church and monastery. Bishop Lanto now left looking for the Magnus grave. As the Vita further reports, the grave was signaled by a miracle effect discovered and preserved intact body of Magnus raised a clear sign of his holiness and splendor of legitimacy for the newly founded Benedictine monastery. This monastery was founded can be set to 830/840.

Veneration of saints

Magnus was Holy Order of the Benedictines and so is his worship to be found particularly in Benedictine monasteries. In the Alpine region had been worshiped as the protector and rescues against mice, caterpillars and grubs infestations. Partial assumes the Magnuslegende the pre-Christian veneration of holy places, such as the apple tree in Schwangau / Waltenhofen; the shell stone at Lusalten / Lech case, for " Magnus kick ". Special miraculous power was thereby awarded the St. Mang rod. This was often requested for pest control from the monastery of Füssen.

" The blessings of the Magnus staff usually took before the Custos of the monastery feet. He rode to the place where you wanted a blessing. There the father was passed through the corridor. At four stations he put the Magnus staff in the field, sang the beginning of the Gospel, read the exorcism and issued to the rod the blessing. This corridor approach took about half a day. " ( Epple, Alois: in the exhibition catalog 2000) A Füssen Father listed after a Adige Travel in 1643: " Where the Holy Staff under appeal to the pious abbot went, the grapes were spared seven years from the mold, and where you swung it at prayers of blessing over the fields, had to give all the pests. "

During the Enlightenment, this popular practice, however, was branded as a superstition and banned after the secularization by government decree, confiscated the Magnus rod 1804. In 1822 he was brought back to feet. Even today on Magnustag (September 6 ) and Whit Tuesday in Fussen processions with the Magnus rod instead.

See also: Magnus Church, Abfraßtag

Magnus representations ( a selection)

In religious art Magnus is indicated by different attributes. As abbot of the Benedictine monastery he wears cowl, pectoral cross and crosier. The tame bear stands for the taming and enslavement of dangerous forces of nature. As part of the Counter-Reformation is the Dragon, according to legend, defeated the Magnus in the gorge at Roßhaupten to its central attribute - an icon of the Counter-Reformation church against paganism and heresy.

Book illumination

• Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek CLM 3913: Initial O with the oldest image of St. Magnus to 960
• Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France Ms.lat. 10867: Count Dietrich asks the hl. Magnus to intercede with God to 1000th
• Stuttgart, Wurttemberg State Library, Cod hist 2 ° 415: miniature from the martyrology Zwiefaltener: Magnus follows Gallus, 1138-1147 and Magnus with bear to 1162nd
• St. Gallen Abbey Library HS 565: Magnus heals a blind man in Bregenz to 1135th
• Augsburg University Library Cod.I.2.4 ° 21: flyleaf to Vita The monastery founder and the fortunes of his monastery, 12th century.
• Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage, Ms.germ.quart. 42: The Sts. Magnus, Agapetus and Bernhard, from the prayer of Maria von Geldern, Utrecht, around 1415 / 25th
• St. Gallen Abbey Library Cod 602: 14 Illustrations for Magnuslegende to 1451st

Plastic

• Feet: Museum of the City: sculpture from the late Gothic choir Former altar of St. Mang, 1463rd
• Gagers, community Lana (South Tyrol ), Magnus Chapel: Enthroned Magnus, sculpture from the early Baroque high altar of St. Mang Füssen, Bartholomew Steinle, 1619th
• Feet, parish church of St. Mang, Magnus Chapel: marble figure enthroned Magnus, Anton Storm, before 1717.
• Goss Zugen, Magnus Chapel: Magnus altar staged as a grotto, JJ Christian and Johann M. Feichtmayr, in 1749.
• Birnau, Sanctuary: Dragonslayer, J. A. Feichtmayr, around 1750.
• Ettal Benedictine abbey church: Dragonslayer, JB Straub to 1762nd
• Kempten, St. Mang 's Fountain: bronze figure, Georg Wrba, 1905.
• Kempten, St. Mang Bridge: Bridge St. Magnus figure, and St. Lorenz, Karl Hoefelmayr, 1952.
• Feet, Magnus Fountain: bronze sculpture, Alois Vogler, 1968.

Frescoes

• Feet, parish church of St. Mang Crypt: Magnus follows Gallus; Reichenau school to 980
• Feet, parish church of St. Mang: fresco cycle The life of St.. Magnus, Johann Jakob Herkomer and Franz Georg Hermann, 1709 - to 1720.
• Bad shot Ried, former Premonstratensian monastery church of St. Mang: Magnus cycle, Johann Zick, 1746.
• Unterrammingen, parish church of St. Mang: Ceiling fresco Four scenes from the life of St. Magnus, Johann Baptist Enderle, in 1769.
• Geislatsried, Church of St. Magnus ceiling paintings St. Magnus unto the inhabitants of the Allgaeu the Gospel, Franz Osterried 1861 /62.
• Tue Hausen, community Denklingen, filial church of St. Mang: Ceiling painting: The Bishop of Augsburg Wikterp hits the hl. Magnus in Epfach and gave him the mission order for the Allgäu; emerged in 1898, artist unknown.

Painting

• Kempten, Keck Chapel: panel Magnus fought the dragon and vermin, 1495th
• Feet, State Gallery in the High Castle: panel paintings Legend of St. Magnus, Stephan Mair (?) To 1570th
• Feet, Museum of the City: Hinterglasbild He will build a house for my name, 1711th
• Seedorf (Canton Uri), Abbey Church of St. Lazarus: Abbot Magnus, 1733.
• Feet, Museum of the City: Draft altarpiece Magnus ask of the Holy Trinity protection against the dragons Thomas Christian Winck, in 1794.
• Book Mountain, parish Rescue Mountain, pilgrimage chapel of St.. Magnus: Magnus votive tablets as emergency responders, 18-19. Century.
• Willisau, Holy Blood: Magnus water, Anton Amberger, 1854.

Goldsmith's work

• Cheeks, Parish Church of St. Martin: Magnus rod with silver reliquary in the form of a white Abtstabes to 1500.
• Feet, parish church of St. Mang: Magnus Magnus rod with a statuette made ​​of silver, 1572.
• Bad shot Ried, Abbey Museum: Magnus rod Reliquary, late Gothic and 1720.
• Zwiesel, Münster parish: Magnus rod with statuette to 1680.

Graphic

• Feet, Museum of the City: woodcut, Magnus soothes the bear, first Inkunabeldruck The Lives of the Saints, summer part of Günther Zainer, 1472.
• Hartmann Schedel 's World Chronicle: Woodcut The Magnus dance of Kölbigk, Michael Wolgemuth, 1493rd
• Augsburg State and City Library: Copper engraving Magnus a St. Gallen Saint Pierre Wuilleret / Wolfgang Kilian, 1630th

Glass painting

• Feet: Museum of the City: Former choir windows of St. Mang Magnus the dragon slayer, Royal. Stained Glass Manufactory Munich, 1870.