Predigerkloster
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The Predigerkloster was a monastery of the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
, established around 1234 and abolished in 1524, in the
imperial city In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
of
Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Its church, the Predigerkirche, is one of the four main churches in Zürich, and was first built in 1231 as a Romanesque church of the then Dominican monastery. In the first half of the 14th century it was converted, the choir between 1308 and 1350 rebuilt, and a for that time unusually high bell tower built, regarded as the highest Gothic edifice in Zürich.


History


Early years

The city of Zürich supported at that time the popular mendicant orders by attributing them free plots in the suburbs and asked them to support the construction of the city wall in return. In the east of the area, the city's fortification was built in the late 11th or 12th century. The first Dominican friars settled, according to the chronicler Heinrich Brennwald, outside of the city walls of medieval Zürich at
Stadelhofen Stadelhofen is a municipality in the Upper Franconian (German: ''Oberfranken'') district of Bamberg and a member of the administrative community (''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'') of Steinfeld. Geography The community lies on the edge of the “ Fra ...
in 1230 AD, and in 1231 it was first mentioned that in Zurich was a new monastery under construction. In the ''Schweizerchronik'' of 1513, Heinrich Brennwald calls for the arrival of the Dominicans in Zurich the year 1230. In two documents from 1231 a Dominican
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
is mentioned. In 1232 a sale of land to Hugo von Ripelin, then the paddock prior, is mentioned. Initially, against the resistance of the Grossmünster canons, the Dominican's inclusion in Zürich was granted in 1233/1235, "because they tirelessly drove the little foxes in the vineyard of the Lord". Located at the medieval ''Neumarkt'' quarter, the commonly named ''Predigerkloster'' was mentioned for the first time in 1234 AD as a monastery of the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
. The monastery consisted of a Romanesque church in the same place as the today's Predigern church, and the three-winged building complex attached to the north of the church. In 1254 the establishment of a cemetery at ''Zähringerstrasse'' was allowed to the so-called "prayer" (used for Dominican friars, the 'blackfriars') abbey, and repealed in 1843. The monastery was built at the edge of the city on a flat terrace between the now subterranean ''Wolfbach'' and today's ''Hirschengraben'' road. The monastery area was delimited by a wall from the urban environment. Remnants of this wall were found in 1995 on the present ''Predigerplatz'' square. The hospital was erected in the west, beyond the Wolfbach stream at the location of today's ''Spitalgasse'', before the Dominicans settled in Zürich. In the decades in which the convent was built, the new fortifications, which are depicted on the Murerplan of 1576, was built at that location. The Neumarkt quarter arose at the same time and was settled increasingly by
Beguine The Beguines () and the Beghards () were Christian lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take forma ...
s. Among other things, the orthogonal structure of the monastery, the town fortifications and the ''Chorgasse'' and ''Predigergasse'' lane are evident, and especially the latter is important for this quarter; it leads from Neumarkt in a straight line to the southern portal, which was the main entrance to the church. The northern part of the convent was predominantly used for agricultural purpose.


Influence

The order purchased 28 houses in the 13th and early 14th century, and was in close connection to the city nobility and landed gentry in Zürich and the surrounding area, among them the ''Bilgeri'' family (
Grimmenturm Grimmenturm is a medieval tower and restaurant situated at Neumarkt in Zürich, Switzerland. Location The ''Grimmenturm'' building is situated at Neumarkt (Spiegelgasse 31, 8001 Zürich) in the ''Altstadt'' of Zürich on the right shore of the ...
) and the
House of Rapperswil The House of Rapperswil respectively Counts of Rapperswil (''Grafen von Rapperwil'' since 1233, before ''Lords'') ruled the upper ''Zürichsee'' and ''Seedamm'' region around Rapperswil and parts of, as of today, Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Gl ...
, where they were received after their expulsion to 1348 to asylum in
Rapperswil Rapperswil ( Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dia ...
. Memorial measurement had to be held until the 14th century at Grossmünster, because thus the most income was achieved. Until 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 Hist ...
, all income obtained with the funerals had also to be delivered to the Grossmünster abbey.Martina Wehrli-Johns: ''Geschichte des Zürcher Predigerkonvents (1230–1524). Mendikantentum zwischen Kirche, Adel und Stadt''. Hans Rohr, Zürich 1980, . Because of its situation in the province of the order ''Teutonia'', the convent influenced most of German-speaking Switzerland. It was in charge of the pastoral care of the nun's monasteries Oetebach and Winterthur-Töss as well as the urban communities of the female
Beguines The Beguines () and the Beghards () were Christian lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take form ...
, who lived nearby the Dominican and Franciscan mendicants in separate quarters outside the convents. After the founding of the Dominican convents in Bern, Chur and Zofingen, remained under the pastoral care of the canton of Zürich – the counties of Baden and Uznach, the cantons Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zug as well as parts of Glarus, Uri and Gaster, and the border areas around Schwarzwald and Klettgau. In 1259 Count Rudolf IV von Rapperswil, Countess Elisabeth's father, donated certain duties and lands "in den Widen" for the construction of the
Dominikanerinnenkloster Maria Zuflucht Weesen Abbey (Dominikanerinnenkloster Maria Zuflucht, ''ODSHLT'') is a monastery of Dominican nuns located in Weesen, Switzerland, Weesen in the Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The Dominican convent is located at the foot of a terraced hillside ...
. Initially, the Dominican nuns were supported by the Dominican convent in Zürich, because of its close relationship to the
House of Rapperswil The House of Rapperswil respectively Counts of Rapperswil (''Grafen von Rapperwil'' since 1233, before ''Lords'') ruled the upper ''Zürichsee'' and ''Seedamm'' region around Rapperswil and parts of, as of today, Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Gl ...
. After the founding of the monastery, the Dominican friars in Chur took over the pastoral assistance of the monastic community in Weesen.


Decline

The extremely ambitious dimensions of the Dominican's Baroque church were designed in the early 14th century. But already in the 1330s, the construction was set, and remained unfinished for years. The second phase of building ended in a much more harmonious construction, and much substance of the Romanesque building was saved, for example, almost the entire Romanesque transept remained. Historical events are the explanation for that change. The revolution of 1336 that Rudolf Brun and his entourage brought to power was followed by a period of economic uncertainty reaching its peak with the plague of 1348/49, the persecution and killing of the Jewish citizens of the so-called '' Synagogengasse'' in 1349, as well as the "Zürich night of murder" (''Mordnacht'') by 1350, a failed counter coup of Brun's opposition under the son of
Johann I (Habsburg-Laufenburg) Johann I von Habsburg-Laufenburg (also ''Johannes von Rapperswil-Laufenburg- Habsburg'', ''von Laufenburg-Rapperswil''; born around 1297; died 21 September 1337 in Grynau) was the Count of Habsburg-Laufenburg and later Count of the House of Rapp ...
, Johann II. Unlike the Franciscan and the Augustinian orders, the Preachers in Zürich pleaded to the Pope, another opponent of the political situation in Zürich, and therefore the convent was forced to leave the city for several years. Its exile led to Winterthur and Kaiserstuhl and finally to
Rapperswil Rapperswil ( Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dia ...
, whose
counts Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...
were the most prominent opponents of Brun's regime. This development represents the beginning of the general decline of the Zürich Dominican convent. Within the city, as the other "mendicant" orders, the Predigern have been reduced to the function of area pastors. The convent was disestablished on 3 December 1524, worship in the church was discontinued, and the buildings and income of the monastery were assigned to the adjoining ''Heilig-Geist-Spital''.


Buildings of the convent

The former convent buildings were used, with the monastery buildings becoming a hospital. After the construction of the new hospital in 1842, they became the so-called "Versorgungsanstalt" where chronically ill, old, incurable mental patients were housed; the contemporaries complained until in 1870 when the ''
Burghölzli The ''Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich'' (Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich) is a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland. As a research hospital, it is associated with the University of Zürich. It is also called Burghölzli, after th ...
'' sanatory was built. The convent buildings were sold in 1873 to the city of Zurich, which used it to house destitute citizens. But the old convent building burned down on 25 June 1887, its ruins were dismantled in the same year, and the open space was used for celebrations. On 28 June 1914, the citizens of Zürich agreed to the establishment of the Central Library (German: ''Zentralbibliothek''), that was completed according to the plans by Hermann Fietz in 1917. So the cantonal library was outsourced, but in 1919 moved back, and again moved to make room for today's
Staatsarchiv Zürich Staatsarchiv Zürich, formally the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, are the state archives of the Swiss Canton of Zürich and its legal predecessors, in particular the former city republic of Zürich. History The state archives host the ad ...
; therefore since 1982, the premise is used for the library, in particular for the so-called Musikabteilung.


See also

*
Predigerkirche Zürich Predigerkirche is one of the four main churches of the old town of Zürich, Switzerland, besides Fraumünster, Grossmünster and St. Peter. First built in 1231 AD as a Romanesque church of the then Dominican ''Predigerkloster'', the Basilica was ...


References


Literature

*
Dölf Wild Dölf Wild (born 1954) is a Swiss historian, archaeologist and science writer, and works as the chief archaeologist of the city of Zürich. He is best known for his research into the building industry of medieval Zürich and for his contribution ...
, Urs Jäggin, Felix Wyss: ''Die Zürcher Predigerkirche – Wichtige Etappen der Baugeschichte. Auf dem Murerplan beschönigt? – Untersuchungen an der Westfassade der Predigerkirche.'' Amt für Städtebau der Stadt Zürich, Zürich 2006. * Dölf Wild: ''Stadtmauern. Ein neues Bild der Stadtbefestigungen Zürichs'' (= ''Stadtgeschichte und Städtebau in Zürich. Schriften zu Archäologie, Denkmalpflege und Stadtplanung.'' 5). ''Schrift zur Ausstellung im Haus zum Haus zum Rech, Zürich, 6. Februar bis 30. April 2004''. Amt für Städtebau, Baugeschichtliches Archiv, Zürich 2004, . * Dölf Wild: ''Das Predigerkloster in Zürich. Ein Beitrag zur Architektur der Bettelorden im 13. Jahrhundert''. Monographien der Kantonsarchäologie Zürich 32, Hochbaudepartement der Stadt Zürich, Amt für Städtebau, Archäologie, Zürich 1999, . * Walter Baumann: ''Zürichs Kirchen, Klöster und Kapellen bis zur Reformation.'' Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Zürich 1994, . * Martina Wehrli-Johns: ''Geschichte des Zürcher Predigerkonvents (1230–1524). Mendikantentum zwischen Kirche, Adel und Stadt''. Hans Rohr, Zürich 1980, . {{coord, 47.3738, N, 8.5454, E, source:wikidata, display=title Prediger Ruined abbeys and monasteries Dominican convents 1231 establishments in Europe 13th-century establishments in Switzerland Demolished buildings and structures in Zürich Religious buildings and structures in Zürich Fortifications of Zürich 1524 disestablishments in Europe 16th-century disestablishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy Buildings and structures demolished in 1887