Helmarshausen Abbey

The monastery Helmarshausen in Helmarshausen at the Diemel (now part of Bad Karl port) in northern Hesse was founded in the late 10th century. The Benedictine monastery was at first an imperial abbey, later it was subordinate to the Diocese of Paderborn. It was abolished in 1536 in the wake of the Reformation. Of great importance was the monastery in the Middle Ages because of its gold and silver work and his scriptorium, created some of the most important masterpieces of Romanesque book illumination.

Creation time

In the year 944 a royal is attested in Helmarshausen, who was in possession of Count Ekkehard later. This and his wife Mathilde donated probably around 987 a Benedictine establishment, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Salvator Peter and from 1107 also Modoaldus. Even before the founding of the monastery was 997 by Emperor Otto III. and Pope Sylvester II confirmed. In addition Helmarshausen immunity has been conferred with the same rights as Corvey. This involved also the market, coin and customs law. Indeed, several embossed in Helmarshausen coins are preserved.

Transition to the bishopric of Paderborn

The descendants of the late founder led II complaint against the loss of their rights when Emperor Henry. The case was heard on the Princes of Leitzgau 1017, and the monastery was assumed by the emperor to the bishop Meinwerk of Paderborn. Among the affected heirs also Thiermar, a brother of Bill Unger Duke Bernhard II belonged This was not satisfied with the decision of the emperor and was plundering in Paderborn area. A definitive countervailing did not occur until 1024.

Bishop My work was to the monastery church consecrated in 1011. As a result Helmarshausen was a proprietary monastery of the bishops of Paderborn, which it sought to lead the Benedictine sense and promoted by forces. Under Bishop Henry II of Werl was for a model of the second abbot Wino, who traveled to Jerusalem at the nearby Krukenberg, stylistic reference to the Holy Sepulchre, built in 1107, the first-mentioned St. John's Chapel. Little is known of the internal history of the monastery in the early decades.

The Counts of Northeim and the Winzenburg counts were successively governors of the monastery. They were followed by Henry the Lion.

Peak under Abbot Thietmar II

In the time of Abbot Thietmar I. (1080-1111) came to the translation of various relics. The most important among them were the bones of St. Modoald von Trier, who was next to Peter, patron saint of the monastery. About the rides animal Mars to Trier reported the contemporary handwriting Translatio Modoaldi. Also relics of Abrunculus brought the abbot of Trier.

The hope for miracle cures attracted pilgrims who contributed through their donations to the material prosperity of the monastery. From major big players in the region such as the Count of clean living, of Poppenburg, of Schwalenberg, of Dassel, mountain goat or the Lords of Malsburg, of Eberschütz or Padberg the monastery was rich possessions awarded. The goods donations of lay people (now in Marburg) listed in the Helmarshausen tradition Codex. These donations were the material basis for the expansion of the monastery church ..

During this time the monastery was also raised to a Paderborn Archidiakonat. In the time of Abbot Thietmar II included the artistic revival of Helmarshausen falls. The monastery was soon known by his scriptorium and its artisans.

Art smithy

Particularly in the area of the gold - and silversmith created the monks outstanding works of art. Among them were valuable crucifixes, but also small bronzes were produced. The priest - monk Roger (of Helmarshausen ) could have projected this workshop. Whether he himself was a goldsmith, is not provable. Between 1107 and 1130 created the workshop portable altars, relics, crosses and valuable book covers. Two portable altars, now in the Diocesan Museum of Paderborn, likely to come from this workshop. The many decades assumed identity with the author Theophilus of the textbook " Schedula diversarum of Arts " for the production of parchment, paints and inks, but also for the processing of gold, silver and other metals for the production of books, is not provable ..

Scriptorium

Helmarshausen Corvey sparked off as a leading center of book production in northern Germany in the 12th century. In the period 1120-1200 the orderly room beside documents also created magnificent manuscripts. A particularly well-known writer was the monk Heriman. Of importance for the development of the School of Helmarshausen was the close connection with the space on the Rhine and Meuse. Through the reception of role models from the west of the kingdom of the Romanesque style of illuminations by Helmarshausen won for 1120-1130 input in the area of ​​Saxony. Partly, also for co-operation with other monasteries. While in Helmarshausen especially the ornamentation was maintained, other parts such as the decorative figures came here partly elsewhere. Manuscripts from Helmarshausen were delivered as the Gospel Book of Gniezno to remote clients.

In 1150 increased the number of works produced, but the client now came mainly from the area of ​​Saxony. Laymen were now increasingly as a buyer. In the last quarter of the 12th century, the scriptorium experienced in particular by orders of Henry the Lion, a new boom. Was probably based on English models as a completely new type of book the Prachtpsalter for lay people, such as the Duchess Mathilde. The magnificent Gospel of Henry the Lion was born in 1180 in Helmarshausen to his time unsurpassed luxury and quality of services of the book decoration. In the following period, such as the Trier of Gospels, a division of labor in the scriptorium developed. While it broke with the Roman traditions, following the Gothic book painting no longer found the school of Helmarshausen but. This was one of the reasons for the decline of book production.

Around 1200, ended the production of luxury manuscripts. More and more the competition of scriptoria made ​​in the Bishop cities, some of which lay workshops were noticeable, as these were the book market in more detail. Also played a role, the conflict of the monastery with the bishops of Paderborn for the restoration of imperial immediacy.

The monastery in the time of the formation of territories

Henry the Lion lost Vogt Office 1180 along with the dukedom of Saxony. As a result, the region around Helmarshausen was involved in the formation of territories.

The ratio of the monastery to the diocese of Paderborn also began to deteriorate since the second half of the 12th century. In the monastery II certificates were falsified in order to substantiate the claimed independence of Paderborn under Abbot Conrad. Pope Alexander III. has once again confirmed in 1160 the insinuation of Helmarshausen to the bishop of Paderborn. The highlight of the dispute between the monastery and bishopric falls in the year 1191 when Pope Celestine III. Helmarshausen his possessions and privileges confirmed. The newly elected abbot Thietmar III. rejected an investiture by the Bishop of Paderborn Bernhard II. He replied with the excommunication of the abbot.

These disputes took advantage of Archbishop Engelbert I of Cologne to ( the Duchy of Westphalia ) to expand its sphere of influence in Westphalia to the Weser. Around 1220 the archbishopric from the monastery one half of the city Helmarshausen was transferred. For Cologne guaranteed the protection of the abbey. As a result, it came to the fortification of the city. For the protection of the monastery the Krukenburg was built in 1220. Helmarshausen became one of the most important outpost of Cologne in the Weser region.

After the lost battle of Worringen 1288 the Archbishops of Cologne were greatly weakened and lost its influence in the Weser region again. This power vacuum used the Paderborn bishops to regain their influence on the monastery Helmarshausen. Already in 1326 had Bishop Bernard V. again the spiritual supervision rights over the monastery. This also came into possession of the Cologne Half of the city Helmarshausen and in the Krukenburg. Abt rhyme Bold now followed up on connections to the Archbishopric of Mainz. One half of the monastery still belonging part of the city Helmarshausen was sold to Mainz.

The monastery itself is a decline in the meantime had been used. Because the income is no longer sufficient, more and more possessions were pawned or sold.

Since the victorious for her output of the Main hissing Hessian War of 1427, the Landgrave of Hesse brought more and more possessions of the archbishopric of Mainz in the region under their control. Also, the abbot of Helmarshausen had to go in 1479 under the protection of the Landgrave.

From the Reformation to the present day

In 1538 the monastery was dissolved during the Reformation. After a long legal battle the diocese of Paderborn in 1597 renounced all rights to the monastery. The Hessian Landgrave Philip I, who set up in the monastery a tithe office. The possessions of the monastery were given to noble families in fief.

Receive today only the east wing of the facility and a chapel. The church collapsed in 1604 together partially. From the stones a large tithe barn was built in 1749.

In 1848, the monastery buildings were taken over by the city Helmarshausen and subsequently used as a school. Since 1965, an evangelical kindergarten and a youth center there are housed.