Abbey of Echternach

Territory of the Holy Roman Empire

The imperial abbey of Echternach in Luxembourg town of Echternach was a Benedictine monastery and imperial immediacy territory of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. In addition to large parts of the convent building is obtained from the monastery, the reconstructed Basilica of St. Willibrord. The territory of the former imperial abbey of Echternach is now largely in the Federal Republic of Germany, to a lesser extent in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Basilica of St. Willibrord and large parts of the convent building located in Echternach. As a free imperial abbey it was rich immediately, had an imperial immediacy territory and always recognized at only three men, namely, God, the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.

Coat of arms

The emblem of the imperial abbey of Echternach shows how almost all direct imperial territories in the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation the imperial eagle of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

History

The monastery was founded by the monk and St. Willibrord in the 7th century to the basic geschenktem Irmina of Oeren. It was the first iro - Anglo-Saxon monastery on the European mainland. The monastery is best known for his work in the scriptorium. The first works, such as the " Willibrordus of Gospels " are richly decorated by the Irish style of the Celtic Church, in whose tradition the monastery of Echternach was. In the year 751 was Echternach royal abbey of Carolingian. During the Saxon revolt of 782, the bishop of Bremen, Willehad lingered for two years in the monastery. 785 confirmed Charlemagne, who headed the monastery itself for a year, the monastery of Echternach by his brother Carloman I ( † 771 ) made ​​the donation "villa Officinus " at the Lieser what but no certificate had been issued ( Golden Book Echternach Abbey, now in the Gotha Research Library, signature " Memb. I. 71 ").

From 847-973 initiated Laienäbte the monastery. With Abbot Ravanger from the Abbey of Saint Maximin, the Benedictine rule was reintroduced and the monastery came again to new heights. After 1016 the abbey church was burned down, was consecrated the new abbey church by Archbishop Poppo of Trier on 19 October 1031. She was a Romanesque basilica, whose dimensions correspond approximately to those of the present church.

William, 21, bishop of Utrecht, gave the abbot of Echternach in a document dated December 28, 1063, powers over half of the revenue of several churches in Holland, including the Leimuiden and the neighboring settlements Woubrugge and Rijnsaterwoude.

In the 11th century, the scriptorium flourished again. It emerged as the Codex aureus Epternacensis, the Codex Aureus of Speyer Escorialensis or Gospel Book. The abbot Thiofrid was the author of several saints and a work on the nature of relics.

In 1148, Pope Eugene III. the abbot of Echternach possession of Louvivelt together with church and all accessories. This confirmation was in 1161 by Pope Victor IV renewed.

The last abbot of Echternach Limpach Emmanuel died 1793. There was no new Abtwahl. General Colaud pulled on August 13, 1794 the French revolutionary troops in Echternach one. The last monks of the monastery had previously fled. The abbey was sacked and Willibrord's grave was desecrated. Convent and monastery church were auctioned in 1797. Jean -Henri Dondelinger, who eventually acquired, taught in the buildings a the Faïencerie Dondelinger.

Around the middle of the 19th century, the choir of the basilica collapsed partially and completely she threatened to fall. Then a church building association was founded in 1862 in Echternach. In 1868 the restoration of the abbey church was completed in the spirit of romanesque and they could be re-consecrated. Since then, she's parish church of Echternach, since 1939 in the rank of a minor papal Basilica.

During World War II parts of the church were blown up. Shell impacts destroyed what was left standing.

In rebuilding a return to the original Romanesque was sought. The tower is trying to match the façade of Paray -le -Monial. The re- consecration took place in 1953.

In parts of the former monastery now the Lycée classique d' Echternach is housed with its affiliated boarding school.

Abbots

  • Willibrord
  • Adalbert ( 739-775 ), second Abbot
  • Beornrad ( 775-797 ), third abbot, Archbishop of Sens
  • Reginar ( 864-870 ), lay abbot
  • Adalhard I. ( to 870 ), lay abbot
  • Carloman ( 874-876 ), son of Emperor Charles the Bald
  • Adalhard II (up to 890 ), lay abbot
  • Hermann I of Swabia ( 926-949 ), lay abbot
  • Siegfried I of Luxembourg ( 950 ), lay abbot
  • Ravanger
  • Humbert (1028-1051)
  • Reginbert (1051-1081)
  • Theofried (1081-1110)
  • Godefridus ( to 1143 )
  • Ludwig (1173-1186), abbot of St. Matthias
  • John of Winningen = Jean de Winningen (Abt 1340-1353 ) 40th abbot
  • Johann de Neuville = Jean de Neuville (Abt 1353-1362 ), 41 Abbot
  • Wilhelm von Kerpen (Abt 1362-1372 ), 42 Abbot
  • Artvin von Waldeck (Abt 1372-1375 ), 43 Abbot
  • Peter von Gymnich (Abt 1399-1413 ) 47th abbot
  • Nicholas of Gymnich (Abt 1414-1424 ) 48th abbot
  • Pierre de Hubines = Peter of Hübingen (Abt 1424-1437 ), 49th Abbot
  • Winand of Gluwel = Wynant de Gluwel (Abt 1437-1465 ) 50th abbot
  • Colinus = Colin Plick of Oirwick (Abt 1465-1476 ), 51 Abbot
  • Francis Plick of Oirwick (Abt 1476-1477 ), 52 Abbot
  • Burchard Poszwin of New Castle (1490-1506)
  • Robert Monreal (1506-1539)
  • Matthias von Lützeradt = Mathias de Lutzeradt (Abt 1539), 56 Abbot
  • Gottfried von Aspremont = Godefroid d' Aspremont
  • Anthony Hovaeus = Antoine Hovay = Antoon van Hove = Antonius van der Hoef († October 8, 1568, Abt 1563-1568 ) 59th abbot
  • Martin Maas = Marten Maes a Meerbeeck = Martinus Masius (1520-1585, Abt 1569-1585), 60th Abbot
  • Jean Glatz = Johann GLADT (Abt 1586-1594 ), 61st Abbot
  • Johan Bertels = Johannes Bertels ( 1544-19. June 1607, abbot from 1595 to 1607 ), 62 Abbot
  • Pierre Richardot = Peter Richardotus (ca. 1575-1628, abbot from 1607 to 1628 ), 63 Abbot
  • Peter Fish (1628-1657), 64th Abbot
  • Richard Paschasius (1657-1667), 65th Abbot
  • Philippe de la Neufforge ( Neuveforge, Neuforge ) (8 May 1621-10. September 1684, 66 Abt 1667-1684 ), 66th Abbot
  • Willibrord Hotton (1684-1693), 67th Abbot
  • Benedict Zender Zender = Benoît (1694-1717), 68th Abbot
  • Matthias Hartz (1717-1728), 69th Abbot
  • Schouppe Gregory (1728-1751), 70th Abbot
  • Emmanuel Limpach (1775-1793), 72 Abbot Prior Binsfeld

Monastery library and scriptorium

In the Middle Ages Echternach was a center of book illumination. Among the best known works include the Golden Gospels of Echternach (Latin Codex Aureus Epternacensis, 11th Century, today Germanic National Museum in Nuremberg ) and the Golden Book of Gospels of Henry III. (Latin: Codex Aureus Spirensis or Codex Aureus Escorialiensis, Speyer Gospel Book, and today El Escorial, Madrid).

The scriptorium of the Benedictine 's have been produced mainly known through the writings of the mid-11th century for export. A newly published catalog, however, given includes theological, philosophical and pedagogical manuscripts from the monastery library, which arose only in part in Echternach itself. At nearly 800 pages, 89 manuscripts, 154 fragments and 18 printed books from the 7th to the 17th century are described. Thomas Falmagne first time, examining the history of the monastery library, which seems to have been one of the largest of the West around the year 800 and in Irish and southern European influences shows. Particularly noteworthy are a leaf from Pope Gregory I. from the late 7th century, a tower of wisdom in a manuscript of the State Archives from the 15th century, an Abacus figure in the cover of the Giants Bible or the Hisperica - Famina fragments from the 9. century.

Organ

The organ of the abbey church was built by the organ builder Johannes Klais (Bonn ) 1953 and 1991 increased. The instrument has 74 registers ( cone chests ), four manuals and pedal. The tracker action is electro-pneumatic. The Trompeteria is individually coupled to all the manuals and the pedal.

  • Pairing: Normal Couplers: II / I, III / I, IV / I, I / II, III / II, IV / II, IV / III, I / P, II / P III / P IV / P
  • Trompeteriakoppeln: to all manuals and pedal

Bells

In the towers of the Basilica there are 9 bells of two casters. It represents the tontiefste bells Luxembourg

Views

Portal of the monastery church

Entrance to the Abbey

Abbey ( East Wing )

Nave

Statue of St. Willibrord in the Basilica

Willibrord - wing altar in the Basilica

Willibrord's grave in the crypt of the Basilica

Grevenmacher District Rhineland-Palatinate Imperial Circle Residenz Carolingian dynasty Lieser (river) St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier Rule of Saint Benedict Poppo (Archbishop of Trier) Romanesque art Jacobswoude Codex Aureus of Echternach Golden Gospels of Henry III Laufeld Minor basilica Reginar, Duke of Lorraine Adalard the Seneschal Carloman, son of Charles the Bald Herman I, Duke of Swabia Siegfried of Luxembourg Thiofrid of Echternach Miniature (illuminated manuscript) Latin literature Klais Orgelbau Maria (given name) Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie County of East Frisia County of Bentheim Bronkhorst County of Oldenburg County of Schaumburg County of Tecklenburg County of Virneburg Aachen Cambrai
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