![Stift St Peter2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Stift_St_Peter2.JPG)
St Peter's Abbey (german: Stift Sankt Peter), or St Peter's Archabbey (German: ''Erzabtei Stift Sankt Peter'', la, Archiabbatia sancti Petri Salisburgensis), 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 former cathedral in the
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 ...
n city of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
. It is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the
German-speaking area
This article details the geographical distribution of speakers of the German language, regardless of the legislative status within the countries where it is spoken. In addition to the German-speaking area (german: Deutscher Sprachraum) in Europe, ...
, and in fact the oldest with a continuous history since its foundation in 696.
History
St Peter's Abbey was founded in 696 by
Saint Rupert at the site of a
Late Antique
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English has ...
church stemming from the first
Christianization
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
in the area in the days of
Severinus of Noricum
Severinus of Noricum ( 410 – 8 January 482) is a saint, known as the "Apostle to Noricum". It has been speculated that he was born in either Southern Italy or in the Roman province of Africa. Severinus himself refused to discuss his personal ...
. Likewise the establishment of the monastery was meant to advance missionary efforts in the
Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley up to the Splügen Pass at the Alpine divide and down the Liro River to Lake Como in t ...
. Until 987, the office of the abbot was joined to that of the
Archbishop of Salzburg
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg ( la, Archidioecesis Salisburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. The archdiocese is one of two Austrian archdioceses, serving alongside the Archdiocese of ...
: one man fulfilled both duties.
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, St Peter's was known for its exceptional school. In 1074, Archbishop
Gebhard of Salzburg
Blessed Gebhard von Salzburg ( 101015 June 1088), also occasionally known as Gebhard of Sussex, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV of Germany during the Investiture Controver ...
sent several monks to found
Admont Abbey
Admont Abbey (german: Stift Admont) is a Benedictine monastery located on the Enns River in the town of Admont, Austria. The oldest remaining monastery in Styria, Admont Abbey contains the largest monastic library in the world as well as a lon ...
in the
March of Styria
The March of Styria (german: Steiermark), originally known as Carantanian march (''Karantanische Mark'', ''marchia Carantana'' after the former Slavic principality of Carantania), was a southeastern frontier march of the Holy Roman Empire. It was ...
. In the 15th century, the abbey adopted the
Melk Reforms. In 1623, Archbishop
Paris Lodron
Paris Lodron or Paris of Lodron (''German'': Paris Graf von Lodron), 13 February 1586 - 15 December 1653, was the Prince-Archbishop of the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg from 1619-1653.
Early life
He was born 13 February 1586 in the Castel ...
founded the Benedictine
University of Salzburg
The University of Salzburg (german: Universität Salzburg), also known as the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (''Paris-Lodron-Universität Salzburg'', PLUS), is an Austrian public university
A public university or public college is a univ ...
, which until its dissolution in 1810 was closely connected to the abbey.
Since 1641, the abbey has been a member of the
Salzburg Congregation The Austrian Congregation is a congregation of Benedictine monasteries situated in Austria, within the Benedictine Confederation.
History
The Congregation was founded on 3 August 1625 by Pope Urban VIII, and consisted of eleven Benedictine monaster ...
, merged in 1930 into the present
Austrian Congregation (of which it is the principal house) of the
Benedictine Confederation.
In 1926, endeavours for re-establishing the Salzburg university led to the foundation of the Benedictine college (''Kolleg St. Benedikt''); the initiative helped bring the modern
University of Salzburg
The University of Salzburg (german: Universität Salzburg), also known as the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (''Paris-Lodron-Universität Salzburg'', PLUS), is an Austrian public university
A public university or public college is a univ ...
back into being. In 1927, St Peter's was raised to the status of an
archabbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conc ...
. Following the Austrian ''
Anschluss
The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
'' to
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in 1938, the premises were seized and most of the monks expelled. Nevertheless, the monastery was not dissolved and the monks returned after the war.
Abbey church
![2236 - Salzburg - Erzabtei St Peter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/2236_-_Salzburg_-_Erzabtei_St_Peter.JPG)
The present-day
Romanesque abbey church at the northern foot of the
Mönchsberg
The Mönchsberg, at above sea level, is one of five mountains in the Salzburg, city of Salzburg in Austria. It flanks the western side of Altstadt Salzburg, Salzburg's historic city centre, and forms part of the Historic Centre of the City of Sal ...
was erected from about 1130 onwards at the site of a previous
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
church building, it was dedicated to
Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
in 1147. One of the organs was located atop the
rood screen in 1444, a work by
Heinrich Traxdorf
Heinrich Traxdorf (''Drassdorf'', ''Drossdorf'') (dates of birth and death unknown) was an early German organ builder. He was born in Mainz, probably in the beginning of the 15th century. During the 1440s he built three organs in Nuremberg (the la ...
of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
. While the steeple received its
onion dome
An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. These bulbous structures taper smoothly to a point.
It is a typ ...
in 1756, the interior was often re-modelled before attaining its currently visible
Rococo
Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
style between 1760 and 1782 under Abbot Beda Seeauer's direction. The high altar is a work by
Martin Johann Schmidt
Martin Johann Schmidt, called ''Kremser Schmidt'' or ''Kremserschmidt'', (25 September 1718 – 28 June 1801), was one of the outstanding Austrian painters of the late Baroque/Rococo along with Franz Anton Maulbertsch.
He was born at Grafenwör ...
. The St. Mary's Chapel contains the grave of Abbot
Johann von Staupitz
Johann von Staupitz, O.S.A. (c. 1460 – 28 December 1524) was a Catholic theologian, university preacher, and Vicar General of the Augustinian friars in Germany, who supervised Martin Luther during a critical period in his spiritual life. Martin ...
(d. 1524), who was
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
's superior; they were both Augustinian monks in Germany at the time.
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
's ''
Great Mass in C minor
''Great Mass in C minor'' (german: Große Messe in c-Moll, links=no), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is considered one of his greatest works. He composed it in Vienna in 1782 ...
'' was scheduled to premiere in the church, probably on 26 October 1783, with his wife
Constanze singing first soprano. However, the work remained incomplete.
Next to the altar where St. Rupert was originally entombed lie the tombs of Mozart's sister
Maria Anna Mozart
Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart (30 July 1751 – 29 October 1829), called "Marianne" and nicknamed Nannerl, was a musician, the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and daughter of Leopold (1719–1787) and Anna Maria Moz ...
(''Nannerl'') and
Johann Michael Haydn. Also entombed at St. Peter's Abbey is St. Vitalis.
Library, archives and other collections
Library
![Stift St Peter Salzburg Zellenbibliothek 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Stift_St_Peter_Salzburg_Zellenbibliothek_01.jpg)
St Peter's houses the oldest library in Austria. Among the 800 manuscripts the most precious is the ''
Verbrüderungsbuch
A confraternity book (german: Verbrüderungsbuch, la, liber confraternitatum or ''confraternitatis''), also called a ''liber memorialis'' (memorial book) or ''liber vitae'' (book of life), is a medieval register of the names of people who had ente ...
'', which was deposited in 784 by Bishop
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
. Through continual acquisition, the library has grown to 100,000 volumes, focusing particularly on Benedictine monasticism, medieval church history, history of art, and items relating to the local history of Salzburg, or ''Salisburgensia''. Special collections include
incunabula
In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pro ...
and early editions, graphics including the devotional images collection of Father Gregor Reitlechner and the map collection.
In 1768, Abbot Beda Seeauer had the medieval ''Zellenbibliothek'' converted to the Rococo style. In 1999, it was restored. It is accessible by special permission.
Archives
The archive is for the purposes of abbey administration and the researching of its history. It contains documents from the 8th to the 20th centuries, in the following series:
# Deeds: c. 4,300 deeds up to 1700;
# Manuscripts Series A: chronicles, journals, chapter minutes, visitations, endowments, necrologies and rolls, inventories, accounts and so on;
# Manuscripts Series B: official records of estate ownership (cartularies, registers, feodaries, court records);
# Files: records and correspondence of the abbots, the monks, the chancery and other administrative offices of the abbey; files relating to estate ownership;
# Other: photographs, maps and plans.
Music archive
As a result of contact with notable musicians of Salzburg, St Peter's possesses a significant collection, much of it in
holograph
An autograph or holograph is a manuscript or document written in its author's or composer's hand. The meaning of autograph as a document penned entirely by the author of its content, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by a copyist o ...
, with works by
Johann Ernst Eberlin
Johann Ernst Eberlin (27 March 1702 – 19 June 1762) was a German composer and organist whose works bridge the baroque and classical eras. He was a prolific composer, chiefly of church organ and choral music. Marpurg claims he wrote as much a ...
,
Anton Cajetan Adlgasser
Anton Cajetan Adlgasser (sometimes Anton Cajetan Adelgasser; 1 October 1729 – 23 December 1777) was a German organist and composer at Salzburg Cathedral and at court, and composed a good deal of liturgical music (including eight masses and two r ...
,
Leopold
Leopold may refer to:
People
* Leopold (given name)
* Leopold (surname)
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons''
* Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...
and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
, Sigismund von Neukomm,
Robert Führer, and Karl Santner.
Other collections
The abbey also owns collections of paintings, church treasures, artworks, minerals, furniture, musical instruments, a coin cabinet, and a cabinet of natural curiosities (not accessible).
Institutes in St Peter's
Institute for Benedictine Studies
In order to give young German-speaking Benedictine monks and nuns the opportunity to learn more about monastic subjects, the Salzburg Abbots' Conference of 2000 set up the Institute for Benedictine Studies to serve the study of and research into the
Rule of St Benedict
The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.
The spirit of Saint Benedict's R ...
(''Regula Benedicti''). The director is Dr. Michaela Puzicha OSB.
Austrian Liturgical Institute
Through the endeavours of Father Adalbero Raffelsberger, St Peter's was one of the earliest homes of liturgical revival in Austria. In 2001, the Liturgical Institute of the
Austrian Bishops' Conference
The Austrian Bishops' Conference (german: Österreichische Bischofskonferenz) is the official assembly of the Roman Catholic bishops of Austria. It is the supreme authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria, established as a formal body und ...
was attached to it.
Cemetery
![Petersfriedhof, Salzburg, 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Petersfriedhof%2C_Salzburg%2C_2011.JPG)
The ''Petersfriedhof'' was probably laid out during the foundation of the monastery about 700. The burial ground was first mentioned under the rule of Archbishop
Conrad I in 1139, with the oldest preserved graves from 1288 and 1300. It is centred around Late Gothic St Margaret's Chapel and the Chapel of the Cross, dedicated about 1170 and refurbished as a mausoleum according to plans by
Santino Solari
Santino Solari (1576 – April 10, 1646), was an Italian architect and sculptor, who worked mainly in Austria. He was born at Verna near Como.
In 1612, he was appointed chief architect of Salzburg by the archbishop Markus Sittikus. His w ...
in 1614/15. Several tombs are located in arcades built at the foot of the
Festungsberg
Festungsberg is a mountain in the city of Salzburg in Austria, , which rises to an elevation of . It is the site of the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which towers over Salzburg's historic city centre to the north, and forms part of the city's UNESCO ...
hill.
The cemetery grounds are known for its '
catacombs
Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire.
Etymology and history
The first place to be referred ...
' carved out of the
conglomerate rocks of the Festungsberg. They probably date back to
Late Antiquity
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
, when they served as an
Early Christian place of assembly and
hermitage. They include two chapels dedicated to
Saint Gertrude and one Christian martyr Maximus by Archbishop
Conrad of Wittelsbach
Conrad of Wittelsbach (c. 1120/1125 – 25 October 1200) was the Archbishop of Mainz (as Conrad I) and Archchancellor of Germany from 20 June 1161 to 1165 and again from 1183 to his death. He was also a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal of the Roman ...
in 1172 and 1178.
Mozart's sister
''Nannerl'' and the popular Fascist sculptor
Josef Thorak
Josef Thorak (7 February 1889 in Vienna, Austria – 26 February 1952 in Bad Endorf, Bavaria) was an Austrian-German sculptor. He became known for oversize monumental sculptures, particularly of male figures, and was one of the most promin ...
lay buried here, among many other dignitaries.
Stiftskulinarium
The ''
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium'' was first mentioned in an 803 deed issued by
Alcuin of York
Alcuin of York (; la, Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus; 735 – 19 May 804) – also called Ealhwine, Alhwin, or Alchoin – was a scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student o ...
, an English scholar attendant Emperor
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
; it therefore claims to be the
oldest restaurant in Central Europe.
[, ''stpeter-stiftkeller.at - the history'']
References
External links
St Peter's Archabbey website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Peter's Abbey, Salzburg
Benedictine monasteries in Austria
Libraries in Austria
Christian monasteries established in the 7th century
Monasteries in Salzburg
Tourist attractions in Salzburg
Roman Catholic cathedrals in Austria
Churches completed in 696
7th-century churches in Austria
Establishments in the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg
Former cathedrals
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