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Ebrach Abbey () is a former
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monastery in Ebrach in
Oberfranken Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, which a ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
,
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 ...
, and the site of a young offenders' institution.


History


Abbey

The abbey, dedicated to the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, Saint
John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...
and
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
, was founded in 1127,"Ebrach monastery", Cisterscapes
/ref> as the oldest house of the
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
order in Franconia. The founder, i.e. the provider of land, was a local noble named Berno. The involvement of other founders named in historic documents, such as King Konrad III, is doubtful. Berno's supposed siblings, Richwin and Berthrade, may also not have existed. The abbey was settled by twelve monks from
Morimond Abbey Morimond Abbey is a religious complex in Parnoy-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne department, in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. It was the fourth of the four great daughter abbeys of Cîteaux Abbey, of primary importance in the spread of t ...
in
Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
, under the first abbot, Adam of Ebrach. The first church was dedicated in 1134, however, this was completely replaced later. The monks were active in viticulture, forestry, and keeping sheep. The monastery became one of the wealthiest in Franconia. Gertrude von Sulzbach, King Konrad's wife, was buried at the abbey upon her death in 1146."Adam von Ebrach", ''Biographia Cisterciensis'' (Cistercian Biography), Version vom 3.06.2020
/ref> Construction of today's church started in 1200 and was mostly completed in 1285. The final part of the main building to be finished was the west façade. The abbey was dissolved during the
secularisation 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 ...
in 1803. The abbey church became the local parish church.


Heart-burials of the Bishops of Würzburg

From the 13th century, heart burial was practiced with the hearts of the Bishops of Würzburg brought to Ebrach Abbey after their deaths; their entrails were despatched to the Marienkirche and their bodies to
Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of ye ...
. About 30 hearts of bishops, some of which had been desecrated during the
German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt () was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It was Europe's largest and most widespread popular uprising befor ...
, are said to have found their final resting place at Ebrach. The Prince-Bishop
Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (18 March 1545 – 9 September 1617) was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1573. He was born in Mespelbrunn Castle, Spessart (Lower Franconia) and died in Würzburg. Life Mespelbrunn was born the second so ...
(d. 1617) broke with this tradition and left instructions for his heart to be buried in the '.


Prison and contemporary use

Since 1851 part of the premises has served as a prison (''Justizvollzugsanstalt Ebrach'') and since 1958 as a young offenders' institution.Liewer, Steve. "Ebrach: Town grew around monks' abbey", ''Stars and Stripes'', August 24, 2004
/ref> The church is open to the public. A museum and some parts of the abbey buildings can still be visited on guided tours of the prison area.


Description


Church

Ebrach Abbey is a classical example of early Gothic Cistercian architecture. It is a three-aisled cruciform
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 ...
. The
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
ends in the east at four chapels, another twelve surround 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 ...
. The exterior today mostly retains its original appearance (although a wooden tower was added in 1716), but the interior was significantly changed in the 18th century. The late 13th-century west façade features a Gothic portal flanked by statues of the patrons Mary and
John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...
, added in 1648/9. Above the portal is a large
rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...
(ca. 1280), with a diameter of 7.6 meters, inspired by the north window of
Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...
. The original window is today in the
Bavarian National Museum The Bavarian National Museum () in Munich is one of the most important museums of decorative arts in Europe and List of largest art museums, one of the largest art museums in Germany. Since the beginning the collection has been divided into two ...
, but the replica is a very close copy. The interior of the church was changed in the later 18th century, in French
Neoclassical style Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...
. created 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 ...
designs. He added Corithian columns, a Neoclassical sill and covered the Gothic vaulting rib with stucco garlands. Walls and ceiling were covered by white and yellow stucco. Stucco reliefs show scenes from the life of Jesus (nave) and from the life of
Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
(choir). Oil paintings on the walls of the side aisles show saints or beatified members of the Cistercian order. The altars were made by Bossi from stucco resembling marble. The statues adorning them were made by Johann Peter Alexander Wagner. The towering high altar features a 17th-century painting showing the
Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, 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 w ...
, based on an earlier picture by
Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...
. The
tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instru ...
shows figures of Saint Peter, John the Evangelist, Bernard of Clairvaux and Edmund of Canterbury by Wagner. The choir contains stalls carved with wood and alabaster scenes from the life of Jesus. Above the stalls, both sides are occupied by the organ. The
Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
wrought-iron lattice that once divided the choir from the nave (made in 1743 by Marx Gattinger) was dismantled after the church was transformed into a parish church and the central piece was reinstalled beneath the organ gallery at the church entrance. This gallery dates from 1704 and the organ, by J. Ph. Seuffert, was added in 1743 (Rococo carvings by A. Gutmann). The southern transept features a sculpture group of the
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...
(1696, by G.B. Brenno) above a false door, flanked by statues of the founder, Berno, and the first abbot, Adam. The stucco mausoleum is a mix of Renaissance and Gothic styles. Access to the ring of chapels is via stucco-marble archways by Daniel Friedrich Humbach (1741), showing Saint Nepomuk (south) and Jesus with the Fourteen Helpers (north). The chapels still contain early Baroque altars or - in the case of the ''Katharinenkapelle'' - A Renaissance altar. At the back of the high altar are the burial monuments for Gertrud and her son Friedrich von Schwaben. These were created after 1600 based on earlier pieces. This is also true of the
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
s for the Bishops of Würzburg and . In the north wall are the niches for the hearts of the Würzburg bishops. Due to the sacking of the abbey in the German Peasants War, most of them were destroyed or lost. However, the hearts of Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt and Friedrich von Wirsberg are still there. In the northern transept stands a Renaissance altar made from sandstone and alabaster dedicated to Bernard of Clairvaux, created in 1625/6 by Veit Dümpel. To the right of this altar is the entrance to the ''Michaeliskapelle'' with three altars dedicated in 1207 that survived the redecoration of the church. The chapel combines late Romanesque and early Gothic features. Since the axis of this chapel and the crypt below are not aligned with the rest of the church, these may be the oldest parts of the structure, begun before the plan for the overall basilica was finished.


Monastic buildings

The Baroque abbey buildings were built in two phases (1687–98 and 1715–35), grouped around two enclosed and three open courtyards. The two main façades, the northern of the ''Abteibau'' and the western of the ''Festssaalbau'' face a
Cour d'honneur A court of honor ( ; ) is the principal and formal approach and forecourt of a large building. It is usually defined by two secondary wings projecting forward from the main central block ('' corps de logis''), sometimes with a fourth side, co ...
. The earlier tract was planned and built by Leonhard Dientzenhofer (eastern wings and two-storied north façade) in early Baroque style, out of gray/white sandstone. After Dientzenhofer's death construction paused until J. Greising built the ''Empfangsbau'' in 1716. He later, based on plans revised by
Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; c. 27 January 1687 – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...
, constructed the western front of the large cour d'honneur and built the ''Festsaalbau'' at its eastern end. Neumann also was responsible for the stairway of the ''Empfangsbau'', based on a design at ''
Schloss Weißenstein Schloss Weißenstein is a ''Schloss'' or palatial residence in Pommersfelden, Bavaria, southern Germany. It was designed for Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Bishop of Bamberg, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, to designs by Johann ...
''. The statues of the stairway were made by Balthasar Esterbauer, other sculptures by Daniel Humbach. Stucco work was done by G. Hennicke and the ceiling fresco by J.A. Remele (1712–22). The ''Kaisersaal'' also features stucco by Hennicke, surrounding a central ceiling painting of "The triumph of the lamb" by Clemens Lünenschloss.


Park

The parks were significantly changed in the 19th century. The large fountain by W. van der Auvera, showing
Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...
and
Antaeus Antaeus (; , derived from ), known to the Berbers as Anti, was a figure in Traditional Berber religion, Berber and Greek mythology. He was famed for his defeat by Heracles as part of the Labours of Hercules. Family In Greek sources, he was ...
(1747). A guard tower to the south west was planned by Balthasar Neumann. To the northwest and north there are administrative buildings and a terrace with an orangerie. In the past gates around the square were locked at night. The ''Bamberger Tor'' still remains.


Gallery

File:Kloster Ebrach BW 3.JPG, Rose window exterior File:Ebrach-Vierung.jpg, Detail of ceiling vault at crossing File:Ebrach-Engelsfigur.jpg, Angel figure File:Ebrach-Gewölbedecke Mittelschiff.jpg, Ceiling


References


Further reading

* Adelhard Kaspar: ''Chronik der Abtei Ebrach'', Münsterschwarzach 1971. * Wolfgang Wiemer: ''Zisterzienserabtei Ebrach. Geschichte und Kunst.'' München und Zürich 1992 (= Schnell & Steiner, Große Kunstführer Band 177). . * Wolfgang Wüst: '' "… im flor der reichs-ohnmittelbarkeit": Die Zisterzienserabtei Ebrach zwischen Fürstendienst und Reichsfreiheit unter Abt Eugen Montag (1791-1802)'', in: Jahrbuch für Fränkische Landesforschung 57 (1997) p. 181–198. . * Wolfgang Wüst: ''Gemeinde- und Dorfrechte unter den Ebracher Zisterziensern. Zur Frage frühneuzeitlicher Selbstbestimmung. Mit der Edition der Großbirkacher Dorfordnung von Abt Wilhelm Söllner (1714−1741)'', in: Würzburger Diözesan-Geschichtsblätter 78 (2015) p. 429–446. . * Wolfgang Wiemer: ''Die Gärten der Abtei Ebrach'', Berlin 1999, . * Wolfgang Wiemer: ''Festschrift Ebrach - 200 Jahre nach der Säkularisation 1803'', Forschungskreis Ebrach (ed.), 2004. . * Wolfgang Wiemer: ''Harmonie und Maß - Ergebnisse der Proportionsanalyse der Abteikirche Ebrach'', in: J.J. Emerick and D.B. Deliyannis (Hrsg.): ''Archeology in Architecture - Studies in Honor of Cecil L Striker'', Mainz 2005, p. 199–216. * H. Mayer: ''Kleiner Kunstführer – Ehemalige Zisterzienserabteikirche Ebrach'' (Schnell & Steiner Kunstführer Nr. 274), Regensburg 1938, 22. Auflage (2008) by Wolfgang Wiemer, . * Annett Haberlah-Pohl: Lutherische Verwalter in einer katholischen Enklave. Die Pfleger des Ebracher Klosterhofs in Nürnberg 1744 bis 1803, in: Jahrbuch für Fränkische Landesforschung 64 (2004), p. 105–130


External links

*
Klöster in Bayern: Ebrach
*
Ebrach Prison, Bayerisches Justizportal


{{Authority control Cistercian monasteries in Germany Monasteries in Bavaria Prisons in Bavaria 1120s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Christian monasteries established in the 1120s Imperial abbeys disestablished in 1802–03 Bamberg (district) Monasteries used as prisons