Abbey of Echternach
49°48′50″N 06°25′21″E / 49.81389°N 6.42250°E
The Abbey of Echternach is a
The abbey is currently a popular
visit Echternach to witness or participate in the traditional ceremony.History
Willibrord
Located by the
Willibrord opened the first church at Echternach in 700 with financial backing from
Willibrord spent much time at Echternach, and died there in 739. Willibrord was buried in the oratory, which soon became a place of pilgrimage, particularly after he was canonised.[2] In 751, Pepin declared the Abbey of Echternach a 'royal abbey', and granted it immunity.
Carolingian Renaissance
The work of the monks at the abbey was heavily influenced by Willibrord's roots in
Manuscripts produced at Echternach are known to have been in both
At the start of the ninth century, a larger, Carolingian-style church was constructed, but it was destroyed in a fire some 200 years later.[2] The abbey, as it enjoyed power, both spiritual and temporal. However, this was all guaranteed only by the Carolingians. When the authority of the centralised Frankish state collapsed during the civil wars under Louis the Pious, so too did the power of the abbey. In 847, the Benedictine monks were ejected and replaced by lay-abbots.
Return of the Benedictine monks
The fortunes of the abbey continued to vary with the fortunes of the
The Codex Aureus of Echternach, an important surviving codex written entirely in gold ink was produced here in the 11th century.[3] The so-called Emperor's Bible and the Golden Gospels of Henry III were also produced in Echternach at this time, when production of books at the scriptorium peaked.[4]
The modern abbey
Around the middle of the 19th century, the quire began to crumble and it was feared that it might collapse completely. For this reason, an association was founded in 1862 for the reconstruction of the church (the Kirchbauverein). The rebuilding in a neo-roman style was completed in 1868, and the abbey was re-consecrated.
In recognition of its importance as a national centre of pilgrimage to St. Willibrord, Pope Pius XII granted the abbey the status of minor basilica in 1939.
Part of the basilica was destroyed by shells in 1944, necessitating another reconstruction - its sixth in 14 centuries - in the original Roman style. the facade is a nod to the basilica of Paray-le-Monial. The building was again re-consecrated in 1953, though the 8th century crypt has survived throughout with no major damage.
Chronology of churches
There have been six churches built on the site at Echternach:
- Unknown - 700: Original pre-abbey church
- 700 - c. 800: Merovingian church
- c. 800 - 1016: Carolingian church
- 1031 - 1797: Original Romanesque basilica
- 1862 - 1944: Reconstructed basilica
- 1953–present day: Modern basilica
Dancing procession
Despite the long history of the abbey and the
Library
On 9 February 2010 Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, published a two-volume catalogue of the manuscripts in the library on behalf of the
List of abbots
- Willibrord (698–739)
- Adalbert (739–775)
- Beornrad (775–797)
- Hetti(before 838 – 27 May 847)
- Reginar (864–870), lay abbot
- Adalhard I (bis 870), lay abbot
- Karlmann (874–876)
- Adalhard II (until 890), lay abbot
- Hermann I (926–949), lay abbot
- Siegfried I (c. 950), lay abbot
- Ravanger (973–1007)
- Urold (1007–1027)
- Humbert (1028–1051)
- Reginbert (1051–1081)
- Thiofrid (1081–1110)
- Godfried I (1122–1155)
- Ludwig (1173–1181)
- Godfried II (1181–1210)
- Bartholomäus von Esch (1210–1231)
- Richard I (1270–1296 or 1280–1297)
- Heinrich von Schönecken (1298–1324)
- Theoderich von Are (1329–1341)
- Johannes [John I] von Winningen (1341–1353)
- Jean [John II] de Neuville (1353–1357)
- Wilhelm von Kerpen (1358–1374)
- Hertwin von Waldeck (1375–1377)
- Philipp von Homburg (1377–1378)
- Wirich von Adenbach (1378–1400)
- Peter I Beissel von Gymnich (1400–1412)
- Nikolaus von Gymnich (1412–1418)
- Pierre [Peter II] de Hubines (1418–1438)
- Winand von Gluwel (1438–1465)
- Colin Plick von Oirwick (1465–1476)
- Francis Plick von Oirwick (1476–1477)
- Burchard Poszwin von Neuerburg (1490–1506)
- Robert von Monreal (1506–1539)
- Matthias von Lutzerath (1539)
- Godfried III von Aspremont (1540–1562)
- Antonius Hovaeus Haecmundanus (1563 – 8 October 1568)
- Martin Maas (1569–1585)
- Jean [John III] Glatz (1586–1594)
- Johannes [John IV] Bertelius (1595 – 19 June 1607)
- Pierre [Peter III] Richardot (1607–1628)
- Peter IV Fisch von Rosport (1628 – 15 March 1657)
- Richard II Paschasius (1657–1667)
- Philippe de la Neufforge (1667 – 10 September 1684)
- Willibrord Hotton (1684–1693)
- Benoît Zender (1694–1717)
- Matthias Hartz (1717–1728)
- Grégoire Schouppe (1728 – 19 July 1751)
- Michael Hormann (1751–1775)
- Emmanuel Limpach (1775 – 6 September 1793)
Burials
- Saint Willibrord
- Henry IV, Count of Luxembourg
See also
- List of Carolingian monasteries
- Carolingian architecture
- Codex Aureus of Echternach
- Echternach Gospels
References
- ^ * Dunbar, Agnes B.C. A Dictionary of Saintly Women. (1901). London: George Bell & Sons. pp. 413–414
- ^ a b c Rao, Sarita. "Architectural Icon: Echternach Abbey", Luxembourg Times, June 4, 2022
- ISBN 978-0-300-05295-4.
- ^ "The Emperor's Bible". Uppsala University Library. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "The Dancing Procession of Echternach". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
- ^ Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg: Présentation du catalogue des manuscrits d’Echternach. Archived November 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Issued 10 February 2010.