Seckau Abbey (german: Abbey of Our Lady) is 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 and Co-Cathedral in

Seckau Seckau ( sl, Sekava ) is a Marktgemeinde in the state of Styria, Austria. It is situated near Knittelfeld. It is known for the Benedictine Order, Benedictine Seckau Abbey, once the seat of the Diocese, bishopric Graz-Seckau. See also *Diocese of ...

Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

History

Middle Ages

Seckau Abbey was endowed in 1140 by

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

canons. An already existing community in

Sankt Marein bei Knittelfeld Sankt Marein bei Knittelfeld is a former municipality in the district of Murtal in Styria, Austria. Since the 2015 Styria municipal structural reform, it is part of the municipality Sankt Marein-Feistritz Sankt Marein-Feistritz is a municipali ...

was moved to Seckau in 1142. This establishment was dissolved in 1782. At the request of Archbishop Konrad I of Salzburg,

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

instituted the founding of the congregation and the transfer to Seckau on 12 March 1143. The abbey church, a Romanesque basilica, was built from 1143 to 1164, and was consecrated on 16 September 1164. According to an old custom, the canons founded a double monastery. The women's chorus likely came to the abbey no later than 1150 from Salzburg, mentioned in a deed of the Noble Burchard of Mureck in 1150.

Seckau Abbey

In 1883 the monastery was resettled by

Benedictines , 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 ...

from

Beuron Archabbey Beuron Archabbey (in German Erzabtei Beuron, otherwise Erzabtei St. Martin; in Latin ''Archiabbatia Sancti Martini Beuronensis''; Swabian: ''Erzabtei Beira'') is a major house of the Benedictine Order located at Beuron in the upper Danube va ...

, who had had to leave

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

because of the ''

Kulturkampf (, 'culture struggle') was the conflict that took place from 1872 to 1878 between the Catholic Church led by Pope Pius IX and the government of Prussia led by Otto von Bismarck. The main issues were clerical control of education and ecclesiastic ...

''. In 1940 the monks were evicted by the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...

and the buildings were confiscated. In 1945 the monks were able to return. The abbey maintains a secondary school (''"Gymnasium"'') and carries out the duties of the pastoral care belonging to a parish. It is part of the

Beuronese Congregation The Beuronese Congregation, or Beuron Congregation, is a union of mostly German or German-speaking religious houses of both monks and nuns within the Benedictine Confederation. The congregation stands under the protection of Saint Martin of Tours. ...

within the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Confœderatio Benedictina Ordinis Sancti Benedicti) is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monasti ...

Abbey church

The abbey church, a Romanesque

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

, was built between 1143 and 1164. For centuries it was the place of burial of the

Inner Austria Inner Austria (german: Innerösterreich; sl, Notranja Avstrija; it, Austria Interiore) was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the Imperial duchies ...

n line of the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

.Seckau, Steiermark / Stiftsbasilika
In 1930 it was declared a

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

Gallery

File:Benediktinerstift Seckau.JPG, Seckau Abbey File:Benediktinerabtei Seckau, Äußerer Klosterhof.jpg, Seckau Abbey courtyard File:Abtei Seckau - Innerer Klosterhof 1.JPG, Seckau Abbey inner courtyard File:Benediktinerabtei Seckau, Türme der Basilika.JPG, Basilica spires File:Basilika Seckau - Innenraum 2.jpg, Basilica Seckau - interior File:Basilika Seckau - Romanische Kreuzigungsgruppe.jpg, Romanesque Crucifixion scene File:Basilika Seckau, Habsburger Mausoleum, Blick zum Altar.jpg, Habsburg mausoleum File:Basilika Seckau, Habsburger Mausoleum, Kenotaph 1.jpg, Habsburg Mausoleum, cenotaph File:Basilika Seckau, Habsburger Mausoleum, Wappen Karls II. auf Kenotaph.jpg, Habsburg mausoleum (detail)

In numismatics

Seckau Abbey was selected in 2008 as a main motif for a high value Austrian

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

collectors' coin: the Seckau Abbey commemorative coin. The obverse shows a wide view of Seckau Abbey looking west. Located in the center is the Romanesque basilica with its two towers surrounded by the Baroque monastic buildings. The reverse shows a view from the main entrance of the church to the high altar, depicting the mediaeval crucifixion group hanging on four massive chains.

References

External links

Abtei Seckau official website

Seckau Abbey
(

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)
Stift Seckau
on TouristicViews.com {{Authority control States and territories established in 1218 1142 establishments in Europe Religious organizations established in the 1140s 1782 disestablishments in Europe Religious organizations established in 1883 Augustinian monasteries in Austria Benedictine monasteries in Austria Basilica churches in Austria Christian monasteries established in the 12th century Monasteries in Styria Tourist attractions in Styria Roman Catholic cathedrals in Austria