Liesborn Abbey

Monastery Liesborn in Wadersloh, Krs Warendorf, was originally a company founded by 815 Damenstift. In 1131 this was abolished and in its place came a Benedictine abbey. This was secularized in 1803.

History

The convent

The source location for the period until 1130 is bad. Except for a charter of 1019, a list of 13 abbesses and a copy of a necrology are no documents. Therefore, the story is in the time of ladies pin also very uncertain. It was founded by older assumptions already 785 to Charlemagne back. It is more likely that the concrete foundation by 815, according to other traditions to 860 by the Saxon nobles Boso and Bardo was. These are also called in Memorienbuch of the monastery as a founder. Establishing facilities included the four main courtyards ( curtes ) Hollenhorst, Haskebrügge, Hentrup and Liesborn.

The monastery was consecrated to the Virgin Mary, the Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Holy Prophet Simeon. The first abbess was revered as a saint Roswindis or Roswitha of Liesborn. Earlier it was believed that she was a sister of Charles the Great. Presumably, however, it was like the monastery founder of the family Ekbertiner. More abbesses came from the local nobility. The Convention had close relations with the pen Herzebrock. Their first Head was educated in Liesborn.

1019, Emperor Henry II to the Bishop of Münster the right for the lied in Dreingau monastery to determine the Vogt and to regulate the spiritual affairs. This may have been the occasion for a feud of Count Hermann von Eenham, was one of the Bailiwick of Dreingau, with the bishop.

At least in the 11th century were members of the Graf house Werl - Arnsberg bailiffs. Later there were close links. Members of the house, such as Henry I and his sons, Henry II and Gottfried II transferred the monastery possessions.

Over time, life in the monastery took more and more of worldly traits. In 1121 the monastery of troops of the Duke Lothar of Saxony was destroyed by fire. The reconstruction has proved difficult. At the direction of Bishop Egbert of Münster, the nuns were expelled with reference to its previous " excellent values ​​of life ." One important reason was that the efforts made by the Bishop reform efforts were rejected by the sisters. The former inhabitants were, if they so wished, entertain with funds from the pin. Some remained in the vicinity, others went into the pins of the area.

Upturn in the High Middle Ages

In 1131 the conversion was carried out in a Benedictine monastery. The Collegiate Women were replaced by Benedictine monks. The Convention was followed by probably the Hirsauer reform. Bishop Egbert admitted to the monastery Abtwahl free, but reserved the right to ordination and consecration. The belonging to the former collegiate clergy and the noblemen and Mini tral had to accept this decision. It is unclear in the research, the origin of the first monks. Because the first abbots are also mentioned in the sources of Hildesheim, this place is not as unlikely origin.

The economic situation was bad at first. Church and buildings were probably not produced by a fire in 1121 again. Due to this, the monastery of the Munster bishops received numerous donations in the sequence. In 1144 the abbot also got the Liesborner Archidiakonatsrechte the monastery church, which had previously located at the cathedral chapter. This involved more income. In 1186 the monastery of customs in Neuss was left.

The convent was subsequently considerable prestige and got in contact with other spiritual institutions. Liesborn was involved since the 13th century in a dense network of brotherhoods prayer.

In 1270, the monastery was again almost completely destroyed by fire. A chronicler described this event in hexameters.

Crisis in the Late Middle Ages

With the increase of prosperity in the 13th century, the monastic discipline slackened again. The monastery was becoming a Versorgungsanstalt of posthumous sons of noble families. Therefore, the Präbendenzahl was precisely defined to prevent overcrowding. According to a document from 1298, these were 22 full benefices and 6 for boys. These measures showed no effect duration, however.

Only under Abbot Florin (1304-1328) began the construction of the church. With a forged document he obtained pontifical regalia. From the plague, the monastery 1348-1351 was severely affected. The monastery in 1353 was again almost completely destroyed by arson. Since then, the roofs were covered with slate for safety reasons.

In particular, since the second half of the 14th century there were obvious signs of secularization. Some monks operated financial transactions and were almost always absent. Other purchased goods and Hearing, or kept hunting dogs.

There were loads through the feuds since the late 14th century to the mid 15th century. This affected Liesborn particularly because of its border location in the Bishopric of Münster.

Monastic reform

In the year 1464/1465, the convent of the Reform community of Bursfeld congregation joined. After that, until then, no more frequently -compliance with stabilitas of the monks was observed again. Among the abbots Heinrich of Cleves (1464-1490) and Johann Smalebecker (1490-1522) came also to an economic upturn. New buildings were built and the spiritual and artistic life started to develop. Smalebecker was repeatedly appointed to important offices of the Bursfeld Union. The new spirit influenced the reform of other monasteries and ladies sticks for the purposes of Bursfeld Congregation. The monk Bernard Witte ( 1490 to about 1534) was strongly influenced by humanism. He wrote a Westphalian history and a history of the abbey.

Decline in the confessional age

A short time later, this phase was completed. The monastery became economically but also mentally in the crisis. Abbot Anton Kalthoff was influenced by ideas of the Baptist, and was therefore discontinued. Abbot Gerhard shoulder man and his successor Gerlach Westhof ( 1554-82 ) played an important role as an adviser and envoy of the bishop. They were therefore often absent, which meant that the monastic discipline subsided. In addition, the costly lifestyle of the abbots led to a high level of debt. Nevertheless, or perhaps therefore housed the abbey in Gerlach's abbacy twice the General Chapter of Bursfeld Reform Union within its walls, for the first time in 1556 and again in year 1578th visitations revealed that the monks no longer nachkamen their monastic duties. A high number of servants caused high costs, for which monastic property was sold. In 1610, the debt at 24 154 thalers were. One saw no more than the Convention to reduce drastically possibility. Only the abbot with a few monks should stay behind while the rest of the monastery inmates were transferred to other monasteries. In addition, attacks came during the Thirty Years' War by various mercenary groups. Christian of Brunswick -Wolfenbüttel extorted 8,000 thalers, and the Swedes plundered the monastery nine times in a row. In 1633 lived in Liesborn no monk, after the rest of the Convention had fled to Lippstadt. Only gradually turned the monks back from 1638.

Recovery and end

After the war, 18 brothers lived again in the monastery. Under Abbot Gregor Walt Mann (1698-1739) and his successors The monastery experienced a revival. Despite various looting the community could also recover economically. The monastery was rebuilt in baroque style. In the 18th century, partly lived up to 40 members of the Convention in the monastery. The economic boom meant that the library could be extended. In addition, the Abbey in the last century of its existence, was chosen as the venue of four times Bursfeld General Chapter: 1709, 1730, 1751 and also the last chapter of the Congregation in 1785 should be held in Liesborn, but what appeared only 5-6 abbots.

In the course of secularization, the monastery was closed on May 2, 1803 the new Prussian sovereign. The Benedictine monks were sent into retirement and dismissed the servants. The monastery became a royal domain. The abbey church was united with the parish church and consecrated in 1823 as a new parish church. The other monastery buildings were demolished or sold. The valuable library and numerous artifacts such as the now existing only in fragments Liesborner altar were auctioned.

Architectural History

After the fire, an older church was in 1121 a new building. In this case, an existing tower was included. Another new church followed from 1306. Initially, only the chancel was rebuilt. The nave followed 1441-1465. Thereafter, the transept was built in 1499-1503.

In 1701 the convent building was rebuilt. As of 1735, the new building of the monastery was followed by Michael tensioner. The baroque Abthaus is a three-wing building. It has a representative portal with grand staircase. Between 1739 and 1755 the north wing was added.

After the secularization of the monastery wing was quarry. The high altar was dismantled and sold in parts. Valuable manuscripts and books came to Münster and are now kept in the University and State Library.

Other parts were restored in the late 19th century. In 1952, the north wing of the abbey was restored. Since 1966 the Abbey Museum Liesborn is housed in the monastery. The administration of the municipality Liesborn was quartered there until 1974.

The high altar

The jobs created by Johann von Soest high altar consecrated Abbot Heinrich of Cleves in 1465 along with four other side altars. He showed in the middle Christ on the Cross, and further scenes from the life of Mary and saints. The altar was probably not a winged altar, but the pictures were shown side by side. The exact composition of the altar can not be reconstructed completely and unequivocally, as it is preserved only in fragments. Also, the center image was fragmented

The altar was in the course of the secularization of the monastery around 1807 sawed and sold under the French occupation to 14 or more individual paintings. Eight essential parts arrived in 1854 in the possession of the National Gallery, London, as part of a larger buyout of Westphalian art of the Middle Ages. This purchase began even then to emphasize the " beauty and importance" a " Westphalian school" and the work of a Liesborner master.

Other cuts such as the crucifixion of Christ came into the collection of the LWL State Museum for Art and Cultural History in Münster. They are still in the possession of the Westphalian Art Association, and the National Museum, where they are counted among the " most beautiful and important paintings from the collection ".

A panel came to the altar in the church of Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire ..

Abbots

• Baldwin (1130-1161)
• Franco ( 1161/62-1178 )
• Wenzo (1178-1190)
• Engelbert (1190-1198)
• Werner (1198-1221)
• Burchard (1221-1239)
• Gottschalk (1239-1241)
• Gottfried (1241-1265)
• Gerhard (1265-1304)
• Florin Ketelhot (1304-1328)
• Arnold (1328-1340)
• Friedrich Mare (1340-1358)
• Henry of Rodenberg (1358-1381)
• Wessel von der Recke (1381-1384)
• Hermann van dem Sande (1384-1431)
• Lubbert Oldehoff (1431-1462)
• Stephan Walrave (1462-1464)
• Heinrich of Cleves (1464-1490)
• John Schmale Becker (1490-1522)
• Anton Kalthoff (1522-1532)
• Gerhard Schulte man (1532-1550)
• Maurus Huggelmeier (1550-1554)
• Gerlach Westhoff (1554-1582)
• John Roddenberry (1582-1601)
• Lemme Lambert (1601-1610)
• Jacob Veltmann (1610-1620)
• Zurgeist Hermann (1620-1651)
• Georg Fuisting (1651-1668)
• Maurus Schrader (1668-1678)
• Boniface Middendorf (1678-1688)
• Anselm Langen (1688-1698)
• Gregor Walt Man (1698-1739)
• Henry Hare (1739-1751)
• Ambrose Rappert (1751-1767)
• Ludger Zurstrassen (1767-1798)
• Karl von Kerssenbrock (1798-1803)