Wettingen Abbey

The monastery Wettingen was a Cistercian monastery in Wettingen in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It was founded in 1227 and canceled in the wake of secularization in 1841.

  • 2.1 monastery church
  • 2.2 Inner cloister area
  • 2.3 Outer monastery area

History

Baron Henry II of Rapperswil bought after 1220 goods in Wettingen as well as the right of patronage of the church of the village. After Henry had been rescued during the Crusades miraculously from distress, he donated his possessions in Wettingen the monastery Salem, a Cistercian abbey in northern Lake environs. The necessary land for the new building donated the monastery GeopathSchänis. The Salem Abbot Eberhard von Rohr village sent the necessary foundation for a twelve monks and some lay brothers under the designated Abbot Konrad, before Eberhard's deputy.

On October 14, 1227, the monks began the construction of the monastery Stella Maris ( Star of the Sea ). In memory of her generous donor of the motto "Non mergor " was (Latin for " I do not go in" ). In 1256 the monastery church of Mary Star of the Sea was all the churches of the Cistercian Order of the taken up into Heaven dedicated to Our Lady as, under the patronage on August 15. From the beginning the monastery could increase his property; in Uri, in Zurich, in Riehen and especially in the Limmat Valley to Wettingen around. Most of it was free float. In the Limmat valley the abbey possessed the lower courts. Patrons were to 1415 the Habsburgs, after the Confederates.

In the early 16th century, the monastery was severely weakened due to financial problems. 1507 a fire destroyed parts of the monastery and its economy:

" Anno Domini 1507 auff the elfften aprellen what sambstag after easter union feÿhrtagen, verbranne a gottsshaus Wettingen very amiss. Namely the munster, organs, thyme, altartaffeln, gesteul [= stalls ] in the choir [, ] buocher sampt, all church ornamental kill, creuzgang, refectory, cellar and all comprehensive sampt three hundred hem Weyn, trotting, the bind and werckhaus averse, kuchi, Ettlich stuben, ship [= vessels ] and dinnerware and other fil more like dan in a closter more then vil of Notten. And wan the burger a town of Baden, sampt other neighboring, nit so faithfully to hulff komen were the gantze verbrunnen god house. What brunst dan in the harmed sechtzehntausent gulden. "

1529 joined the majority of the monks to the Reformed faith. After the Second Kappel War of 1531 the Catholic cantons possessed recatholicisation of the monastery and proclaimed to 1564 the abbots themselves

Under the leadership of Abbot Christopher Silberysen (1563 - 1594) emerged in the monastery richly illustrated chronicles; the abbey was glass painting and professional discs. Under Abbot Peter Schmid ( 1594-1633 ) flourished in the monastery. The system was restored and enlarged, 1604 a philosophy and theology school was opened in 1671 a printing company. During the Second Villmerger War of 1712, the monks had to flee for some time in the central Switzerland. In the turmoil after the French Revolution, the monastery was a refuge for thousands of religious and political refugees from France.

1803 came into the possession of the monastery of the newly formed Canton of Aargau, for the time being assured the continued existence. The monastery was, however, obliged to keep a school. From 1830 the government introduced Aargau ever higher demands for money to the monastery. 1834 the property was placed under state supervision, imposed a recording ban for novices and the convent school closed. On January 13, 1841, the Aargau cantonal parliament decided to abolish all the Aargau monasteries, which led to the convent Aargau dispute.

Shortly thereafter, the monks had - among them Alberich Zwyssighaus, the composer of the Swiss Psalm - leave the monastery. The extensive holdings of the monastery library was taken over by the Aargau cantonal library. The monks went about a few years and made on June 8, 1854 secularized Benedictine monastery Mehrerau in Bregenz to their new home. This abbey is called since Territorial Abbey Wettingen - Mehrerau and is canonically directly to the Holy See. The abbot has the title of the abbot of Wettingen and Prior of Mehrerau.

The empty buildings were in 1843 asked the teacher seminar available. Since 1976, the premises of the district school Wettingen be used.

See also: List of abbots of Wettingen

Grave laying

In Wettingen Monastery important noble families in the region have found their final resting place. Among Arnold Wart who was married to Anne of depths and Ita by Tegerfelden, the wife of Ulrich II of blades.

Building

The monastery consists of a variety of buildings. These are distributed on the inner and outer Klosterberzirk and on buildings outside of the protective belt. The inner monastery district was the actual monastery with the church and the common rooms of the monks, while the outer monastery district included the building for the care and accommodation of guests of the monastery. Around the monastery there were other buildings, although they belonged to the monastery, but the secular authorities were under.

Abbey

The monastery church was built in the 13th century but rebuilt several times and expanded. It is divided into two parts. The rear part of the ship was already available during the public monastery operation and is therefore called Konversenkirche. The front part of the ship is separated by a portal from the rear part and was only the monks and clergy accessible, which is why it is also called monk church. There is only one church building in the monastery area that can be designated both as a monastery church, Konversenkirche monk and church, depending on whether the whole building is meant or only part of it.

Inside the monastery area

The inner area of ​​the monastery includes the cloister with the surrounding buildings and the eastern courtyard with the surrounding buildings as well as the monastery church. The construction of the cloister was finished in 1520 under Abbot Johann Müller. It has large Gothic tracery window forward of the cloister garden. These windows are decorated with cabinet panels with glass paintings. The outside is closed and decorated with figures of the former abbots of the monastery and its coat of arms. On the stone floor of the monks buried there are still preserved grave plates.

In the ground floor of the east wing is the cloister chapel. This finalScore around 1285 and was restored in 1954. Here, the late medieval frescoes were made ​​visible again, representing the baptism of Jesus and Saint Benedict of Nursia and Anthony the Hermit. In the chapel is the painting of wooden Wettinger Jesus child from the 15th century. The numerous Glutlöcher remember the miraculous preservation of this image in the monastery devastating fire of 11 April 1507 on the Sunday after Easter.

Also on the ground floor of the east wing is the chapter house. It is used as a music hall since its renovation in 1954, where he also received a return on its original appearance.

Outer area of ​​the monastery

The outer area of ​​the monastery includes all the buildings on the monastery road, which were within the protective wall. The protective wall separated from the entire peninsula.

The sister's house is the only historic building that has been preserved in the area of the monastery gate. The two gatehouses, the north-west were of them were canceled. The intervening space was during the operation of that monastery area where the sacred and the secular area met. After the monastery repeal the sister's house was converted into a guest house for stars.

The former rope factory ( in the basement wine cellar ), also known as the longhouse together with the sister's house, is the distinctive ties between the former convent and the church Wettingen. The 70 -meter long building now houses the biology and chemistry teachers rooms and also preparation and lab rooms. He was changed aboveground strongly of the monastery to repeal the new purpose to fulfill.

Southeast in the same axis, the long building adjoins the former bakehouse. Karl Roth Pletz redesigned it in 1884 to an apartment around. This is followed by several pages open Zwyssighof where once stood the broken servants and Gesindhaus. The farm got its name from the monument to Alberich Zwyssighaus. The bronze sculpture depicting an angel. The artwork was created in 1954 by sculptor Edward Spoerri.

Gallery

Altar

Ceiling fresco and organ

Tower

Cloister

Wettinger Child Jesus

Monastery garden and park

View from the southeast

Stars

Habsburg sarcophagus in the aisle of the church

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