Conrad Tanner (28 December 1752 at Arth in the

Canton of Schwyz The canton of Schwyz (german: Kanton Schwyz rm, Chantun Sviz; french: Canton de Schwytz; it, Canton Svitto) is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zürich in the north, centred on ...

– 7 April 1825) was a Swiss

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 ...

Abbot of Einsiedeln.

Life

He studied the classics and theology at Einsiedeln; made vows in the Order of St. Benedict on 8 September 1772, and was ordained in May 1777. He was engaged as teacher at the gymnasium of Einsiedeln and later at

Bellinzona Bellinzona ( , , Ticinese ; french: Bellinzone ; german: Bellenz ; rm, Blizuna )is a municipality, a historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebell ...

. In 1787 he held the position of librarian at his abbey, and in 1789 he was made director of the college at Bellinzona. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

Tanner fled to the

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

, taking with him the miraculous statue, the head of St. Meinrad, and other valuables, and remained there until he could restore the treasures to the abbey. He was appointed pastor of St. Gerold in

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...

in 1802, where he remained for three years, until recalled to act as master of novices. At the death of Abbot Beat in 1808 Tanner was elected abbot. He prudently accommodated himself to the political situation, and thus secured the existence of the monastery. He encouraged the pursuit of studies, renovated the buildings, and rebuilt the Holy Chapel which had been destroyed 1798 by the French. Although the village of

Einsiedeln Einsiedeln () is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, established in the 10th century. History Early history There was no permanent settlement in the area p ...

was no longer under his jurisdiction, he retained for it a solicitude which he showed in the years of famine (1816 and 1817). It was the intention of

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

to create the new Diocese of Waldstätten out of the cantons

Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), an island off Malakula Islan ...

, Schwyz, and

Unterwalden Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or ''Talschaften'', now t ...

, to make Tanner bishop, and to constitute the monks of Einsiedeln as cathedral chapter. The matter was proposed in 1818, but was declined by the abbot and his capitulars.

Works

Tanner's writings are: * (5 vols., Augsburg, 1804–1808) * (Augsburg, 1807), of which a fifth edition appeared at Einsiedeln in 1846 His pedagogical works were published by his successor as abbot, Celestine Müller.

References

The entry cites: * Odilo Ringholz, (Freiburg, 1876), 26; * Albert Kuhn, (Einsiedeln, 1883), 111; *Joseph Régnier, (Paris, 1837), 222. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Conrad 1752 births 1825 deaths Benedictine abbots Swiss Benedictines 18th-century Swiss Roman Catholic priests Abbots of Einsiedeln 19th-century Swiss Roman Catholic priests