Premonstratensians

The Premonstratensian (Latin Candidus et canon Ordo Praemonstratensis, "White and Canonical Order of Prémontrés " ), with the Order abbreviation O.Praem. , Are the largest Roman Catholic religious regulated canons. The Order is an association of independent monasteries ( Kanonien ) and was founded in 1120 by Norbert of Xanten with thirteen companions in Prémontrés at Laon, founded on long possession of the Abbey of Prüm. Especially in Belgium and the Netherlands, the Premonstratensian after its founder also Norbertijnen ( " Norbertine " ) are mentioned. The female branch of the Premonstratensian.

History

The Founder Norbert of Xanten was one of the 12th century quite a number of itinerant preachers who went about possessions in imitation of the lifestyle of Jesus and his disciples. Numerous supporters, both men and women, Norbert joined. With them he founded in 1120 in the valley of Prémontrés at Laon a community that was based on the ideal of the common life in the style of the early church and from the soon developed on the basis of Augustine usually a monastic community. Norbert himself kept his life in as an itinerant preacher and founded other monasteries.

A special feature - in this period, however, not unique - the first prämonstratensischen communities was that it was to them to double monasteries where so women and men, albeit in two separate organizationally separate convents, lived. Although Norbert was a friend of Bernard of Clairvaux and influenced by the ideals of the Cistercians, make, inter alia, the double monasteries clear that it was a very independent movement in the Premonstratensians at the origin. Another difference from the oriented to the Rule of St. Benedict monastic orders is that the Premonstratensian the contemplative monastic life combined with the pastoral outward ( vita mixta ).

The young religious underwent a serious crisis, as Norbert gave his poor, but also independent of all institutions of life as a traveling preacher, and in 1126 Archbishop of Magdeburg. Norbert responded to the disappointment which had caused his change of heart among his followers, by giving up its dominant position in the movement, whose sole director, he was previously. Each convent was allowed to choose their own superiors. This became particularly important the first abbot of Prémontrés, Hugh of Fosses, an old companion of Norbert's. Only by Hugo's organizational work of the Premonstratensian order was proper.

In addition to the canons ( canonici ) lived in the branches of the Norbertine also lay brothers ( conversi ). Similar to the Cistercian Premonstrate contributed in the first centuries after its creation to improve agriculture. Later, put more an aristocratic train through, and the manual labor was gradually pushed back. Also important were the writing and copying of books, and also the teaching became more important.

The double monasteries, originally an essential feature of the Order were soon disputed. In Prémontrés even this structure was already in 1137 or in 1141 disbanded and evacuated the sister community. So you went to and after almost everywhere: from the double monasteries two spatially well separated from each other monasteries, one for men and one for women. In the second half of the 12th century, the Order went even further: Now only monasteries should be newly included in the Order, and the already existing Prämonstratenserinnenkonvente should be affiliated with other orders. This measure, however, was never carried out consistently.

When the Order in 1126, only six years after its inception, has been recognized by the pope, there were already nine religious houses, and then purchased in quick succession several hundred in the whole of Western Europe. Around the middle of the 14th century, it is more than 1,300 men and have given 400 nunneries.

In German-speaking countries, the first Premonstratensian monastery was already 1122. This year Otto and Gottfried von Cappenberg handed over their castle and its assets to the Order establishing the monastery Cappenberg. In the same year donated Count Walram II Paganus of Limburg (1119-1139), the Premonstratensian Wenau as a double monastery for men and women.

By Cappenberger foundation joined the young religious good relations with the Roman-German king: the aristocratic Cappenberger were related to the Hohenstaufen, and pen founder Otto von Cappenberg was godfather of Frederick I. This personal relationship had an economic point of extraordinary positive effect for the whole Order. On June 23, 1154, King Frederick I of the Premonstratensian Order in the pen Cappenberg nearest Palatinate Dortmund from a privilege, under which it is exempt from customs duties throughout the empire.

Premonstratensian took over in the 12th century, many monasteries of other orders in Germany. Examples are the Monastery of Steinfeld in the Eifel, which the Order took over in 1130, and the Convent thin forest near Cologne, originally an Augustinian Canons, which in turn was taken over in 1143 by Premonstratensians from Steinfeld.

1235 or 1236 decided Eckhart Bishop of Bamberg, to start a Premonstratensian monastery in Griffen, Carinthia, whose canons were ordered out of the pen Veßra in Thuringia. This monastery was the only Premonstratensian monastery in Carinthia, and it remained the only branch of the Premonstratensian in Inner Austria.

1245 was the Lower Franconian town Marktsteft in Kitzingen established in the district Michel box a pen for Premonstratensian. This woman Convention was under the Abbot of upper cell in Würzburg. The Bishop of Würzburg reserved the right to confirm the election of the prioress. 1261 took place then the papal confirmation of the monastery. Due to the decline of monastic discipline the nuns relocated in 1305 after Tückelhausen, a district of Ochsenfurt.

In the east, the Premonstratensian devoted mainly to the colonization and Christianization of the Wends and other Slavs east of the Elbe and Oder. Spread the Order was also in Bohemia and Moravia. The Olomouc Bishop Heinrich Zdik called the Order in the 12th century in Bohemia and built him the Strahov Monastery in Prague.

Over time, many rules and customs were negligent interpreted and handled, and that led to various reforms and the advent of semi-independent communities. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Order as a result of the Reformation and several Säkularisationswellen was almost entirely disappeared, and only eight houses were (all in Austria - Hungary). Beginning of the 20th century there were already 20 religious houses with about 1,000 priests. Today the Order has about 100 branches and is present on all continents.

Character of the community

The Premonstratensian count as well as the Augustinian Canons and the Crusaders to the canons regular. That is, it is a community of priests with religious vows, not monks. Follow the Augustine rule, so are an Augustinian religious, and lay off the poverty, abstinence and obedience vows. Even their way of life largely follows the monastic standards. These include the observance of the Divine Office or the Community meal in the refectory.

Generaläbte the Premonstratensian

The highest representative of the Premonstratensian order, the Abbot General. He is the top boss of all officials and members of the Order. He represents the Order to the outside and front of the Holy See. Its main task is inwardly the cohesion and the connection of scattered all over the world religious houses of Premonstratensian. Seat of the Abbot General is the General House of the General Curia ( Curia Generalitia ) in Rome. From here derives the Abbot General with his other officials the fortunes of the Order. He still holds the title Dominus Praemonstratensis ( Lord of Prémontrés ) with the addition Amplissimus ( Most High ). His salutation is Monsigneur. Traditionally, him wearing a Pileolus, a biretta and a Cappa Magna in violet color.

The Abbot General of the Premonstratensian is elected by the General Chapter, which meets every six years. Before the French Revolution, the abbot of Prémontrés was the General of the Order. Generaläbte since 1869 were: ( The number refers to the official result of the Premonstratensian Generaläbte )

• 56 Jerome of Zeidler ( Strahov ), 1869-1870
• 57 Zygmunt Stary ( Strahov ), 1883-1905
• 58 Norbert Schachinger ( Schlägl / Austria ), 1906-1922
• 59 Gummarus Crets ( Averbode / Belgium), 1922-1937
• 60 Hubertus Noots ( Tongerlo / Belgium), 1937-1962
• 61 Norbertus Calmels ( 1908-1985 ) ( Saint-Michel-de-Frigolet/Frankreich ), 1962-1982
• 62 Marcel van de Ven ( Berne / Netherlands), 1982-1996
• 63 Hermenegild Noyens ( Tongerlo / Belgium), 1996-2003
• 64 Thomas Handgrätinger ( Wind Mountain / Germany ), since 2003

Significant Premonstratensian

• Norbert of Xanten (1080-1134), founder of the order
• Hugh of Fosses (1093-1164)
• Godfrey of Cappenberg ( 1096/97-1127 )
• Eberwin of Helfenstein († 1152 )
• Ludwig III. by Arnstein (1109-1185), Count, monastery founder and Seliger
• Ulrich von Steinfeld ( † 1170 ), provost of the monastery of Steinfeld
• Hermann Joseph of Steinfeld (1150-1241)
• January Želivský (1380-1422)
• Eiselin Wilhelm (1564-1588)
• Mathias Göhl, abbot of the monastery Tepl at Marienbad, counter- reformer ( -1596 [? ] 1585 [? ] )
• John Horrichem (1598-1661), 35th abbot of the Abbey of Steinfeld
• Johann Zahn (1641-1707)
• Goffiné Leonhard (1648-1719), religious folk writer
• Peter home ground (before 1652-1688 ), prior of the monastery Niederehe
• Charles Louis Hugo (1667-1739), Abbot of Étival, historian and author of the Annales Ordinis Praemonstratensis (Nancy 1734)
• Prokop Divis (1698-1765)
• František Tůma Ignatius (1704-1774)
• Sebastian Sailer (1714-1777)
• Nicholas Betscher (1745-1811)
• Michl Gilbert (1750-1828), last abbot of Gaden stone
• Alois Martin David (1757-1834)
• Wilhelm Günther Arnold (1763-1843), City Archivist of Koblenz and Trier Auxiliary of
• Josef Ladislav Jandera (1776-1857)
• Josef Ludwig brake (1870-1958), Vicar Apostolic of Denmark
• Jacob Franz Alexander Kern (1897-1924)
• Josef Ambros Pfiffig (1910-1998)
• Werenfried van Straaten (1913-2003)
• Hermann -Josef Weidinger (1918-2004)
• Karl Augustine usurer - Huldenfeld (* 1929)
• Augustine Heinrich Henckel von Donnersmarck (1935-2005)
• Frans Danneels ( born 1941 ), Archbishop Curia
• Albert Thomas Dölken (* 1960), abbot of Hamborn