Fahr Convent, (german: Kloster Fahr) 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 ...

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

located in the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

municipality of

Unterengstringen Unterengstringen is a municipality in the district of Dietikon in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, located in the Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal''). Geography Unterengstringen has an area of . Of this area, 36.5% is used for agricultu ...

in the

canton of Zürich The canton of Zürich (german: Kanton Zürich ; rm, Chantun Turitg; french: Canton de Zurich; it, Canton Zurigo) is a Swiss canton in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton in the ...

. Located in different cantons,

Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey (german: Kloster Einsiedeln) is a Benedictine Catholic monastery in the village of Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, in recognition of Meinrad of Einsiedeln, a h ...

and Fahr Convent form a

double monastery A double monastery (also dual monastery or double house) is a monastery combining separate communities of monks and of nuns, joined in one institution to share one church and other facilities. The practice is believed to have started in the East ...

, overseen by the male

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

of Einsiedeln, no converse arrangement appears to be available for the

Abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...

of Fahr. Fahr and Einsiedeln may be one of the last of such arrangements to survive. Kloster Fahr IMG 5908 ShiftN

Geographical and administratively special situation

Historically the convent was located in an

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of canton Aargau within the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

Limmat Valley The Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal'') is a river valley and a region in the cantons of Zürich and Aargau in Switzerland. Geography The Limmat () is a long river located in the cantons of Zürich (ZH) and Aargau (AG). It is the co ...

. The convent had not been part of a political municipality, although some administrative tasks have been carried out by the Würenlos authorities since the 19th century and the nuns were always allowed to fulfill their political rights (voting, etc.) in Würenlos. Since 1 January 2008 Fahr Convent has been a part of Würenlos.The convent has its own postal code, 8109 Kloster Fahr.

History

The convent is first mentioned in AD 1130 as ''Vare'' (an old term used for "ferry"). The lands were donated by the

House of Regensberg Regensberg was a family of counts from the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The family had possessions in the medieval Zürichgau from the probably mid-11th century and became extinct in 1331 AD. With the extinction of the male line, the city re ...

. On 22 January 1130 Lütold II and his son Lütold III and his wife Judenta handed over lands and estates on the shore of the

Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluen ...

around

Weiningen Weiningen is a municipality in the district of Dietikon in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is located in the Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal''). The municipality was first mentioned in 870 as ''Winingon''. Geography Weiningen has a ...

and

Oberengstringen Oberengstringen is a municipality in the district of Dietikon in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, located in the Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal''). History Oberengstringen is first mentioned in 870 as ''Enstelingon''. In 1306 it was men ...

to the

to establish a Benedictine convent. The Chapel of St. Nicholas already stood on the land. This may have been connected with the death of Lütold I in 1088 while engaged in battle against the forces of the Abbey of Einsiedeln. The convent was dedicated to Our Lady. In addition to the medieval St. Nikolaus-Kapelle (

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...

chapel), built around 10th century AD and now called ''St. Anna-Kapelle'', and the late medieval church of the convent, the parish church of Weiningen were subordinated to the convent. From the very beginning, the convent has been overseen by the

of Einsiedeln; the nuns are led in their daily life by a prioress appointed by the abbot. The

bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on th ...

rights were first held by the Regensberg family, after 1306 by the citizens of the municipality of Zürich, and from 1434 to 1798 by the Meyer von Knonau family. Around 1530 the convent was suppressed during the

Reformation in Zürich The Reformation in Zürich was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrates of the city of Zürich and the princess abbess Katharina von Zimmern of the Fraumünster Abbey, and the population of the city of Zü ...

, but it reopened in 1576. An era of prosperity during the 17th century led to a brisk program of construction: In 1678 the tavern ''Zu den zwei Raben'' ("Two Ravens", the emblem of Einsiedeln Abbey) was built; from 1685 to 1696 the cloister and church tower were renovated; in 1703/04 a new

refectory A refectory (also frater, frater house, fratery) is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries. The name derives from the Lat ...

was designed by Johann Moosbrugger; and a house for the chaplain was erected in 1730/34. From 1743 to 1746 the convent church was decorated with frescoes by the Torricelli brothers. In dissolving the old County (''Grafschaft'') of Baden in 1803, the cantons of Zurich and Aargau established an exclave of Aargau within the canton of Zürich, for the former lands of the convent. Formerly part of the

Bishopric of Constance The Prince-Bishopric of Constance, (german: Hochstift Konstanz, Fürstbistum Konstanz, Bistum Konstanz) was a small ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-12th century until its secularisation in 1802–1803. In his d ...

, the convent has been part of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Basel The Diocese of Basel (german: Bistum Basel; la, Diœcesis Basileensis) is a Catholic diocese in Switzerland. Historically, the bishops of Basel were also secular rulers of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel (german: Fürstbistum Basel). The bis ...

since 1828. The canton of Aargau chose in 1841 to close all monasteries within its territory, but this was reversed in 1843 for convents. The negotiations between Einsiedeln Abbey and the cantonal authorities regarding assets and authority were completed nearly 90 years later, in 1932. At that point Aargau granted full autonomy to the conventual community. During World War II, from November 1943 to February 1944, 11 female Jewish refugees lived secretly in the cloister; unfortunately they had to leave for an unknown destination when the school was opened. On 1 February 1944, the convent established a ''Bäuerinnenschule'', i.e. an

agricultural school Agricultural education is the teaching of agriculture, natural resources, and land management. At higher levels, agricultural education is primarily undertaken to prepare students for employment in the agricultural sector. Classes taught in an ...

for women. On 1 January 2008 the convent was incorporated into the municipality of Würenlos, happening over a century after the municipality's initial attempts to absorb the 1.48-hectare area of the convent. On 22 January 2009 the former Abbot of Einsiedeln, Dom Martin Werlen, O.S.B., presented the nuns with a new community seal, thereby indicating that the nuns were in full control of the business affairs of their convent. In 2014 the women's agricultural school (''Bäuerinnenschule'') had to close for financial reasons. At the same time an overall renovation of the convent buildings, erected between 1689 and 1746 was undertaken. The interiors, windows and antiquated power supply were refurbished in 2016 to finally comply with fire prevention and other modern statutory requirements.

Cloister

As of April 2010, there were 26 nuns (7 in 1873, 33 in 2000) living at the convent.

Silja Walter Silja Walter (23 April 1919 – 31 January 2011) was a Swiss author and Benedictine nun in the Fahr Abbey in Switzerland. Born as Cécile Walter in Rickenbach, Solothurn, in Switzerland, at the age of 30 she became a nun: her religious name wa ...

(Sister Maria Hedwig, O.S.B.) (1919–2011), a renowned novelist, was the most prominent member of the community. On 23 April 2016 the ''Silja-Walter-Raum'' was inaugurated. Sister Maria Hedwig's literary work is inextricably linked to the convent as she lived for over 60 years in the same Benedictine community. During this time, Silja Walter wrote most of her work which included lyrics, mystery plays and theatre. After the renovation, the former office of the provost with its beautiful stucco ceiling was chosen to establish a small museum. It contains numerous texts, film, audio and photographic documents, as well as excerpts from the radio interview from 1982, when Silja Walter and her brother,

Otto F. Walter Otto F. Walter (5 June 1928 born as ''Otto Friedrich Walter'' – 24 September 1994) was a Swiss publisher ( Walter Verlag), author and novelist, which is well known in the German language countries. Otto Friedrich Walter was the younger brothe ...

, another renowned Swiss writer, recorded the interview tape ''Eine Insel'' (An Island). But also personal objects like the nun's typewriter are exhibited, and also the lesser known drawings and painting of the artist. The monastery would appeal to people who knew the artist's work, but also for the younger generation, said Prioress Irene during an interview. For now, the room will be open every last Sunday of the month after the worship service from approximately 10:45 to 14:00. Admission is free. On the feast day of Saint

Wiborada Wiborada of St. Gall (also Guiborat, Weibrath or Viborata; Alemannic: ''Wiberat'') (died 926) was a member of the Swabian nobility in what is present-day Switzerland. She was an anchoress, Benedictine nun, and martyr. Biography There are two b ...

– the first (Swiss) woman to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church – 2 May 2016, a two month pilgrimage began from Wiborada's native St. Gallen to Rome made up of eight female town residents and seven Fahr sisters, as part of a Catholic gender equality campaign, ''Kirche mit*''. Along their journey to the Vatican, this group of pilgrims was accompanied in stages by other women's rights activists. By mid-May 2016 around 650 people (approximately one fifth men) joined for at least one day's stage, and there are 400 more registrations for the final section of the pilgrimage in Rome. Whether the Pope will grant an audience to the group of pilgrims on 2 July, the day of the Visitation, was uncertain; actually he then should be on vacation.

Cloister garden

Sister Beatrice Beerli (born 1947) and head of horticulture, had responsibility for the multi-award-winning convent gardens for over 20 years. Since the closure of the school in July 2013, she passed on her knowledge to occasional group tours.

Current Activities

For centuries viticulture had an important role in convent life. Even in the deed of donation of 22 January 1130, a vineyard was itemised. In the Middle Ages its cultivation and trade in wine was significant and frequently documented. Cultivation and wine production are part of the historic tradition, and the present vineyards comprise 4.2 hectares on "Wingert" hill just above the convent in the canton of Zürich and on convent property in

where a range of grape varieties are grown . The well-known wine estate is managed by the nuns and around 30 external employees. Other agricultural products are made in the convent including liquors and honey. The convent's renowned agricultural school for women (''Bäuerinnenschule'') established in 1944 had to close in 2015 for economic and staffing reasons.

Cultural Heritage

Kloster Fahr is listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a ''Class A'' object of national importance.

Gallery

Kloster_Fahr_IMG_5905_ShiftN.jpg, Church Kloster Fahr IMG 5904 ShiftN.jpg, Main altar Kloster_Fahr_IMG_5903.JPG, Fresco on the church ceiling Kloster_Fahr_IMG_5898_ShiftN.jpg, Cemetery and chapel Kloster Fahr - Zu den drei Raben IMG 5960 ShiftN.jpg, Tavern ''zu den zwei Raben'' Kloster Fahr - Zu den drei Raben IMG 5961.JPG, Inn sign showing the two ravens of

Kloster Fahr IMG 5979.JPG, Sweetmeats made at the convent 'Böötli' und Limmat-Fähre beim Kloster Fahr 20160807 160638.jpg, Ferry route to the convent Kloster Fahr IMG 5966 ShiftN.jpg, The former agricultural school in the convent grounds

References

Literature

* Hélène Arnet: ''Das Kloster Fahr im Mittelalter''. Zürich 1995, . *

: ''Der Ruf aus dem Garten'', Paulus-Verlag, Fribourg 1995, . * Silja Walter: ''Das Kloster am Rande der Stadt''. Verlag die Arche, Zürich 1980, .

External links

*
''Necrologium Fahrense'' at the archives of the Einsiedeln Abbey
* {{Authority control 1130 establishments in Europe Double monasteries Benedictine nunneries in Switzerland Christian monasteries established in the 12th century Agricultural schools Girls' schools in Switzerland Buildings and structures in Aargau Tourist attractions in Aargau Cultural property of national significance in Aargau 12th-century establishments in Switzerland Educational institutions established in 1944 1944 establishments in Switzerland Religious buildings and structures completed in 1130 Museums in Aargau 2016 establishments in Switzerland Museums established in 2016 Churches in Aargau