Einsiedeln Abbey

The monastery of Einsiedeln is a Benedictine abbey in the town of Einsiedeln exemte in the canton of Schwyz. The abbey is a major station on the Way of St. James and even the destination of many pilgrims. The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln in the chapel is an attraction for pilgrims and tourists. The community has about 60 members. The monastery is not part of a diocese but has the status of a territorial abbey.

Since its inception in 1130, the Benedictine Monastery Driving heard at Zurich to Einsiedeln Abbey, by the abbot of Einsiedeln also that of the monastery driving. Together they form the world's only surviving double monastery in the Benedictine Order.

• 3.1 Abbey Library
• 3.2 Marstall
• 3.3 monastery place

• 4.1 construction
• 4.2 Organs 4.2.1 Mauritius organ
• 4.2.2 Marienorgel
• 4.2.3 choir organ

History

In the year 835 the Benedictine Meinrad von Reichenau Island pulled a hermit back to this place. He was followed by other hermits. Among them, Benno, the short time Bishop of Metz was was. 934 were the hermits by Eberhard, a noble priest from Strasbourg, combined into a Benedictine monastery. The founding of the congregation was confirmed 947 by Otto I and was accompanied by a usual donation of land. To gift Otto I also included the island Ufnau that belonged to the convent Säckingen at this time. The convent was compensated with other possessions. The monastery Einsiedeln also give the free Abtwahl and immunity.

After the first monastery fire of 1029 a three-aisled basilica was built with a crypt from 1031 to 1039, which represented the basic shape for the later Baroque. The foundation stone for the new building took place on 10 May 1031. A second basilica (Lower Cathedral ) was built in 1230 over the walled courtyard.

Emperor Henry II donated to the monastery in 1018 an area of 229 km ² to use. The supervisor, also the representation of the monastery in legal matters, each took a patron. These included the Nellenburger, the Lords of Uster and Rapperswil. Finally went over this lucrative rights to the Habsburgs.

Since 1114 a border dispute with the people of Schwyz are known which were decided on Hofgerichten usually in favor of the monastery. 1308, after the death of the Habsburg king Albert I, the disputes took up significantly. 1314 the monastery was conquered and plundered the so-called March of dispute Schwyzer farmers. The Duke of Austria, Leopold I, who was patron to Einsiedeln, then attacked the central Swiss, but lost them in 1315 at the Battle of Morgarten. The conflict could only be adjusted in 1350. The monastery then lost a considerable portion of his land ownership.

After a fire in 1465 and the lower Münster was vaulted. 1509 and 1577 the church was again in flames.

Huldrych Zwingli was employed from 1516 to 1518 as a secular priest in the monastery. The last monk left the monastery in 1525, on July 20, 1526 was forced to resign, the abbot of the pen - the monastery of Einsiedeln was extinct. The Schwyzer then invoked a new abbot, Ludwig II of Blarer Wartensee, but this was only in 1533 recognized by Rome as lawful. He took the first commoner in the convent and animated it so again.

The choir and the arisen for confession 1674-1684 by the architect Hans Jörg Kuen. The baroque monastery was built from 1674 to 1735 as a complete new construction in three stages according to the plans of Caspar Moosbrugger. On March 31, 1704, the cornerstone was laid for the new monastery. His brother, the architect Johann Moosbrugger, was entrusted with the construction work.

Under the Abbot Nicholas Imfeld the church was consecrated on May 3, yet in 1735.

When the French arrived in May 1798 Einsiedeln, fled all the inhabitants of the monastery. The Lady Chapel was destroyed by the occupiers, but the miraculous image was saved by the monks. On September 17 of the same year the empty pen was declared state property. Through the so-called Act of Mediation received on 19 February 1803, the clergy, the monastery back.

At Easter 2012, the monastery was equipped with LED lighting, creating a diverse lighting concept for different occasions is possible. Participated the Association of Friends of the monastery of Einsiedeln in the investment of 150,000 CHF ( € 124,000 ). This illumination is much more economical than conventional and the LEDs should last several decades.

On September 23, 2012, a credit commitment over 8 million Swiss francs was at the cantonal referendum " guarantee credit to the restoration work in Einsiedeln Monastery " by the Canton of Schwyz adopted for the purpose of restoration work 2013-2022.

Pilgrimage

Since the 14th century assignable took place pilgrimages to Einsiedeln. During the late Middle Ages, the pilgrims came even from northern Germany and the Netherlands. A decrease in the flow of pilgrims witnessed the monastery only at the time of the Reformation, in the second half of the 16th century Einsiedeln became the religious center of the Swiss Catholics again.

Hermit Mother of God

The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln is a late Gothic miraculous image of the mid-15th century. It replaced the original Romanesque miraculous image, which was destroyed in the fire of 1465. The black color comes from the soot of candles and lamps burning before the figure. When the statue was restored in 1803 in Austria, the artist's original color laid bare and painted the figure of flesh-colored again. This change in the population joined on resentment and so the black Madonna was painted over.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the statue was a Spanish garb, bell-shaped. It is still changed according to the church year.

Engelweihlegende

On September 14, 948 Christ is said to have consecrated the chapel in the company of saints and angels. This legend formed the core of the onset of pilgrimage. Most pilgrims visit Einsiedeln for the Feast of Angels' Blessing. Fell September 14 falls on a Sunday, a 14-day Big Angel consecration was celebrated. In 1466 about 150,000 pilgrims characters were sold.

Monastery

The closed baroque monastery, as they still presents today, was built from 1703 as abbot Maurus of rolling the foundation stone for the new monastery designed by the hermit lay brother and architect Caspar Moosbrugger from the Vorarlberg school of thought.

Abbey Library

The monastery library of the monastery is rich in old books: it includes about 230,000 printed books, 1230 manuscripts and 1040 books incunabula and early printed books. Every year, to 500 to 800 books.

The library was founded in 934, the monastery was home to the late 10th century had its own writing school; today are still 64 manuscripts from this period. Own printing received the monastery in 1664, in which up 1798 thousand titles were laid. The library was long kept in the cellars of the monastery, so they survived the many fires of the monastery without prejudice. It was not until 1602 I. Hofmann was built a dedicated library building by the Abbot Augusting. The magnificent Big baroque hall was built 1738-1740. In 1998, the library was last restored.

Marstall

Built in 1765 Baroque stables of the monastery houses the oldest existing stud farm in Europe that had its beginnings in the 15th century. The horses bred, the Cavalli Madonna are among the most warm-blooded animals. The first hand-written note on the horse breeding can be found in the legal ceremony on February 24, 1064 by King Henry IV. , The continued existence of the oldest horse breed in Europe and Switzerland seems under threat.

Abbey Place

In the 14th century a building ban on the area directly in front of the monastery was adopted, which should prevent the encroachment of village fires. It was not until 1745-1747 was built to plans by the Milanese architect Paolo Federico Bianchi under the supervision of the Bregenz architect John Rueff of the monastery court in its present form. Still photos of Otto the Great and Henry II line the staircase. In the center of the square is the Fountain of Our Lady from 1747 with a gilded statue of Mary. On both sides of the square, semi-circular arcades close with Devotionalienläden. Behind the mighty baroque monastery front raises with the two 60 m high towers at its center, surrounded by three-storey convent wings.

The square is the venue and venue of the mystery play The Great Theatre of the World, 1924-1992, as amended by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, then in a version by Thomas Hürlimann. After the performance of 2007, the piece was performed again in 2013. The piece of Tim Krohn has been doing staged by director Beat Fäh.

View details 2009

Mrs. Fountain 1900

View from the east to the monastery

Aerial View

Abbey

The central building of the monastery is the twin collegiate church, which was created to consecration 1735 in the years 1719 and also designed by Caspar Moosbrugger. It is considered the most important Baroque church in Switzerland.

Construction

The east-facing building houses in its interior the chapel with the Black Madonna in the western entrance. The ceiling paintings were created 1724-1726 by the brothers Asam. The comprehensive restoration of the church 1975-2001 tried to by previous renovations partially distorted impression of the original baroque condition to restore.

Organs

In the church there are three organs: the choir organ was originally built in 1754 and was last renovated in the 1980s. The Marie organ was built in 1988 according to the old new tab styles from the 18th century, Mauritius organ was built in 1994. Both latter instruments were built by the Swiss organ builder Mathis ( Naefels ).

Mauritius organ

The Mauritius organ is on the Epistle side in 1994 and was rebuilt in the Baroque existing housing. She has 62 registers, four manuals and pedal, the disposition is based in the sound of organs of the early Romantic period. The play and Registertrakturen are mechanical.

• Pairing: Normal Couplers: II / I, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P III / P
• Suboktavkoppel: III / I
• Superoktavkoppel: III / P

Marienorgel

The Marie organ on the Gospel side in 1988 rebuilt as a baroque organ with 34 registers. The instrument has mechanical tracker action.

• Couplers: II / I, I / P, II / P

Choir organ

Today's choir organ dates back to an instrument that was built in 1754 by Ferdinand Victor Bossart. This instrument was rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries several times, umintoniert and extended and rescheduled.

Finally, the organ was restored in the years 1982 to 1985 by the Mathis organ building and reconstructed on the state that had the instrument after restoration by Franz Anton Kiene in 1827. The play and Registertrakturen are mechanical.

• Pairing: Shove coupler positive / main work

Activities of the monastery

As a high school in the canton of Schwyz ( external) and general humanistic Gymnasium ( internal), takes over the Einsiedeln seminary until today an important educational mission and forms in their own theological school house young talent. The Alumni Scholae Einsidlensis is the alumni organization was founded in 2005, the Einsiedeln seminary, organized on the model of leading universities an alumni network for graduates and teachers of Einsiedeln seminary. The club had in the spring of 2010 to the 700 members.

In addition to horse breeding, wine making, wood processing and preservation of many cultural goods ( codices, buildings ), the Monastery Schola under the direction of Father Roman Bannwart was known. The " hermit Salve Regina " is the only five-voice version of the liturgical chant.

Monastery buildings

The monastery Einsiedeln belong together with other lands since 1130 Kloster Fahr ( with which it forms a double monastery). Additional possessions since 965 is one of the Other lakes in the Lake Zurich and the headland Endingen in Rapperswil, the hermit house (built around 981 and in possession Hermit ) on the stand and the Capuchin monastery and cloister garden. Previously, even the Gottschalkenberg and Sonnenberg Castle owned by the monastery. Einsiedeln Monastery is the largest private landowners in Switzerland. It owns approximately 2,140 acres of land in five cantons of Switzerland ( Schwyz, Canton of Aargau, Zurich, Thurgau and St. Gallen). In Austria in Vorarlberg in Walser communities, there is the provost Sankt Gerold and in 1842 incorporated Parish Church of St. Anthony Abbot in Düns.

Notable people

• Wolfgang of Regensburg (* 924, † 994 ), Bishop of Regensburg
• Albrecht von Bonstetten (c. 1442/1443; † about 1504), dean of the monastery Einsiedeln and early humanist
• Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531), people's priest at the monastery, later reformer
• Albert Kuhn (1839-1929), theologian, art historian, Kapitular the pen Maria -Einsiedeln and Professor of Art History
• Meinrad Eugster (1848-1925), a lay brother, "Venerable Servant of God "
• Raymund network Hammer (1862-1945), Archbishop of Bucharest
• Benno Gut (1897-1970), Abbot Primate of the Benedictine and later became a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
• Roman bannwart (1919-2010), theologian, priest and musician ( students and teachers )
• Löhrer Magnus (1928-1999), theologian (Professor of Dogmatic Theology )
• Kassian Etter (1929-2009), Prefect of the boarding
• Martin Werlen (* 1962), 2001-2013 Abbot