History Göttweig Abbey



abbey church , cloister



göttweig abbey library


göttweig abbey founded monastery of canons regular blessed altmann, bishop of passau. high altar of church dedicated in 1072, monastery not until 1083: foundation charter, dated 9 september 1083, still preserved in abbey archives.


by 1094 discipline of community had become lax bishop ulrich of passau, permission of pope urban ii, introduced rule of st. benedict. prior hartmann of st. blaise s abbey in black forest elected abbot. brought him st. blaise s number of chosen monks, among whom blessed wirnto , blessed berthold, later abbots of formbach , garsten respectively. under hartmann (1094–1114) göttweig became famous seat of learning , strict monastic observance. founded monastic school, organized library, , @ foot of hill built nunnery believed ava, earliest german language poetess known name (d. 1127), lived anchorite. nunnery, afterwards transferred top of hill, continued exist until 1557.


during 15th , 16th centuries abbey declined rapidly between 1556 , 1564 had no abbot @ all, , in 1564 not single monk left here. @ crisis imperial deputation arrived @ göttweig, , elected michael herrlich, monk of melk abbey, abbot. new abbot, held office until 1604, restored monastery spiritually , financially, , rebuilt after had been entirely destroyed fire in 1580.


abbots distinguished during reformation george falb (1612–1631) , david corner (1631–1648), opposed spread of protestantism in district.


in 1718 monastery burnt down , rebuilt on grander scale during abbacy of gottfried bessel (1714-1749) designs johann lucas von hildebrandt inspired escorial, scheme lavish abbot gottfried deposed because of it. fresco decorating imperial staircase considered masterpiece of baroque architecture in austria. executed paul troger in 1739, represents holy roman emperor charles vi apollo.


the abbey has library of 130,000 books , manuscripts, , particularly important collection of religious engravings, besides valuable collections of coins, antiquities, musical manuscripts , natural history, of survived dangers of world war ii , immediate aftermath without loss.


since 1625 abbey has been member of austrian congregation, within benedictine confederation.







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