St. Florian Monastery (german: Stift Sankt Florian) is an Augustinian monastery in the town of

Sankt Florian Sankt Florian (also ''Florian'' or ''St.Florian'') is a town in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Linz. Sankt Florian is the home of St Florian's Priory, a community of Canons Regular named after Saint Flo ...

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 ...

. Founded in the early ninth century, and later refounded by Augustinians in the eleventh century, St. Florian is the largest monastery in

Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, an ...

, and rivals

Melk Abbey Melk Abbey (german: Stift Melk) is a Benedictine abbey above the town of Melk, Lower Austria, Austria, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube river, adjoining the Wachau valley. The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the ...

and Klosterneuburg Monastery as among the most impressive examples of

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means ...

in Austria.Parsons 2000, p. 257. The monastery is dedicated to

Saint Florian Florian ( la, Florianus; 250 – 304 AD) was a Christian holy man, and the patron saint of Linz, Austria; chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Upper Austria, jointly with Le ...

, whose fourth century grave lies beneath the monastery.Baumgartner 2001, p. 2.

History

The monastery, named after

, was founded in the

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 Pippi ...

period. Since 1071 it has housed a community of

Augustinian Canons Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by ...

, and is thus is one of the oldest operational monasteries in the world following the

Rule of St. Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, developed ...

. Between 1686 and 1708 the monastery complex was reconstructed in

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 ...

style by Carlo Antonio Carlone, whose masterpiece is St. Florian's. After his death, Jakob Prandtauer continued the work. The result is the biggest Baroque monastery in Upper Austria. Bartolomeo Altomonte created the frescoes. Construction of the library wing began in 1744, under

Johann Gotthard Hayberger Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

. The library comprises about 130,000 items, including many manuscripts. The gallery contains numerous works of the 16th and 17th centuries, but also some late medieval works of the Danube School, particularly by Albrecht Altdorfer. In 1827, Polish librarian Father Josef Chmel found one of the oldest Polish literary artifacts, an

illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, th ...

containing the Psalms in Latin, German and Polish in the monastery. Because of the site of discovery, it has been named the Sankt Florian Psalter, and now resides in the

National Library of Poland The National Library ( pl, Biblioteka Narodowa) is the central Polish library, subject directly to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. The library collects books, journals, electronic and audiovisual publica ...

. In January 1941, the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...

seized the facility and expelled the monks. From 1942, the ''Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft'' ("Radio Society of the Third Reich"), under general director Heinrich Glasmeier, operated from here. The canons returned after the end of the war. The premises now also house the Upper Austrian Fire Brigade Museum.

Basilica

The canons' church was elevated to 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 ...

in 1999. It is dedicated to Saint Florian and

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

. St. Florian's Priory possesses two organs, the larger one of which is known as the "Bruckner organ" (Brucknerorgel) and contains four manuals, 103 stops and 7,343 pipes. It was played by composer and organist

Anton Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Ger ...

, previously a choir boy at the monastery, when he was the organist, between 1848 and 1855. He is buried beneath the organ inside the church.

List of provosts from 1382

* Stephan Zainkgraben, officiated 1382–1407 * Jodok I. Pernschlag, officiated 1407–1417 * Kaspar I. Seisenecker, officiated 1417–1436 * Lukas Fridensteiner von Maur, officiated1436–1459, bekam 1458 von Papst Pius II. (1458–1464) das Recht der Pontifikalien * Johann II. Stieger, officiated 1459–1467 * Kaspar II. Vorster, officiated 1467–1481 * Peter II. Sieghartner, officiated 1481–1483 * Leonhard Riesenschmied, officiated 1483–1508 * Peter III. Maurer, officiated 1508–1545, resigned * Florian Muth, officiated 1545–1553 * Siegmund Pfaffenhofer, officiated 1553–1572 * Georg I. Freuter, officiated 1573–1598 * Vitus (Veit) Widmann, officiated 1599–1612, died 20 January 1612 * Leopold I. Zehetner, born ca. 1581 in Gemering, officiated 1612–1646, died 30 September 1646 in St. Florian * Matthias Gotter, officiated 1646–1666 * David Fuhrmann, born 1621 in Straubing, officiated 1667–1689, died 6 Oktober 1689 in Linz * Matthäus I. von Weißenberg, born 1644 in Steyr, officiated 1689–1700, died 1700 in St. Florian * Franz Klausius (Clausius) Kröll, officiated 1700–1716 * Johann III. Födermayr, officiated 1716–1732 * Johann Georg II. Wiesmayr, born 4 April 1695, officiated 1732–1755 * Engelbert II. Hofmann, officiated 1755–1766 * Matthäus II. Gogl, officiated 1766–1777 * Leopold II. Trulley, officiated 1777–1793 * Michael I. Ziegler, born 22 February 1744, officiated 1793–1823, died 5 May 1823 in St. Florian * Michael II. Arneth, geb. 9. January 1771, amtierte als Propst 1823–1854, died 24 March 1854 in St. Florian * Friedrich (Theophil) Mayer, born 4 October 1793 in Stockheim, officiated 1854–1858, died 29 December 1858 in Rom * Jodok II. Stülz, born 23 February 1799 in Bezau, officiated 1859–1872 * Ferdinand Moser, born 8 November 1827 in Gmunden, officiated 1872–1901, died 29 October 1901 in St. Florian * Josef Sailer, born 9 September 1839, officiated 1901–1920, died 29 January 1920 in St. Florian * Vinzenz Hartl, born 6 December 1872 in Herzogsdorf, officiated 1920–1944, died 10 April 1944 in Pulgarn * Leopold Hager, born 1 November 1889 in St. Gotthard, officiated 1944–1968, resigned 1968, died 24 February 1972 * Johannes Zauner, born 1913 in Walding, died 24 September 1977, officiated 1968–1977 * Wilhelm Neuwirth, born 12 March 1941, officiated 1977–2005 * Johann Holzinger, born 12 April 1951, officiated since 2005

St. Florian Boys Choir

St. Florian is also known for the St. Florian Boys Choir (''St. Florianer Sängerknaben''), a

boys' choir A boys' choir is a choir primarily made up of choirboys who have yet to begin puberty or are in the early to middle stages of puberty and so retain their more highly pitched childhood voice type. Members of a boys' choir are technically known as '' ...

founded in 1071. This choir has been a traditional part of the monastic worship from its foundation. It still has particular responsibility for

sacred music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...

for the priory, but also now undertakes international concert tours, television appearances and making CDs.

Selected discography

* Franz Farnberger, ''

in St. Florian –

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

& Motetten'', St. Florianer Sängerknaben - CD: Studio SM D2639 SM 44, 1997 (with Bruckner's ''

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

'' & '' Psalm 22'') * Gunar Letzbor, '' Franz Joseph Aumann - Requiem'', St. Florianer Sängerknaben, Ars Antiqua Austria - CD: Pan Classics PC 10234, 2008 (with Aumann's ''Ecce quomodo moritur justus'', ''Tenebrae factae sunt'' and ''Te Deum'') * Gunar Letzbor, '' Joseph Balthasar Hochreither - Requiem; Missa Jubilus sacer''. St. Florianer Sängerknaben, Ars Antiqua Austria - CD: Pan Classics PC 10264, 2014

Gallery

St. Florian - Stift, Westtrakt mit Stiftskirche.JPG, West façade with church St. Florian - Stiftskirche, Bruckner-Orgel.JPG, Organ loft with the Bruckner organ Closter Florian.png, Drawing by Georg Matthäus Vischer, 1674 St Florian Stift Prälatengarten.JPG, Prälatengarten Stift Sankt Florian 0136.JPG, St. Florian Monastery balustrade and ceiling detail Stift Sankt Florian 0134.JPG, Interior stairway

References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links

Stift St. Florian official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Florian Monastery Augustinian monasteries in Austria Monasteries in Upper Austria Basilica churches in Austria Tourist attractions in Upper Austria