St. Matthias' Abbey is a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery in

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

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 the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The abbey church, a Romanesque

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

, is a renowned place of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

because of the tomb of Saint Matthias the Apostle, after whom the abbey is named, located here since the 12th century, and the only burial of an apostle in Germany and north of the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

. The abbey was originally named after Saint Eucharius, first Bishop of Trier, whose tomb is in the

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

. The church has been given the status of a

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

First foundation

Monks have lived in the present St. Matthias' Abbey since late antiquity. Cyrillus of Trier built an oratory here in the second half of the 5th century and gave the monks a rule."St Matthias' Abbey", Trier Tourismus und Marketing
/ref> The monastery adopted the

Rule of Saint Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' () is a book of precepts written in Latin by St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up in the motto of th ...

in about 977.

Since the 10th century the bones of the founders of the

Archbishopric of Trier The Diocese of Trier (), in English historically also known as ''Treves'' () from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany. The bones of the Apostle Matthias were supposedly sent to Trier on the authority of the

Empress Helena Flavia Julia Helena (; , ''Helénē''; – 330), also known as Helena of Constantinople and in Christianity as Saint Helena, was an ''List of Augustae, Augusta'' of the Roman Empire and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She was b ...

, mother of the Roman emperor

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

, but the

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s were only discovered in 1127 during demolition work on the predecessor of the present church buildings, since which time the abbey has been a major centre of pilgrimage. In the 12th century, the manuscript now known as Kues 52, an important witness to the ''Collectaneum'' of

Sedulius Scottus Sedulius Scotus or Scottus ( fl. 840–860) was an Irish monk, teacher, Latin grammarian, and scriptural commentator who lived in the 9th century. During the reign of the Emperor Lothair (840–855), he was one of a colony of Irish teachers at L ...

and the ''

Proverbia Grecorum The ''Proverbia Grecorum'' (sometimes ''Parabolae Gregorum'', both meaning "proverbs of the Greeks") is an anonymous Latin collection of proverbs compiled in the seventh or eighth century AD in the British Isles, probably in Ireland. Despite the ...

'', was copied at St. Matthias'.. Efforts to reform in the wake of the

Council of Basel The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1445. It was convened in territories under the Holy Roman Empire. Italy became a venue of a Catholic ecumenical council aft ...

, under Johannes Rode, the

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians (), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its own rule, called th ...

prior appointed by the bishop, led to spiritual and economic renewal, to the extent that St. Matthias' became an example for other monasteries. In 1433, at the request of Duke Otto of Brunswick, John Dederoth, having effected notable reforms at Clus Abbey, turned his attention to the extremely neglected and dilapidated Bursfelde Abbey. He was able to obtain two exemplary monks from St. Matthias' Abbey to maintain his reformed discipline there. In 1458 St. Matthias' joined the

Bursfelde Congregation The Bursfelde Congregation, also called Bursfelde Union, was a union of predominantly west and central German Benedictine monasteries, of both men and women, working for the reform of Benedictine practice. Named after Bursfelde Abbey, it included ...

. The eastern part of the crypt was added around 1500. A Baroque facade was later added to the lower west front of the church. The abbey passed through the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

almost unscathed, but it was badly affected by wars and looting, and also by conflicts with various bishops or abbots. The last abbot was relieved of his office as early as 1783, years before the actual dissolution of the abbey, and management from then on lay in the hands of the prior.

When the troubles of the French Revolution spilled over onto German territory, the abbey buildings were requisitioned by the French army, and monks were obliged to leave the abbey, at first with the intention that this was to be a temporary absence, living from 1794 to 1802 in the parish house (''Mattheiser Pfarrhaus''). In 1802 however the abbey was nationalised and secularised."St. Matthias Abbey", Religiana
/ref> When the premises were sold off, the local businessman Christoph Philipp Nell acquired the bulk of the main building complex and used it with little alteration for his residence, thus preserving it from the demolition and gross alterations for industrial purposes that befell many other monastic buildings at this period. Apart from the main abbey complex there remain, particularly in villages along the

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...

, many farmhouses and estate buildings which formed the abbey's economic basis before secularisation. They are often called "Mattheiser Hof" ("Matthias' farm") or other names making reference to the abbey. An especially large farm of this sort was the ''Roscheider Hof'' near the village of Merzlich (now Konz-Karthaus), now the ''Volkskunde- und Freilichtmuseum Roscheider Hof'' ("Local History and Open-air Museum, Roscheider Hof"), where the original building is preserved as one of the exhibits.

Second foundation

After several attempts to revive the monastery in the 19th century, monks from Seckau Abbey, part of the Beuron Congregation, moved into the ''Mattheiser Pfarrhaus'' after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. On 22 October 1922 the main building complex was rededicated as a Benedictine abbey and resettled. The new community joined the Beuron Congregation. In 1941 the

National Socialist Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was frequen ...

government suspended the monastery and the monks moved to

Maria Laach Abbey Maria Laach Abbey (in German: ''Abtei Maria Laach'', in Latin: ''Abbatia Maria Lacensis'' or ''Abbatia Maria ad Lacum'') is a Benedictine abbey situated in Glees, on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See (Lake Laach), in the Eifel regio ...

. After their return in 1945 there was dissension over the care of the parish of St. Matthias, which was now independent of the Benedictine order, for whom parochial duties with the secure income they provided represented a staple economic resource. It was recommended that the monastic community should move to

Tholey Abbey Tholey Abbey () in Tholey, in the district of Sankt Wendel in Saarland, is a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Maurice. It is part of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. History As early as the 5th and 6th cen ...

in the

Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...

, a move which split the community between those who were willing to go to Tholey, and those who preferred to stay in Trier. Those monks who remained in St. Matthias' became independent of any congregation, and remained so until 1981, when they joined the

Congregation of the Annunciation The Congregation of the Annunciation (''Congregatio Annuntiationis B.M.V.''), formerly known as the Belgian Congregation, is a congregation of monasteries within the Roman Catholic Benedictine Confederation. Founded in 1920, the Congregation incl ...

of the Blessed Virgin Mary ("Congregatio Annuntiationis BMV"). Trier Sankt-Matthias Kreuzgang

Since 1991 the abbey has had a close link with Huysburg Priory in

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...

, refounded in 1972. In September 2004 the two monasteries joined as one community. The community devotes itself to the cure of souls - in 2007 10,000

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

belonged to the parish of St. Matthias - as well as hospital and pilgrimage duties. The community also receives guests and leads ecumenical discussions. Individual brothers may also pursue secular occupations, such as judge, town planner or teacher. From 1981 to 2005 Dom Ansgar Schmidt led the community as its abbot until his election as President-Abbot of the Congregation. Ignatius Maaß was elected his successor, and nominated Matthias Vogt as his new prior; the benediction took place on 22 October 2005. As of 2007 19 monks lived in the abbey.

Buildings and art

Basilica

The Romanesque St. Matthias' Basilica, which was dedicated on 13 January 1148, combines four functions. It is the parish church of the parish of the same name; the monastic church of the Benedictine community; a pilgrimage church centred on the tomb of Saint Matthias the Apostle; and the burial church of the first bishops of Trier, Eucharius und Valerius. The church building, like all such, is in a constant state of tension between on the one hand the preservation and care of the structure, and on the other the need to meet current demands. The basilica has therefore been thoroughly transformed during a long-drawn-out exercise in cleaning up and alteration. The crypt has been extended by a further two bays and provided with new means of access. The place of the veneration of Saint Matthias the Apostle, as well as the altar space, have been adapted to modern requirements. Stable choir stalls have been built for the monks' choir. A lift has been installed for easier access to all levels. On 10 December 2007 during a solemn pontifical office with Bishop

Reinhard Marx Reinhard Marx (born 21 September 1953) is a German Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Munich and Freising since 2008. Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal in 2010. He is a former member of the Council of Cardinals established ...

the bones of the Apostle Matthias in their shrine were translated to their final location in the crypt, with the solemn dedication of the altar planned for 24 February 2008. The conclusion of the building works with an overhaul of the electrics and a final paint job is not presently possible due to financial constraints. Trier Sankt Matthias Gnadenkapelle

The Abbey church is considered a Marian shrine as it contains a ''Gnadenbild'', an image of the Blessed Virgin that depicts the pregnant Mary, gazing in contemplation at the child she carries.

Reliquary of the Cross

In the Chapel of the Cross (''Kreuzkapelle'') in the north side-tower of the basilica is kept the

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', ''Chasse (casket), chasse'', or ''phylactery'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called a ''feretory''. Relics may be the purported ...

of the cross, or "staurotheca". It dates from the 13th century and is made of worked gold; in the centre is a golden cross set with precious stones, which is said to contain pieces of the

True Cross According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified. It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...

. The Chapel of the Cross is accessible on guided tours.

Mattheiser Venus

The ''Mattheiser Venus'' or ''Venus of St. Matthias'' was an ancient Roman marble statue of the

goddess Venus Venus (; ) is a Roman goddess whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the ancestor of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fled ...

, which was formerly kept at the St. Matthias' Abbey. The statue of the goddess of love was kept on display in chains by the wall of the monastery marked with the following inscription: :„WOLT IHR WISSEN WAS ICH BIN :ICH BIN GEWESEN EIN ABGOTTIN :DA S. EVCHARIVS ZV TRIER KAM :ER MICH ZERBRACH MEIN EHR ABNAHM :ICH WAR GEEHRET ALS EIN GOTT :IETZ STEHEN ICH HIE DER WELT ZV SPOT.“ It was an established custom at the monastery to stone the statue annually to ritually celebrate the victory of Christianity over "

Paganism Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

" by annual desecration of the statue.Zur Mattheiser Venus, see This custom allegedly took place since the Middle Ages, but is confirmed since at least 1551. The statue was reduced to rubble, but the remains of it was transferred by the French commander of the town to a historical society in 1811. It is now kept at the

Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier The ''Rheinische Landesmuseum Trier'' is an archaeological museum in Trier, Germany. The collection stretches from prehistory through the Roman period, the Middle Ages to the Baroque era with a strong emphasis on the Roman past of Augusta Trevero ...

. File:Trier Sankt Matthias 3 Bischöfe.jpg, Sculpture of the first three bishops of Trier File:Trier Sankt Matthias BW 4.JPG, Monumental effigy over the Apostle's grave File:St.Matthias in TrierAussen Nachts.jpg, Frontage at night File:Benediktinerabtei St. Matthias Rückseite.jpg, Rear view of the abbey Trier Sankt Matthias Portal Friedhof

Abbots (incomplete list)

* 1211–1257: Jakob of Lorraine * 1416–1421: Herbrand von Guls * 1421–1439: Johannes Rode * 1439–1447: Johannes von Vorst * 1447–1451: Heinrich Wolff von Sponheim * 1451–: Johannes Donre * 1569–1573: Peter von Niederweiß * 1599–1612: Johann von Keil * 1629–1649: Nikolaus Trinkler * 1700–1727: Wilhelm Henn * 1727–1758: Modestus Manheim * 1758–1773: Adalbert Wiltz After the refoundation: * 1922–1938: Laurentius Zeller (elected Archabbot of the Brazilian Congregation 1938) * 1939–1946:

Basilius Ebel Maria Laach Abbey (in German: ''Abtei Maria Laach'', in Latin: ''Abbatia Maria Lacensis'' or ''Abbatia Maria ad Lacum'') is a Benedictine abbey situated in Glees, on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See (Lake Laach), in the Eifel regio ...

(1946–1966 Abbot of Maria Laach Abbey) * 1947–1949: Petrus Borne (1949–1976 Abbot of Tholey Abbey) The community split in 1949: one part resettled in Tholey with Abbot Petrus Borne; the remainder in Trier belonged to no congregation and was directly subordinate to the Abbot-Primate of the Benedictine Order. * 1963–1969: Laurentius Klein * 1969–1981: Athanasius Polag * 1981–2005: Ansgar Schmidt (since 2004 President of the

) * 2005–: Ignatius Maaß

Relations to other communities

* Benedictine priory on the

Huysburg Huysburg (; ) is a Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery situated on the Huy (hills), Huy hill range near Halberstadt, in the Germany, German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The Romanesque architecture, Romanesque abbey has existed since about 10 ...

: since September 2004 St. Matthias' Abbey has formed one single community with the brothers of the Huysburg Priory near

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

in Saxony-Anhalt. * St. Matthias' belongs to the Congregation of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (''Congregatio Annuntiationis BMV''). * St. Scholastica's Abbey, Burg Dinklage: St. Matthias' has a long and close relationship with the Benedictine nunnery of St. Scholastica's,

Dinklage Dinklage () is a town in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 13 km southwest of Vechta, and 45 km north of Osnabrück. History Dinklage Castle was built by the counts of the Dersagau of Calvel ...

. *

Community of the Resurrection The Community of the Resurrection (CR) is an Anglican religious community for men in England. It is based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and has 14 members as of April 2023. The community reflects Anglicanism in its broad nature and is strongl ...

Mirfield Mirfield () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road (Great B ...

: St. Matthias' also has a partnership with the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield, in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Delegations from St. Matthias' visit both Dinklage and Mirfield every year, who in turn send every year a delegation to St. Matthias'.

Notes

References

* Sandra Ost: ''Friedhof St. Matthias''; Trier: Matergloriosa-Verlag, 2007; (German) * Eduard Sebald: ''St. Eucharius – St. Matthias in Trier''; DKV-Kunstführer 591; München, Berlin:

Deutscher Kunstverlag The Deutscher Kunstverlag (DKV) is an educational publishing house with offices in Berlin and Munich. The publisher specializes in books about art, cultural history, architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and bu ...

, 2008²; (English)

External links

*
Ralf Arnert: "Seit 900 Jahren haben Pilger ihre Spuren auf dem geschichtsträchtigen Weg nach Trier hinterlassen"
(article about pilgrimages to Trier)
Congregation of the Annunciation

Art history and church organ of St. Matthias' Basilica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Matthias' Abbey, Trier Roman Catholic churches in Trier Religion in Trier Monasteries in Rhineland-Palatinate Basilica churches in Germany

Romanesque architecture in Germany Benedictine monasteries in Germany Tombs of apostles 1802 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire Christian organizations established in 1922