Altmünster Abbey was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

on the Plateau Altmünster, between the

Fishmarket Fishmarket ( lb, Fëschmaart, french: Marché-aux-Poissons, german: Fischmarkt), also spelt Fish Market, is a street in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg, that shares its name with the neighbourhood directly surrounding it. It lies in the ...

and Clausen areas of

Luxembourg City Luxembourg ( lb, Lëtzebuerg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City ( lb, Stad Lëtzebuerg, link=no or ; french: Ville de Luxembourg, link=no; german: Stadt Luxemburg, link=no or ), is the capital city of the Lu ...

. It was the first Abbey in Luxembourg City-founded in 1083 by

Conrad I, Count of Luxembourg Conrad I (c. 1040 – 8 August 1086) was count of Luxembourg (1059–1086), succeeding his father Giselbert of Luxembourg. He was embroiled in an argument with the archbishop of Trier as to the abbaye Saint-Maximin in Trier which he had avowed. ...

as a private monastery and a religious centre of his county. He appointed his brother Rudolph abbot.Gade, John Allyne. ''Luxemburg in the Middle Ages'', Brill Archive, 1951, p. 56
/ref> The monks came from the abbeys of Saint-Airy and Saint-Vanne in

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

. Conrad's son, Count William, dedicated the abbey to Our Lady (''Notre Dame'') in 1123, but to locals it continued to be known as ''Mënster'' (german: Münster, meaning a monastery church or any large church building). In this period, the monastery was also put directly under the control of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

, so that neither Saint-Vanne nor the secular authorities could interfere with it. The monastery school later received a monopoly on education in the city of Luxembourg and its catchment area reached up to the

County of Bar The County of Bar, later Duchy of Bar, was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire encompassing the '' pays de Barrois'' and centred on the city of Bar-le-Duc. It was held by the House of Montbéliard from the 11th century. Part of the county, t ...

. The children were taught the French and German languages, amongst other things. Up until the reign of Henry IV all the Counts of Luxembourg were buried here. Charles IV revived this tradition and built a monumental tomb here for his father,

John of Bohemia John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...

.Casey, Robert Joseph. ''The Land of Haunted Castles'', Century Company, 1921, p. 98
/ref> The destruction of the abbey was probably ordered by the French king

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

, who occupied the city on 11 September 1543 during the

Italian War of 1542–46 Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, and probably wanted to prevent troops of

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...

, from occupying the abbey during the next siege. Before the monastery was destroyed, the abbot Johannes Harder removed all the valuable objects to safety in

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

. John of Bohemia's remains were taken to the Franciscan church on what is now the

Place Guillaume II Place Guillaume II is a town square in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. The square lies to the west of Krautmaart and to the north of Boulevard Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the heart of Luxembourg's historic Ville Haute quarter. It is ...

. The Benedictines then moved to the Hospice of Saint John, until a new abbey opened in 1606 under the abbot Petrus Roberti, not far from the old one in the Grund area. The original monastery (münster) thus became the Altmünster, and the new one became

Neumünster Abbey Neumünster Abbey (Luxembourgish: ''Abtei Neimënster'', french: Abbaye de Neumünster) is a public meeting place, cultural centre, and former Benedictine abbey located in the Grund district of Luxembourg City in southern Luxembourg. History ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Altmunster Abbey Christian monasteries established in the 11th century History of Luxembourg City Benedictine monasteries in Luxembourg