Gutenzell Abbey
Imperial Abbey of Guntenzell Reichsabtei Gutenzell | |||||||||
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1417–1803 | |||||||||
Toerring | 1803 | ||||||||
• To Württemberg | 1806 | ||||||||
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Today part of | Germany |
Gutenzell Abbey (
The origins of the monastery are unknown. According to legend, the monastery was founded in the 12th century by two sisters of the aristocratic family Schlossberg (in later tradition called Schlüsselberg), whose castle was nearby, and called in Cella Dei, rendering Gottes Zelle in German.
However, the first record of Gutenzell Abbey was its refoundation, or possibly confirmation,
Already in 1238, the refounded abbey was officially recognised by Pope Gregory IX who also put it under the spiritual supervision of Salem Abbey which lasted until 1753 when the task was transferred to Kaisheim Abbey.
Most parts of the monastery had to be rebuilt in 1369 following a disastrous fire caused by lightning.
In 1474 the monastery church Saints Cosmas and Damian became the parish church of the village of Gutenzell which had developed around the abbey. As it now stands, it is a medieval structure re-worked in the Baroque style. However, the origins of the church can be dated back to the 12th century, indicated by traces in its walls.
In the
A fire in 1522 caused considerable damage, destroying the cloister.
In 1525 the abbey was looted by revolting farmers of the Baltringer Haufen during the German Peasants' War.
During the Thirty Years' War the nuns fled approaching Swedish troops to Styria in 1632. The convent remained there until 1647, shortly before the end of the war in 1648. However, on their withdrawal, Swedish troops laid fire to the abbey in December 1646.
In 1685 Gutenzell Abbey received the privilege of inflicting
In the second half of the 18th century the last major refurbishment of the monastery church was carried out in 1755-56 by the Wessobrunn stuccoist Franz Xaver Feuchtmayer the Elder, possibly following plans by Dominikus Zimmermann, whose daughter Maria Alexandra was prioress at the time. Later she would be abbess from 1759 to 1776. The frescoes are by Johann Georg Dieffenbrunner. The pulpit from 1756 was made by Stephan Luidl who also created the high altar in 1762, possibly also to designs by Dominikus Zimmermann.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Gutenzell Abbey was in possession not only of the village of Gutenzell but also owned parts of other villages with a total of 1189 subjects. Amongst others it ruled over a third of the villages of Achstetten, Kirchberg and Oberholzheim.
In 1803, the abbey was dissolved during
The premises were almost entirely demolished in 1864.
The former monastery church is now part of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route.
External links
- (in German) History of Gutenzell Abbey (in German)
Literature
- Maegraith, Janine Christina, Das Zisterzienserinnenkloster Gutenzell: vom Reichskloster zur geduldeten Frauengemeinschaft, Epfendorf, 2006. ISBN 3-928471-66-X
- Beck, Otto (ed.), Gutenzell: Geschichte und Kunstwerk, München, 1988. ISBN 3-7954-0679-X.
See also
- Cistercians
- Imperial Abbey
- Upper Swabia