Disentis Abbey

The monastery Disentis Abbey is a Benedictine Congregation of the Swiss in Disentis in the canton of Grisons, which was founded around the year 720. It bears the name of Saint Martin, which is today in the structural condition of the late 17th century. The twin-towered church was built in 1696-1712 in Baroque Vorarlberg.

The museum in the north wing of the convent building is an art and cultural history collection from the Middle Ages. Thanks to his high school, the monastery is still today an important educational center in the region.

History

It can no longer be clearly dated back to when the Frankish monk Sigisbert settled in "desertina ". He joined the Rätier Placidus, a powerful owners of the region. However, as the sovereign, President of Victor in Chur, the previously saved special position Churrätiens looked vulnerable, he had murder Placidus. The tradition stylized murder to a beheading, and called in consequence Placidus a martyr and a confessor Sigisbert ( Kephalophoren legend ). At the latest in the year 700 was built around her grave a monastery, led by the abbot Ursicin. The monks took over the rule of St. Benedict.

765, the monastery in the will of the bishop of Chur Tello is mentioned for the first time in a document. 940 Saracens destroyed the monastery. As guardian of the Lukmanier pass Disentis was significant for the imperial interests in Italy. Otto I and Frederick I Barbarossa committed to pass on their way to the south. At this time the monastery state, which reached a size of 720 km ² was created.

1395 was the Prince Abbot of Disentis co-founder of the Grey League. During the Reformation, the monastery came to the edge of existence. Gradually succeeded the religious and spiritual renewal, which found striking expression in the Baroque monastery building.

During the Second Coalition War in the spring of 1799, French troops looted the monastery. On May 1, 1799 was an uprising of the natives against the French army. In response abbey and village were set on fire on May 6. After the abbey had already lost their possessions in Valtellina, you were just " rubble and liabilities ". The rebuilding was slow and hampered by a renewed fire in 1846. The canton of Grisons turned the impoverished monastery also under government control: The Cantonal monastery Act of 1861 prevented largely the novices receiving and already greatly impoverished monastery Disentis threatened by completely going under.

To rethink it came in 1880 after a change of mood in the people and the government. The driving forces behind it were the Disentis Editor Placi Condrau, the young politician Caspar Trunser Decurtins and Maienfelder Theophil von speaker. With the help of Swiss Benedictine Congregation, especially by the abbey of Muri -Gries, the monastery was saved from extinction, and learned in the 20th century, a new bloom.

Architectural History

The foundations of the pre-Carolingian Mary's Church and St. Martin's Church are the first to have 720 Significantly, the fragments of painted stucco equipment. In today's Marienkirche the apses are from the end of the 10th century. The baroque monastery was built 1683-1704. As an architect applies brother Caspar Moosbrugger (1656-1721) from Einsiedeln. In 1712 the church was consecrated. Following the devastating fires in 1799 and 1846, the convent building was altered and increased by one floor. 1895-1899 was built according to plans by August Hardegger St. Mary's Church (now Library and Museum ). 1937-1940 was completed with the Internatsbau of Walther Sulser the envisaged already in the Baroque blueprint rectangle. 1969-1973 built Hermann and Hans Peter Baur near the school building. Werner Schmidt made ​​in the field of study halls of the high school in 1994 and substantial interventions designed 1999, the so-called " House of Lords " ( boys' boarding ). In 2005, the so-called " lower house " ( girls' boarding school ) of Gion A. Caminada was put into operation. Together with the other new buildings of Caminada on Salaplauna ( cloister, Senneria ), the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects ( SIA ) recorded the entire project of the Benedictine monastery Disentis with the " circumspection regards sguardi 11 " from. Jury Verdict: " The prudent deliberation and the insistence of the monastery on your own profile and respecting the specificities of Local and Regional in the implementation impress as a courageous, open to the future process. Since the vital tourism is inextricably linked with tradition and culture of the management of the landscape space that provides thought-provoking work that extend well beyond the town and the region. "

For Disentis Monastery, built in 1989 by Peter Zumthor Caplutta Sogn Benedetg heard in Sumvitg.

The interior of the monastery church

The alignment to the north gives the room a " theater lighting " from sunrise until evening. The window for entering into the church and looking forward visitors remain obscured by the pillar, as the scenes in pushing sideways.

The paintings on the vaulted church are the work of Fritz Kunz ( 1868-1947 ). He was in the first half of the 20th century's most respected representatives of a recent religious painting.

The high altar dates from Deggendorf and was created by Melchior Stadler. The altar came to Disentis 1885 as a replacement for the 1799 destroyed the old main altar by Johann Ritz by Herberg Sellingen ( 1666-1729 ). Preserved by him is the Placidusaltar, the right of the entrance to the choir and the altar, Benedict, left the choir entrance. In the church are six altars. The choir screen is a work of Brother Joseph Bäz († 1737). The pulpit was created by brother Peter Soler of Schleuis 1717.

Convent school Disentis

The Gymnasium Kloster Disentis ( GKD ) was first mentioned 1285 documentary by referring to the teaching of the Seven Liberal Arts. The historian and former rector, Father Urban, writes 1996, the whole history of the monastery overlooking: " The monastery Disentis is hardly conceivable without school. "

In the 19th century, the school was a high school, since 1936 Matura exams can be taken. At the convent school today around 200 pupils are taught. Around one third lives in a boarding school. In 2008, the physicist Geneviève Appenzeller -Combe was elected Rector. With the school year 2011/12 Dr. Bruno Hensler accepted the rectorship. The prefecture is derived from this time a blog - pioneer and his wife, long-time university professor of social work.

Abbots

The monastery Disentis have since its inception 65 abbots projected:

• 64th abbot Pankrazberg Winiker: 1988-2000; Abbot President of Swiss Benedictine Congregation from 1991 to 1997. Motto: Pax et gaudium. Life-history: * December 16, 1925; † October 25, 2013
• 65 Abbot Daniel Schonbachler: December 18, 2000 - April 18, 2012 motto: Unitas in diversitate. . Life-history: * 1942
• 66 Abbot Vigeli Monn: since April 19, 2012 benediction. May 6, 2012 instead. Motto: Duc in altum. Life-history: * 1965

1400 years Disentis Monastery

As in 1814 and 1914, commits the Disentis Monastery in 2014 a large celebration. The festivities will be under the title " stabilitas in progressu ". There are various construction activities at: Restoration of the monastery church, monastery redesigning space, opening the gates area and creating a barrier- free access to the monastery church, etc.