Bebenhausen Abbey
Bebenhausen Abbey | |
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Kloster Bebenhausen | |
General information | |
Location | Bebenhausen, Germany |
Coordinates | 48°33′35″N 9°03′36″E / 48.55972°N 9.06000°E |
Owner | Baden-Württemberg |
Website | |
www |
Bebenhausen Abbey (Kloster Bebenhausen) is a former
The monastery was established in the late 12th century by the Premonstratensians, but was ceded to the Cistercians in 1190. From the 13th to 15th centuries, Bebenhausen Abbey's fortunes grew rapidly until it became one of the richest monasteries in southern Germany. This period was also one of architectural expansion and renovation for the monastery. In the 14th century, it came under the dominion of the then County of Württemberg, whose rulers were later to dissolve the monastery in the 16th century. The abbey grounds were reused for a boarding school and Protestant seminary. Bebenhausen Abbey was also to play a brief role in post-World War II German politics, as the parliament of the French-controlled state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern devised their constitution at the monastery.
Bebenhausen Abbey also became a residence of the House of Württemberg as a hunting retreat and was especially favored by its rulers for its location in the Schönbuch. Württemberg's first king turned the south-eastern portion of the complex into a palace. After World War I, and the dissolution of the Kingdom of Württemberg, Bebenhausen Palace became the permanent residence of Württemberg's last king and queen.
History
Bebenhausen Abbey was established around 1185, when
Under the Cistercians, Bebenhausen Abbey flourished; by 1275, of all the
In 1342, the County of Württemberg gained sovereignty over Bebenhausen and the surrounding Schönbuch.[3] As the Schönbuch was a popular hunting ground, the Counts of Württemberg became frequent guests of the monastery from that date onward.[7] Ties between Württemberg and Bebenhausen grew over the 15th century, despite the monastery having Imperial representation, and by 1480 its abbots joined the Estates of Württemberg, which was by then a Duchy.[2]
Reformation
Following the death of the last Catholic abbot of Bebenhausen on 21 December 1534, half of the 36 monks at the monastery professed the Lutheran faith.[2] The next year, Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg, took over and dissolved the abbey,[8] though the Cistercians would return and again be expelled in 1648.[3] Ulrich gave the converted monks a pension of 40 guilders, while those who had remained Catholic were expelled without compensation.[8] Most of the latter went to Salem Abbey or Stams Abbey in the Tyrol, while the former went to Tennenbach Abbey, which no longer had any monks.[2] In 1537, Ulrich demolished the church's nave and recycled its masonry for Hohentübingen Castle .[4]
Ulrich's son and successor,
Kingdom of Württemberg
After
Württemberg's final monarchs,
On 9 November 1918,
Public property
Following the conclusion of
In early 1973, a proposal was made by the Baden-Württemberg Office for the Preservation of Monuments (LfD) to the town council of Bebenhausen to place the village under protection as an ensemble (Gesamtanlage) per the Baden-Württemberg Monument Protection Act of 1972. The town council met on 8 August 1973 and, on the advice of a representative of the LfD, agreed unanimously to the LfD's proposal and planning. The government of Baden-Württemberg officiated this protective status with the issuing of an ordinance on 27 January 1975.[21]
The summer refectory was closed to visitors in January 2016 following the appearance of large cracks in its vaulting as a result in a fault in its eastern wall. Restoration work began immediately and was advised by a collection of experts assembled by Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg (SSG), the cultural heritage management agency charged with the maintenance of state-owned edifices in Baden-Württemberg. This work was completed in April 2017.[22] Later that year, and lasting into 2019, further work was undertaken at Bebenhausen Abbey to make it more accessible to disabled visitors.[23]
As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, SSG announced on 17 March 2020 the closure of all its monuments and cancellation of all events until 3 May.[24] Monuments began reopening in early May, from 1 May to 17 May;[25] Bebenhausen Abbey was reopened to visitors on 12 May and the Palace on 16 May.[26] SSG again closed monuments on 24 October in response to rising COVID-19 infections.[27]
Monastery complex
The Bebenhausen monastery complex is situated upon a terrace above the
Per their code,[29] most of the abbey built by the Cistercians is austere in design. Some early Gothic architecture, imported from Burgundy in the 13th century, is found in the chapter house, parlatorium, and brother's hall. In 1335, the high Gothic Summer Refectory was built. As the abbey grew in prosperity in the 15th century, it added additional Gothic buildings such as the Rhenish vaulting of the cloister.[30]
Monastery
Construction of the church began in the late 12th century,
The ridge turret on top of the abbey church, ornate and made of stone, violated the code of the Cistercians, which mandated a simple spire made of wood.[30] The turret was constructed between the years 1407 and 1409 by a Cistercian monk called Brother George from Salem Abbey.[1][4]
The
The cloister was first completed in the last years of the 13th century, but then underwent major renovation in the 15th century. This work lasted into the next century. In the operation of the abbey, each side of the cloister had a specific function. The north side, next to the church, was used for evening liturgy; the east wing was where the
In accordance with Cistercian doctrine, the east and west sides of the monastery are made up by the monks and lay brothers' dormitories respectively. Sleeping quarters in either building were on the second floor. As completed in 1216–17, the monks' dormitory was a large hall with tiled floors and barrel vaulted ceiling. In the 14th century, abbot Lustnau added the Gothic window at the south end of the hall. His successor, Fridingen, converted the dormitory into cells for the monks and replaced the original ceiling with a flat one. The murals of flowers and inscriptions were painted in 1523 and restored in the early 20th century. When Bebenhausen Monastery became a hunting retreat, the monks' dorms were again remodeled to accommodate guests. In the 1940s, they also housed members of Württemberg-Hohenzollern's parliament and accordingly received modern bathrooms.[35]
The summer refectory was built in 1335 on the foundations of a previous refectory destroyed by fire.
The winter refectory was the lay brothers' dining hall, modified under the final Catholic abbot of the monastery with heated floors. This hall is also furnished according to the Gothic Revival style, and still contains its 19th century dining table and chairs. The walls are painted with coats of arms, vines, and images of hunting, and with a mural depicting the acts of the
Palace
Bebenhausen Palace's two halls, the Blue and Green Halls, were created for receptions and banquets out of the monastery's guesthouse and the abbot's kitchen respectively. The guesthouse was transformed into the Blue Hall in 1870 and was furnished by King Charles I with hunting trophies, a replica chandelier and dining set copied from a manor in
Queen Charlotte's apartment was previously that of Charles I. The suite was renovated for her in 1915–16 into the present arrangement of
Above the former abbot's kitchen is William II's apartment, produced from 1868 to 1870 in an enfilade, in the Gothic and Renaissance Revival styles. Of the four rooms of his apartment, William II only occupied two of them. Further expansion of the suite was planned after the completion of Charlotte's suite, but was cancelled in 1918.[41]
On the ground floor of the Kapff building is the palace kitchen, which was massively expanded in 1913 from its original 26 meters (85 ft) and refurnished three years later. During the palace's operation as a residence, the kitchen would have been staffed by the Stuttgart kitchen and confectionery staff.[42] Above the kitchen is the Green Hall, an addition made by William II in 1915–16 to replace a guest suite occupied by Charles Woodcock, Charles I's lover. The hall is connected to the kitchen by a narrow iron staircase,[39] which was used by waitstaff to bring food up to the Green Hall.[42]
See also
- List of Cistercian monasteries
- Maulbronn Abbey
- Heiligkreuztal Monastery
Citations
- ^ a b c d e Schütz 2004, p. 298.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Klöster in Baden-Württemberg: Bebenhausen.
- ^ a b c d Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Monastery and Palace.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Church.
- ^ a b c Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Farming with Monks.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Peter von Gomaringen.
- ^ a b c Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Hunts in Bebenhausen.
- ^ a b c d Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Milestones.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Vernacular.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Monastery School.
- ^ a b c Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Bebenhausen Monastery.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Johannes Valentinus Andreae.
- ^ a b c Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Palace.
- ^ a b Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Royal Table.
- ^ a b Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: William II von Württemberg.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Charlotte von Württemberg.
- ^ MacDonough 2007, pp. 199, 270.
- ^ a b c Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Parliament of Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
- ^ MacDonough 2007, p. 270.
- ^ MacDonough 2007, pp. 79, 271.
- ^ Hannmann & Scholkmann 1975, p. 16.
- ^ Lohr, Sabine (8 April 2017). "Kloster Bebenhausen: Risse wegen wandernder Wand". Schwäbisches Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Barrierefrei durchs Kloster Bebenhausen". Reutlinger General-Anzeiger (in German). 2 May 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "Important information about the Coronavirus". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "Gradual opening of our monuments". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ^ "Coronavirus: Der Live-Blog vom 9. und 10. Mai". Schwäbisches Tagblatt (in German). 10 May 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten: Monumente des Landes schließen ab Samstag". Pforzheimer Zeitung (in German). 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ a b Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: The Monastery.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: The Cistercians.
- ^ a b Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: History of Design.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Chapter House.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Tomb Slab.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Cloister.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Gardens.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Dormitory.
- ^ a b Schütz 2004, p. 300.
- ^ a b c Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Refectories.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Royal Display Silver.
- ^ a b Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Blue and Green Halls.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Charlotte's Apartment.
- ^ Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: William II's Apartment.
- ^ a b Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace: Palace Kitchen.
References
- Hannmann, Eckart; Scholkmann, Klaus (1975). "Bebenhausen als Gesamtanlage". .
- ISBN 978-0-465-00338-9.
- Schütz, Bernard (2004). Great Monasteries of Europe. Translated by Steven Lindberg. ISBN 978-0-789-20829-3.
Online sources
- "Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Monastery and the Palace". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Monastery". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Monastery Church". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Cloister". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Chapter House". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Summer and Winter Refectories". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Dormitory". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Palace". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Blue Hall and Green Hall". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Queen Charlotte's Apartment". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "King Wilhelm II's Apartment". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Gardens". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Tomb Slab of the Count Palatinate". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Palace Kitchen". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Royal Display Silver". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Milestones". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Peter von Gomaringen". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Johann Valentin Andreae". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Charlotte von Württemberg". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Wilhelm II von Württemberg". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Discipline in the Monastery School". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "History of Design". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Cistercians". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Farming with Monks". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Hunts in Bebenhausen". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "Menus for the Royal Table". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The Vernacular". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- "The State Parliament of Württemberg-Hohenzollern". Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- Setzler, Wilfried. "Zisterzienserabtei Bebenhausen - Geschichte". Klöster in Baden-Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg State Archive. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
Further reading
- Leucht, Alfred (1977). Bebenhausen. Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Katzmann-Verlag. ISBN 3-7805-0367-0
- Hild, Nikola; Hild, Katharina. Bebenhausen Kloster und Schloss. ISBN 978-3-87407-716-3