Ulrich Rösch (born 14 February 1426 in

Wangen im Allgäu Wangen im Allgäu ( Low Alemannic: ''Wãnge'') is a historic city in southeast Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It lies north-east of Lake Constance in the Westallgäu. It is the second-largest city (Population: 26,927 in 2020) in the Ravensburg dist ...

; died 13 March 1491 in Wil) was abbot of the Abbey of Saint Gall from 1463 to 1491. He is considered one of the most outstanding abbots of the monastery.

Life

Rösch, the son of a baker, was the first Abbot of Saint Gall from civic descent. He was accepted at the monastery school on the grounds of his talent and became a monk between 1440 and 1445. In 1451, he became ''Grosskeller'', but only two years later, he had to leave the monastery again. In 1453/1454, he lived at Wiblingen Abbey near Ulm.

Works

After his return to his home monastery, Rösch became the leader of the reform-minded conventuals who protested against their transformation into an Augustinian canon. In 1457, Rösch became administrator, after Abbot Kaspar von Breitenlandenberg had been suspended in the course of a

visitation Visitation may refer to: Law * Visitation (law) or contact, the right of a non-custodial parent to visit with their children * Prison visitation rights, the rules and conditions under which prisoners may have visitors Music * ''Visitation'' (D ...

. Von Breitenlandenberg abdicated in 1463 due to illness, whereupon Rösch also formally became abbot in his stead. Von Breitenlandenberg died in the same year. Rösch’s time as abbot is marked by the strengthening of monastic discipline, and especially by the consolidation of the monastery’s finances and the powerful extension of the sovereignty of the prince abbey. His plan to move the monastery to

Rorschach Rorschach may refer to: * Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist ** Rorschach test, his psychological evaluation method involving inkblots * Rorschach (character), a character from the comics ''Watchmen'' * Rorschach (comic book), a 2020 comic * ...

, in order to free it from the grasp of the city of Saint Gall, failed because Saint Gall’s citizens, in alliance with the

Appenzell Appenzell is a historic canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen. Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered a league with the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1411, ...

er in the Rorschacher Klosterbuch, destroyed the initiated constructions in Rorschach in 1489. Although the

confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

refuges of the abbey enforced compensation payment, the monastery remained in the city of Saint Gall. Rösch also furthered the spiritual life in the abbey and protruded in his function as constructor.

Reading list

* Bischof, Franz Xaver: ''Ulrich Rösch''. in: ''Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon'' (BBKL), Vol 17. Bautz, Herzberg 2000, p. 1437-39. * Dierauer, Johannes: ''Ulrich Rösch''. in: ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB), Vol 29. Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1889, p. 161-63. * Vogler, Werner (ed.): ''Ulrich Rösch. St. Galler Fürstabt und Landesherr.'' St. Gallen 1987. * Gössi, Anton: ''St. Gallen - Äbte: Ulrich Rösch, 1463-1491.'' in: ''Helvetia Sacra''. III: ''Die Orden mit Benediktinerregel''. 2/1: ''Frühe Klöster, die Benediktiner und Benediktinerinnen in der Schweiz''. Francke Verlag, Bern 1986, p. 1319–22.

External links

* Lenz, Philipp. 2012: "Ulrich Rösch"
Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.

''Abt Ulrich Rösch (1463–1491)''
in the Stadtlexikon Wil

on the website of the Stiftsarchiv St. Gallen. {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosch, Ulrich 1426 births 1491 deaths Abbots of Saint Gall