Fürstenzell Abbey (German: ''Kloster Fürstenzell'', Latin: ''Abbatia Cella Principis'') is a former Cistercian abbey in Fürstenzell, in Bavaria, in the diocese of Passau. It was a daughter monastery of the Aldersbach monastery from the

filiation Filiation is the legal term for the recognized legal status of the relationship between family members, or more specifically the legal relationship between parent and child. As described by the Government of Quebec: Filiation is the relationship ...

of the Morimond primary abbey - Ebrach monastery.

History

The monastery, first dedicated to St. Laurentius and later to St. Mary, was founded in 1274 by Magister Hartwig, canon of Passau and court chaplain to Duke Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria, with his help. The name "Fürstenzell" (Cella principis) also refers to Henry XIII. The first Cistercians arrived here from Aldersbach Abbey in Advent 1274. In May 1275, the monk Walter was elected the first abbot. The abbot from 1566 was Sebastian Peer, from Frontenhausen. He initially became administrator in 1562, after having been a monk in

Gotteszell Gotteszell is a municipality in the district of Regen in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to ...

, and eventually died between December 16 and 26, 1570. In addition to the main abbey church, the monastery also had its own, separate church. Under the abbots Abundus II (1707–1727), Stephan III (1727–1761) and Otto II (1761–1792), the monastery was at its height with the construction of the current church. It was dissolved in 1803 in the course of

secularization In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...

. The abbey church became the parish church in 1807 in place of the church in Unterirsham, which was then demolished. The monastery buildings were acquired by the , which later sold them on to the in 1928. In 1930,

Marists The Society of Mary (), better known as the Marists, is a Catholic religious congregation of pontifical right. Founded in Cerdon, France, by Jean-Claude Colin, the Society of Mary was recognized by an apostolic brief on April 29, 1836, and is ...

acquired the monastery and set up a missionary seminary here. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a military hospital was set up in the monastery. In 1948, the order founded the Marist grammar school in Fürstenzell, and the school's boarding school was located here from 1970 to 1990. Subsequently, part of the building served as a spiritual education center for the diocese of Passau until 2004. In 2007, the Marists sold the monastery to the company CNP International. Later, in 2023, the Fürstenzell government bought all of the land around the monastery, a total of , from the Marists for the public.

Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin

The first monastery church was consecrated in 1334 by Auxiliary Bishop Theoderich from Passau. It was baroqueized in the 18th century, when the monastery was in its heyday. The new building, begun in 1739 by Joseph Wolff and the Passau sculptor and architect Joseph Matthias Götz, was continued by

Johann Michael Fischer Johann Michael Fischer (18 February 1692 – 6 May 1766) was a German architect in the late Baroque period. Fischer was born in Burglengenfeld, Upper Palatinate. He is a major representative of south German Baroque architects. He studied in ...

. The roof was put on in 1740, the façade was created in 1744 and the building was completed in 1745, apart from the south tower, which was only erected in 1774. In 1748, the church was consecrated by the Prince-Bishop of Passau, . An inscription on the organ loft with a

chronogram A chronogram is a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals (such as Roman numerals), stand for a particular date when rearranged. The word, meaning "time writing", derives from the Greek words ''chronos'' (� ...

commemorates this. In terms of architectural styling, the façade has two towers, each with a clock on them. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

is divided into four bays, and lacks a crossing, while the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

has two bays. The church is also known as the "Cathedral of the Rottal" due to its size. The wide double-tower façade has a figure of the Immaculata above the portal, with St. Benedict and St. Bernard to the side. The entryway has the words (House of God and Gate of Heaven) written above. The interior follows the pattern of a pilaster church. The high altar, completed in 1741, is by

Johann Baptist Straub Johann Baptist Straub (1 June 1704 (baptism) – 15 July 1784) was a German Rococo sculptor. Biography Straub was born in Wiesensteig, into a family of sculptors. His father Johann George Straub and his brothers Philipp Jakob, Joseph, an ...

, the side altars from 1720 to 1730 by . The

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

work was created by , the

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es and the high altar painting of the

Assumption of the Virgin Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of whether Mary died or whether she was ra ...

as well as other altarpieces by

Johann Jakob Zeiller Johann Jakob Zeiller (8 July 1708 – 8 July 1783) was an Austrian painter. Zeiller was born in Reutte, trained by his father Paul Zeiller, Paul who was also a painter. In 1723 he began his apprenticeship with Sebastiano Conca in Rome, and then ...

. Above the choir, Zeiller painted the Adoration of the Lamb according to the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

. The 30 meter long and 15 meter wide ceiling painting in the nave shows the Cistercians, led by allegorical figures of the vows and virtues, on the clouds in front of Mary and the Most Holy Trinity. The outcasts, on the other hand, are falling down.

Monastery building

The monastery buildings are also significant. They were built around an inner courtyard in 1687 and the west and south wings were redesigned around 1770 under Abbot Otto Prasser. The banqueting hall or ''Fürstensaal'' (now the chapel) was decorated with ceiling paintings by Bartolomeo Altomonte in 1733, the former dining hall by Johann Gfall. The staircase is spanned by a painting by Zeiller created around 1765. The library room was created after 1770 by from Passau, who created the carvings, in particular the gallery

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

resting on atlases with numerous

putti A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University ...

and ornaments. Above the side staircases, putti fence with sausages instead of weapons in an allegorical allusion. The ceiling fresco by Zeiller and

Matthäus Günther Matthäus Günther (also Mathäus Günther) (7 September 1705 – 30 September 1788) was an important German painter and artist of the Baroque and Rococo era. Günther, who was born in Peissenberg (at that time: Tritschengreith), helped d ...

was removed in the 19th century.

Gallery

File:Fürstenzell, das Kloster.jpg, Church in context of monastery File:Portenkirche Fürstenzell 2.JPG, Rear of church File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Fassade 1 Wappen.jpg, Flag on façade File:Fürstenzell, Klostergebäude, Westflügel.jpg, Monastery buildings File:Bibliothek Fürstenzell 2.png, Library File:Bibliothek Fürstenzell 1.png, Close-up of library décor File:Deckenfresko Fürstenzell Langhaus.JPG, Fresco view File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Dreikönigsaltar 1.jpg, Side altar with three kings File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Marienaltar 1.jpg, Altar with Mary File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Orgel 1.jpg, Organ in loft File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Kanzel 7 Matthäus.jpg, Close view of sculpted decoration File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Hochaltar 5 Paulus.jpg, High altar with Paul File:Fürstenzell Klosterkirche - Portal 1 Inschrift.jpg, Entryway inscription

References

Literature

* Albert Bücker: ''900 Jahre Pfarrei, 700 Jahre Kloster Fürstenzell.'' Kloster, Fürstenzell 1975. * Norbert Lieb, Josef Sagmeister: ''Ehem. Zisterzienserabtei-Kirche Fürstenzell.'' Reihe: ''Kleine Kunstführer.'' Schnell und Steiner, 2003. * Rainer A. Roth, Josef Sagmeister: ''Vom Krummstab zum Bayerischen Löwen – 1803: die Säkularisation des Klosters Fürstenzell.'' Hrsg. Volksbildungswerk Fürstenzell e.V. GraphX Werbestudio, Fürstenzell 2003. * (Text): ''Die Bibliothek im Kloster Fürstenzell und ihre Atlanten.'' Kloster, Fürstenzell 1979.

External links

Klostergarten der Zisterzienser Fürstenzell
retrieved 24 January 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fürstenzell Abbey 1247 establishments in Europe Catholic monasteries Monasteries in Bavaria Cistercian monasteries in Germany 1803 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire Passau (district) Rococo architecture in Germany