Andlau Abbey

The Abbey Andlau was founded in 880 and dissolved during the French Revolution pin of the Benedictine nuns in a valley on the eastern edge of the Vosges. It is the origin of the community Andlau in the French department of Bas- Rhin. The Abbey Andlau shelter in worldly matters directly to the emperor, as long as they belonged to the Holy Roman Empire, and in spiritual questions directly to the Pope.

History

The abbey was founded in 880 Andlau by the Empress Richarde, wife of Charles the Fat, on family property. As monastery legend applies the story of the bear that the Empress showed the point at which the abbey was to be founded. Richardis dedicated the abbey the Redeemer ( Saint- Sauveur ), the statutes of the monastery himself designed that a little later by Pope John VIII ( 872-882 ) were approved and equipped the monastery with a rich land from. Richardis withdrew after they had been accused by her husband of adultery and after its deposition 887, in the Abbey Andlau, where she died around 900 and in the monastery church she was buried.

In the first half of the 10th century, the abbey was completely rebuilt; the associated crypt is now the oldest part of the building (except a hole in the floor of the crypt, is alleged to it came from the said she-bear ). When Pope Leo IX. (Bruno of Eguisheim ) on the way back from the Synod of Mainz in Andlau stopped off in November 1049, he left the corpse Richardis ' patient transfer from the old to the new, Romanesque church. At the same time he gave him free to worship, what a formal canonization equaled.

The abbess Hadewig ordered in 1130 the construction of the portal and the frieze in the west work of the abbey church. On the night of Easter Sunday Easter Monday 1160 the church burned down, which was built then new. The Richardis shrine was arched over the end of the 12th century.

Between 1178 and 1212 the Bailiwick went over the Abbey Andlau by the Counts of Eguisheim - Dabo on the emperor, so that Andlau was now rich immediately. Under King Rudolf I, the castle rule Andlau and the office of mayor of Andlau went over to the lords of Andlau, thus more powerful than the original Ministeriale the Abbey were considered the abbess itself as the abbess compensation received in 1288 a seat and vote in the Reichstag; in the Reichsmatrikeln the 15th and 16th century, but no longer find it. Even the rich possessions of the abbey was not rich immediately. From the time of Emperor Charles V, the abbesses were imperial princesses - even after the transfer of sovereignty to the French crown.

From around 1350 the Richardis tomb, which today is located in a Baroque chapel from 1707 comes from. A new fire in the 15th century required the reconstruction of the church. On April 19 1499 the abbey was converted into a secular convent. The attempts of the lords of Andlau to secularize the pen during the Reformation, could be averted. The Peace of Münster signed in 1648 the independence of the Abbey then again firmly.

As Andlau came under French rule in 1680, the abbey retained by a contract of July 1686 their right to choose the abbess herself, instead of letting them appoint as usual in France by the king. Also in the late 17th century the now dilapidated nave was rebuilt. During the Revolution, the abbey Andlau was then dissolved.

The numerous papal bulls relating to the Abbey Andlau be kept in the Department of Archives in Strasbourg.

Architecture

From the Abbey still stands the Abbey Church of Sainte Richarde, today the Parish Church of Saints- Pierre -et -Paul, and the former palace of the abbesses, today's Hospital Pride Grimm. The gate to the courtyard and the main stairs of the hospital from the first half of the 18th century are classified as a monument historique since April 25, 1935.

The church is known mainly because of the Romanesque sculpture of the bear of Andlau in the crypt and its Romanesque frieze, and the coffin of the Holy Richardis from the 14th century.

Gallery

North side and bell tower

Romanesque portal

Nave towards the choir

Church Gallery

Richardis Coffin (14th century)

Crypt Bear's Andlau ( Romanesque )

Fries: Lion with prey ( Romanesque )

Fries: Ritter ( Romanesque )

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