Remiremont Abbey

The Abbey of Saint -Pierre de Remiremont was a convent of Benedictine nuns, later a secular convent in Remiremont in the Vosges. It was founded in the 7th century and dissolved in the wake of the French Revolution. The abbesses of Remiremont were Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( Medieval German names for the monastery are " Rumberc " (13th century), " Rombech " (1410 ) and Reimer mountain). The abbey church has since December 29, 1983 the status of a monument historique

History

The abbey was (, * 570 in France, † December 8 REMIRE 653 in Remiremont ), founded around 620 Roma Rich, a nobleman at the time of the Merovingian kings Clotaire II and Theudebert II of Austrasia. Roma Rich joined in a 600 in the Benedictine monastery of Luxeuil, where he also take religious vows. From Chlothar II, he received 620 the original Gallo-Roman and Frankish now Villa Habendum in today Remiremont on the upper reaches of the River Moselle. He founded a double monastery consecrated Peter, until the convent on a hill, then the male monastery in the valley that he together with Amatus ( Amé, * 560 in Grenoble, † around 628 in Remiremont ) initiated and after his death alone. Roma Rich's successor in turn was Adelphius ( † after 669 Luxeuil ).

Moved a few years after the founding, as reaching maturity Austric King Dagobert I. 629 after Neustria to compete its authority throughout the Frankish empire to his former tutor, Bishop Arnulf of Metz, the progenitor of Arnulf Inger and Carolingian pulled back to Remiremont, where he is probably 640 or 641 died. He found in the monastery of his first resting place, until his successor in the episcopate Goericus the bones from the monastery to Metz was converted

To 818 the monastery was supplemented by a fortified convent at the confluence of the Moselle and Moselotte. After the death of King Lothair II 869 be his mistress Waldrada moved back to Remiremont, she died here on April 9, an unknown year.

In the year 910, in the time of the threat of Hungary, the nuns took refuge in a valley in the 11th century they settled down finally here. Vogt of the monastery was at this time the Count of Metz from the family of Matfriede: Gerhard, * 925/935, 963, Count of Metz; Richard, * 950, † 986, 965-986 Count of Metz, and Gerhard, † 1044/45, Count of Metz. In 1091 Remiremont transferred a part of the Bailiwick, the protection of the abbey ( " custodia " ), the Duke of Lorraine in the person of Dietrich II, a grandson of the younger Count Gerhard, specifically but not the legal side ( " advocatio ") of the Office. Just a few years later, on January 25, 1114 ( new style ), Emperor Henry V the protection of the monastery itself.

On September 28, 1070 the Abbey of Emperor Henry IV received the imperial immediacy, so the Dukes of Lorraine had to pay homage to as " Count of Remiremont " the Emperor. On this basis Remiremont coined until the 13th century into his own coins. On April 24, 1088 Pope Urban II presented the abbey directly to the Holy See, so that the chosen by the chapter abbess had to be always confirmed by Rome. Around the same time, so the end of the 11th century began the conversion of the monastery in a secular convent, the reorganization was completed in the 12th century.

In the 12th and 13th century, the monastery had to fight against the claims of the Dukes of Lorraine, although many abbesses of the ducal family came from. The dispute culminated in the excommunication of Duke Frederick I of Lorraine in 1267 by Pope Clement IV.

At the beginning of the 14th century ended in the monastery, the dominance of Lorraine abbesses, their successors now came from the Free County of Burgundy, then eventually almost entirely from France. The first of these, Clémence d' Oyselet was in 1307 appointed to the imperial princess of King Albrecht I. In 1415 the Abbess Henriette d' Amoncourt received the title of prince of King Sigismund, their successors then carried him also, but now without ceremony by the rulers.

It was only in 1566 succeeded Duke Charles III. of Lorraine, to end the imperial immediacy of the abbey in a coup by exploiting a campaign of Emperor Maximilian II in Hungary.

From 1751 a new palace for the abbess was built in the style of a bishop's palace, are present, with the result that over the buildings from the period before 1751 no more information. The beginning of the French Revolution, the abbey was not long: On December 7, 1790, the church was closed.

Organization

The members of the abbey were selected from among those applicants whose 64 ancestors were all noble - a sample that was not a daughter of King Henry IV, as their mother originally from commoner family Maria de ' Medici.

Only the abbess put in the pen nor the vows, for Canonichesse they were only temporary, and they wore civilian clothes in the form of a magnificent pearl-gray dress, which was adorned with white fur, to a petite hood. You could always choose against life in the pen, give it up, for example, to get married, also they lived no longer in the monastery, but in homes with an extensive servants. The Collegiate Women also chose a " niece " person mentioned, which should follow her at the appropriate time in the pen. The number of canonesses never exceeded 72, at the dissolution there were 32 women and 21 " nieces " who belonged to the abbey.

Attractions

Former collegiate church of Saint -Pierre ( 1049 consecrated rebuilt several times ), hall crypt (11th century), flanked by two single-nave Seitenkrypten
Palais of the abbesses (1752 ), now the town hall, court and library
Houses of high aristocratic canonesses ( 17th and 18th century), near the Collegiate Church
Musée Charles Friry ( paintings, religious cabaret ) in a house of the Sisters of the Canon (some rooms with original features of the 18th century)
Musée Fondation Charles de Bruyère ( pre-and early history, paintings, sculptures ) in another house of canonesses

Abbesses

Mactefleda († 622 )
Klara († 652 )
Give Trude ( Gertrud, † 673 ), probably a sister of Abbot Adelphius and Not the abbess Klara
Waldrada I., 17 Abbess
Teuthildis († October 26 862/65 ) 18 Abbess 819/20-26.10.862/65, a relative of the Seneschal Adalhard, Count of Metz, from the family of Matfriede
Berscinda to 1030/40 Abbess, probably daughter of Count Gerhard ( Metz, † 1021/23 ) ( Matfriede )
Oda, 1048/70 abbess, daughter of Count Adalbert II of Metz ( Matfriede )
Gisela II († February 21, 1114 ), in 1070 Abbess of Remiremont and Saint-Pierre- aux- Nonnains in Metz, great-niece of Oda, daughter of Gerhard Duke of Lorraine
Judith of Vaudémont († March 23, 1161 /64), Spring 1114 Abbess of Remiremont 1139 Abbess of Saint -Pierre- aux- Nonnains in Metz, daughter of Gerhard I of Vaudémont, niece and great-niece Gisela of Pope Leo IX.
Euphronia ( Fronica ) of Lorraine, daughter of Duke Dietrich II of Lorraine abbess in 1150 (House Châtenois )
Clementia, Abbess 1189-1211
NN, daughter of Duke Friedrich I of Lorraine, 1209-1233 Abbess (House Châtenois )
Agathe de Lorraine († July 15, 1242 ), whose sister, Abbess of Remiremont 1232, before 1236 Abbess of Bouxières, (House Châtenois )
Agnes Salm († January 15, 1280 ), 1242 elected abbess, niece of Agathe, daughter of Count Henry III. and Judith of Lorraine
Lore - Félicité de Dombasle, 1290 Abbess
Clemence d' Oyselet, July 1307 elected abbess., 1307 imperial princess
Eleonore († August 8, 1374 ), 1350 abbess, daughter of Count Johann II of Auxerre ( home Chalon )
Jeanne d' Aigremont, elected 1404
Catherine de Blâmont, successor Jeanne d' Aigremonts, June 18, 1412 by Pope Gregory XII. discontinued
Henriette d' Amoncourt, successor Catherine de Blâmonts 1415 imperial princess
Marguerite de Salvaine
Isabelle de Demengeville
Henriette de Vienne
Jeanne de Chauviré
Alix de Parroye († March 14, 1473 ), March 18, 1453 Abbess
Catherine de Neuchâtel, elected January 28, 1474, not confirmed by the Pope, as she was not yet 18 years old.
Joan Anglure, instead of Catherine de Neuchâtel Abbess
Agnès de Dommartin († 1508)
Alix de Choiseul, daughter of Guillaume de Choiseul, Abbess 1509-1521, certain her niece Madeleine de Choiseul to the successor
Madeleine de Choiseul († December 30, 1549 ), after the death of Alix de Choiseul abbess for a few months, was not accepted by the majority of the chapter,
Nicole de Dommartin, sister of Agnès de Dommartin, abbess instead Madeleine de Choiseul; their choice was not confirmed until 1524 by Rome; it certain Marguerite de Haraucourt as successor
Marguerite d' Haraucourt
Marguerite de Neuchâtel, owes its choice of the fact that Alix de Choiseul had named as the second candidate.
Renée de Dinteville († 1580)
Barbara Maria von Salm († May 31, 1602 ), 1580 abbess, daughter of Count Johann VIII
Catherine of Lorraine ( born November 3, 1573 † Paris March 1, 1648 ), in 1609 and 1611 Koadjutrix abbess, daughter of Duke Charles III. of Lorraine
Margaret of Lorraine ( born July 22, 1615 † April 13, 1672 ) Koadjutrix 1625, daughter of Duke Francis II of Lorraine, niece Catherine of Lorraine, married 1632 Gaston de Bourbon, duc d' Orléans
Elisabeth Marguerite d' Orléans ( born December 26, 1646 † March 17, 1696 ), 1648-1657 abbess, daughter of Gaston d' Orléans and Marguerite of Lorraine, great-niece of Catherine of Lorraine, married in 1667 Louis Joseph de Lorraine, duc de Guise
Maria Anna Theresia von Lothringen ( born July 30, 1648 † Paris June 17, 1661 ), 1657 abbess, daughter of Duke Nicholas II, niece of Margaret of Lorraine
Elisabeth Charlotte Gabrielle Lorraine ( born October 21, 1700 † Luneville May 3, 1711 ), Abbess of Remiremont 1703, daughter of Duke Leopold of Lorraine, great-niece of Maria Anna of Lorraine Thereisia
Béatrice Hiéronyme de Lorraine ( born July 1, 1662 † Paris February 9, 1738 ), August 4, 1711 elected abbess, daughter of Francois Marie de Lorraine, Prince de Lille Bonne (House of Guise )
Anna Charlotte of Lorraine ( born May 17, 1714 † November 7, 1773 ), May 10, 1738 elected abbess, 1754 Abbess of Sainte- Waudru in Mons, 1756 Koadjutrix of throne, in 1757 Koadjutrix of Essen, daughter of Duke Leopold of Lorraine
Maria Christina of Saxony ( 19 born February 12, 1735 † Brumath November 1782 ), Koadjutrix, then November 1773 elected abbess, daughter of King Augustus III. of Poland, aunt of Louis XVI. ( Wettin )
Anne Charlotte de Lorraine ( born November 11, 1755 † May 22, 1786 ), 1784 abbess, daughter of Louis Charles de Lorraine, Prince de Lambesc (House of Guise )
Louise de Bourbon- Condé Adélaide ( born October 5, 1758 † March 10, 1824 ), last abbess of Remiremont 1786-1790, daughter of Louis V. Joseph de Bourbon, prince de Condé

Other personalities

Germanus of Gran Rheinfelden (c. 612, † 675) spent his early years as a monk in Remiremont
Modesta of Oeren ( † before 697/698 ), first known abbess of Oeren, probably came as a young woman in a Remiremont
Gerhard († 1070), Duke of Lorraine, died in Remiremont and was buried in the Abbey
Hugo Candidus (* 1020, † after 1098 ), a priest in the convent Remiremont, cardinal priest of San Clemente, Bishop of Palestrina

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