Zwiefalten Abbey

The monastery Zwiesel is a former Benedictine monastery in Zwiesel at the southern foothills of the Swabian Alb in the district of Reutlingen. The facility is now home to a psychiatric hospital.

History

Founding and early years

The monastery Foundation ( 1089 ) falls in the period after the investiture dispute between the German Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII. Both founders, the Count Kuno and Liutold Achalm, papal partisans had been and created in Zwiesel in a manner befitting retreat and burial ground. As a counselor in the project worked, among others, the pope also loyal ( and therefore driven out of his diocese ) Bishop Adalbero of Würzburg and Abbot William of Hirsau.

On September 8, 1089 the foundation was officially completed. The first inhabitants were twelve monks and five lay brothers from the period marked by the Cluniac reforms Hirsau in the northern Black Forest. The foundation was equipped with rich Schenkungsgut, including parts of the places Neuhausen at the Erin's, Tiger Field and Dietikon and the Church of book in Thurgau, and more. The various possessions were to start over the entire southwestern Germany spread to the area of Chur and in Alsace.

The founders devoted Zwiefalten the Virgin Mary and placed the monastery under the protection of the Holy See. 1093, Pope Urban II, this protection rule and gave the Abbey of different rights. In return, the symbolic annual payment of a gold piece was fixed. Regardless of the legal relationship between the pope and the monastery Zwiesel is to be considered at this time as proprietary monastery of the Counts of Achalm.

1092 died Count Kuno, on August 18, 1098 his brother Liutold, who had spent years of his life as a monk in the monastery. The bulk of her inheritance fell to the monastery. 1109 finally received the Abbey consecrated by Bishop of Chur Wido.

Until the end of the Middle Ages

In the years 1095-1139 the monastery experienced a first heyday and became a cultural and religious center of the region. Many members of major Swabian aristocratic families followed the example of Count Liutold and entered the monastery community ( as Adalbert of Oberstetten and Otto von Steußlingen of the family of Alaholfinger or Berthold of Sperberseck ). During this time, a parallel women's monastery, which lasted until the 14th century was born.

The monastery owned continuously through donations or purchase ( as the place Oberstetten acquired on July 19, 1497 for 9350 guilders) continued to grow and gradually formed in what is now the district of Reutlingen, a largely closed territory, which since the early 14th century, de facto under the Bailiwick the Counts and later Dukes of Württemberg state.

Despite numerous points of contention between the monastery and country gentlemen who were in turn to expand their territory and realign, both parties respected but the mutual obligations. As an example in the context of property disputes between Zwiesel and the kingdom of the village Kohlberg Friedrich III. an army to enforce his claims to Reutlingen posted ( March 1461 ), turned out to Count Ulrich of Württemberg this with its own forces to defend the rights Zwiefaltener contrary.

From the Reformation to the secularization

Reformation and Peasants' War caused severe restlessness especially in southwest Germany and devastation; the monastery itself was sacked in 1525. But Zwiesel could prevent the spread of the new faith on its territory. But in the aftermath, it always came back to friction with the now Protestant Württemberg.

During the 17th and 18th century, the Württemberg increased the pressure on Zwiesel, but which developed still further. 1717 came about the place Großengstingen in monastic property.

1750 finally succeeded the abbey to buy their way from all obligations towards the Wurttembergers and to acquire the imperial immediacy. It has made them imperial abbey, from now on were the rich free Zwiefaltener abbots sovereigns. Smaller parts of the monastery's possessions were ceded in this context Württemberg, the previously disputed between the parties Protestant places Neuhausen at Erin's and Ödenwaldstetten and various possessions in Großengstingen and Their things.

In the context of secularization, the monastery was dissolved as one of the first on 25 November 1802. The property became part of the 1806 UK raised Württemberg. As of 1812, the buildings were used as ' royal Provincial Lunatic Asylum ", later as a psychiatric state hospital. Today's "Center for Psychiatry - Muenster clinic Zwiesel " is supplemented since 2003 by the Württemberg Psychiatry Museum.

Architectural History

In the 15th century, the Romanesque monastery church was remodeled in the taste of the late Gothic period - an indication of the economic boom of the monastic community at this time. Art of historic significance is the complete construction of the Cathedral of Zwiefaltener 1741-1753 by the architect Johann Michael Fischer, thus creating a major work of the late Baroque from Gauinger travertine. The pilaster church in the tradition of Au Guild encloses one of the largest church regions in Germany. The interior is designed to 1765 Johann Joseph Christian from Riedlingen ( figure decoration ), Franz Joseph Spiegler from Wangen ( ceiling painting ) and Johann Michael Feuchtmayr from Wessobrunn ( stucco ). The church is considered a work of art of the South German rococo.

The monastery building in its current form was built next to the old cathedral from 1668, designed by Tommaso Comacio ( performed by Michael Thumb and Franz Beer). The entire complex has been completely restored from 1974 to 1984.

The interior of the cathedral, frescoes by Franz Joseph Spiegler, stucco by Johann Michael Feuchtmayer the J

Ceiling fresco in the nave of Franz Joseph Spiegler from 1751

Bells

The church has a 11 -voice ringing that was cast on 29 June 1979, on 6 July 1979 by Alfred Bachert in Heilbronn.

Abbots of the monastery Zwiesel

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