Millstatt Abbey

Millstatt Abbey (

Until its dissolution in 1773 under Emperor

Millstatt Abbey was founded as a proprietary monastery by the Chiemgau count Aribo II (1024–1102), a scion of the Aribonid dynasty and former count palatine of Bavaria, and his brother Poto, on their estates in the newly established Duchy of Carinthia. Though no charter is preserved, a later chronicle mentions a tithe agreement from about 1070 between Aribo, who then held two churches at Millstatt, and Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg. As Bishop Gebhard was exiled by King Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy in 1077, it is presumed that the foundation took place in the time period before.

Both Aribo and Poto were mentioned as founders (fundator huius ecclesie) in a 13th-century parish register. Though the foundation legend of a Carantanian duke Domitian has not been conclusively established (see below), a church may have already existed at the site since the days of Charlemagne. The monastery had definitely been established before 1122, when it was mentioned in a deed issued by Pope Callixtus II.

Order of Saint Benedict

By at least the 12th century Millstatt Abbey had been established by Benedictine monks, who may have descended from

The abbey prospered during its early years, enjoying special papal protection, again confirmed by

At this time the monastic community comprised only about ten monks; Emperor Frederick found the morals degenerated, the buildings decayed and the abbot inept. He travelled to Rome and on 1 January 1469 reached a

In 1598 the

The rule of the Jesuits came to a sudden end when the order was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV in 1773, and the Millstatt convent was dissolved under Emperor Joseph II. The Jesuits had to leave the monastery and their estates passed to the public administration of the Habsburg monarchy.

Domitian legend

According to a tradition given by the Benedictine monks which was already documented in the late 12th century, the monastery church traces back to the (second) Christianization about 780, when the area was ruled by of one Slavic prince Domitian (Domicijan). Legend has it, that Domitian's son drowned in a storm on Millstätter See, whereafter his mourning father had himself baptized and ordered the first church to be built at Millstatt where the dead body was found. Similar to Saint Boniface's felling of Donar's Oak, he threw a thousand graven statues – mille statuæ – from a pagan temple into the lake in holy wrath. Modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, rebuilt under Emperor Domitian, the temple is alleged to have been converted by the prince into a church dedicated to All Saints.

Indeed, present-day Carinthia was part of the early mediæval principality of

The truth content remains disputed; in any case the legend was useful for the Millstatt monks to emancipate themselves from the Aribonid founders of the abbey and their Meinhardiner successors. Centuries later the Jesuits strongly referred to the myth in order to strengthen the popular devotion in the course of the Counter-Reformation. They however failed to have Domitian canonized by the Holy See. In Millstatt his feast day is still celebrated on February 5.

Buildings

Since 1977 the church is a property of the local parish of the Gurk diocese, while most other buildings of the former abbey belong to the Austrian state and are administrated by the Austrian State Forestry Commission [de].

Church / basilica

The monastery church, now parish church of

Seven arches form the Romanesque

The church is now used not only for parochial purposes, but also for concerts within the program of the international festival Millstatt Music Weeks (Musikwochen Millstatt), giving it the public building ("basilica") status.

Cloister and monastery buildings

In the Romanesque cloistered courtyard south of the church the capitals of some columns date back to the 12th century. It was furnished with a Late Gothic groin vault and frescoes of the Madonna about 1500. Further Renaissance monastery buildings with their arcades are situated to the west and the south of the courtyard.

Here nowadays the Millstatt monastery museum is located, as well as the spacious chapter house, which is presently used for art exhibitions, art workshops and dance events by the association ART SPACE Millstatt.^[1]

Additional buildings and objects

• The adjacent former castle of the
  Grand Master of the Knights of Saint George is also a Renaissance building with Romanesque fundaments and elements. The south part of this castle was converted in 1901 into the Grand Hotel Lindenhof (and used as hotel until 1970). Recently (2018) the whole complex of the castle including the northern part (now called "Lindenhof Millstatt") was transformed into a combination of apartments, offices, a restaurant and an art gallery
  , the "Lindenhof Galerie".
• The old primary school of Millstatt, a baroque building within the monastery area, was restored recently and is now used as gallery and art studio by the association "Art & Co. Millstatt".
• The former monastery garden and the baroque theatre hall are now used as art studio and exhibition space by local artists.
• From the abbey leads a Way of the Cross up to the Baroque chapel of Calvary hill, a heritage of the Jesuits as well as, in the east of the town, the High Cross monument from the 18th century.

Property of the buildings

Since 1977 the church is a property of the local parish of the Gurk diocese, while most other buildings of the former abbey belong to the Austrian state and are administrated by the Austrian State Forestry Commission (Österreichische Bundesforste).

Gallery

• 
  Millstatt abbey church from the northeast
• 
  Romanesque cloister courtyard
• 
  Cloister church
• 
  Cloister church
• 
  Cloister church vault
• 
  Graveyard entrance, c. 1914
• 
  Romanesque cloister southern arcades
• 
  1122 bull by Pope Callixtus II

See also

• List of Jesuit sites

References

Sources

• Schroll, Anton, 2001: Dehio-Handbuch. Die Kunstdenkmäler Österreichs. Kärnten, pp. 536–548. Vienna.
  ISBN 3-7031-0712-X
• Weinzierl, Erika, 1951: Geschichte des Benediktinerklosters Millstatt in Kärnten (Archiv für vaterländische Geschichte und Topographie, vol. 33). Verlag des Geschichtsvereines für Kärnten: Klagenfurt. (no ISBN)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stift Millstatt.

• Millstatt.at: Description of the abbey church (in German)
• Stiftsmuseum Millstatt (in German)

46°48′15″N 13°34′15″E / 46.8041666667°N 13.5708333333°E / 46.8041666667; 13.5708333333