Lilienfeld Abbey (german: Stift Lilienfeld) is a

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

monastery in

Lilienfeld Lilienfeld () is a city in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Austria, south of St. Pölten, noted as the site of Lilienfeld Abbey. It is also the site of a regional hospital Landesklinikum Voralpen Lilienfeld. The city is located in the valley ...

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

, south of

Sankt Pölten Sankt Pölten (; Central Bavarian: ''St. Pödn''), mostly abbreviated to the official name St. Pölten, is the capital and largest city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria, with 55,538 inhabitants as of 1 January 2020. St. Pölten ...

History

It was founded in 1202 by

Leopold VI Leopold VI (15 October 1176 – 28 July 1230), known as Leopold the Glorious, was Duke of Styria from 1194 and Duke of Austria from 1198 to his death in 1230. He was a member of the House of Babenberg. Biography Leopold VI was the younger son of ...

, Duke of Austria and

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 ...

, as a daughter house of

Heiligenkreuz Abbey Heiligenkreuz Abbey (german: Stift Heiligenkreuz; en, Abbey of the Holy Cross) is a Cistercian monastery in the village of Heiligenkreuz in the southern part of the Vienna woods, c. 13 km north-west of Baden in Lower Austria. It is the olde ...

. Successive abbots acted as councillors to the rulers of Austria, and the abbey became wealthy as a result of this valuable connection. Abbot Matthew Kollweis (1650–1695) turned the monastery into a fortress during the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

advance against

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in 1683, installing a garrison and giving shelter to a large number of fugitives. Ansicht des Zisterzienserstiftes Lilienfeld

In the 17th century the medieval buildings were extended by

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

additions. In the first half of the 18th century the tower, library and church interior and furnishings were also refurbished in the Baroque style. The abbey was suppressed by

Emperor Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...

in 1789, but although the library, archives and portable valuables were removed, on the death of Joseph II it was reopened by

Emperor Leopold II , house =Habsburg-Lorraine , father =Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Maria Theresa of Hungary and Bohemia , religion =Roman Catholicism , succession1 =Grand Duke of Tuscany , reign1 =18 Au ...

as early as 1790. In 1810 much of the abbey was destroyed in a fire, but was rebuilt under Abbot

Johann Ladislaus Pyrker Johann Ladislaus Pyrker (von Oberwart) ''(von Felsö-Eör)'' ( hu, Oberwart, felsőőri Pyrker János László; 2 November 1772 in Nagyláng, Soponya, near Székesfehérvár, Hungary – 2 December 1847 at Vienna) was a Hungarian Cistercian abbot ...

, who later became the

Patriarch of Venice The Patriarch of Venice ( la, Patriarcha Venetiarum; it, Patriarca di Venezia) is the ordinary bishop of the Archdiocese of Venice. The bishop is one of the few patriarchs in the Latin Church of the Catholic Church (currently three other Latin ...

(1820–26) and eventually

Archbishop of Eger The Archdiocese of Eger ( la, Archidioecesis Agriensis) is an archdiocese in Northern Hungary, its centre is the city of Eger. History * 1000: Established as Diocese of Eger * August 9, 1804: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Eger Ordi ...

. In 1976

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

declared the abbey church of Lilienfeld a "

basilica minor 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 b ...

". The community belongs to the

s of the Common Observance and is part of the Austrian Congregation. From the early 1980s Lilienfeld Abbey has hosted the ''Sommerakademie Lilienfeld'', a summer music academy with master classes by renowned teachers. The courses are held during two weeks in July, and usually 5 concerts are performed by the participants. In 2008 alone, over 160 people from 27 countries took part in the activities of the ''Sommerakademie Lilienfeld''.

Winemaking

As part of his endowment, Duke Leopold VI, Duke of Austria, granted the Abbey lands in and around Pfaffstätten, between Baden and Gumpoldskirchen, upon which the monks erected a walled estate (known as a "

monastic grange Monastic granges were outlying landholdings held by monasteries independent of the manorial system. The first granges were owned by the Cistercians and other orders followed. Wealthy monastic houses had many granges, most of which were largely a ...

"). This estate, the Lilienfelderhof, comprising a gothic church, manor house, and numerous other buildings, was acquired in 2006 by the Kartause Gaming Private Foundation via a 99-year leasehold. The property and its vineyards are currently in the process of being restored and revitalised.

Burials

Leopold VI, Duke of Austria Leopold VI (15 October 1176 – 28 July 1230), known as Leopold the Glorious, was Duke of Styria from 1194 and Duke of Austria from 1198 to his death in 1230. He was a member of the House of Babenberg. Biography Leopold VI was the younger son of ...

Margaret, Duchess of Austria Margaret of Austria (german: Margarethe von Österreich; – 29 October 1266), a member of the House of Babenberg, was German queen from 1225 until 1235, by her first marriage with King Henry (VII), and Queen of Bohemia from 1253 to 1260, b ...

Cymburgis of Masovia Cymburgis of Masovia (german: Cimburgis von Masowien), ( lt, Cimbarka Mazovietė), also Zimburgis or Cimburga ( pl, Cymbarka mazowiecka; 1394 or 1397 – 28 September 1429), a member of the Polish Piast dynasty, was Duchess of Austria from 1412 ...

Cross of honour

* Cross of Honour of the Abbot of Lilienfeld, founded 1980

Gallery

Stift Lilienfeld - Eckturm und Durchfahrt an der Klosterrotte.jpg, Lilienfeld Abbey Lilienfeld - Stiftsportal.JPG, Main portal Lilienfeld - Stiftskirche, Innenansicht.JPG, Interior view of the Abbey Church Lilienfeld - Stiftskirche, Hochaltar.JPG, High altar Lilienfeld - Stiftskirche, Josefikapelle.JPG, Josefi Chapel Lilienfeld - Stiftskirche, Chororgel.JPG, Choir pipe organ Lilienfeld Stiftskirche Innen Kanzel.JPG, Abbey Church pulpit Lilienfeld Stiftskirche Innen Orgel 2.JPG, Abbey Church organ loft Stift Lilienfeld - Kreuzgang - Fenster I.jpg, Abbey Church stained glass Stift Lilienfeld - Panorama Bibliothek2.jpg, Library Lilienfeld Immaculata 4066.JPG, Immaculate Mary statue Lilienfeld - Stift, Sakristei, Decke.JPG, Sacristy ceiling

References

External links

Lilienfeld Abbey website

Lilienfelderhof / Domaene Lilienfeld website

Sommerakademie Lilienfeld
{{Authority control Cistercian monasteries in Austria Basilica churches in Austria 1202 establishments in Europe Monasteries in Lower Austria Christian monasteries established in the 13th century 13th-century establishments in Austria Establishments in the Duchy of Austria