Notker Wolf (; 21 June 19402 April 2024) was a German

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 ...

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

, musician, and author. He was a member of St. Ottilien Archabbey located in

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, which is part of the

Benedictine Congregation of Saint Ottilien The Ottilien Congregation, officially known as the Benedictine Congregation of Sankt Ottilien and as the Missionary Benedictines, is a congregation of religious houses within the Benedictine Confederation, the aim of which is to combine the Benedi ...

. He served as the ninth

Abbot Primate The Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict serves as the elected representative of the Benedictine Confederation of monasteries in the Catholic Church. While normally possessing no authority over individual autonomous monasteries or congregat ...

of the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict () is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monastic congregations that nevertheless retain their own aut ...

of the

Order of Saint Benedict 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 ...

from 2000 to 2016. He was known as the "rock abbot", for playing flute and sometimes e-guitar with the rock band Feedback in concerts and recordings.

Biography

Early life

Werner Wolf was born on 21 June 1940, the son of a tailor in

Bad Grönenbach Bad Grönenbach is a market town in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. It belongs to the region of Upper Swabia and the headquarters of the Gemeindeverband of the same name. Transport Bad Grönenbach is located on the county roa ...

in the

Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard ) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the Alps. The main rivers flo ...

region of Germany. He undertook his early education at Oberrealschule Memmingen (today and at the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium St. Ottilien) where he graduated in 1961. He then petitioned to enter the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of St. Ottilien Archabbey.

Monastic life

Wolf began his profession as a Benedictine monk on 17 September 1962, and was given the name "Notker" in honor of Saint Notker. He then began his philosophical studies in Rome, at the Benedictine Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo. In 1965, he began studies at the

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

where he concentrated in the interdisciplinary fields of theology, philosophy, and natural sciences (zoology, inorganic chemistry, and the history of astronomy). He was ordained a

on 1 September 1968 at St. Ottilien Archabbey. In 1970, Wolf returned to Rome and was appointed a professor of

natural philosophy Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe, while ignoring any supernatural influence. It was dominant before the develop ...

and

philosophy of science Philosophy of science is the branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. Amongst its central questions are the difference between science and non-science, the reliability of scientific theories, ...

at the Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo. In 1974, he achieved his doctor of philosophy (Dr. Phil.) degree from the same institution with a dissertation entitled "Das zyklische Weltmodell der Stoa. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte von der Ewigen Wiederkehr des Gleichen" (The cyclical world model of the Stoa: A contribution to the history of the eternal return of the same). Three years later, on 1 October 1977, Wolf was elected as the fifth Archabbot of St. Ottilien Archabbey, and thus also Abbot President of the

with monasteries and foundations scattered throughout the world. At the time the congregation had over twenty monasteries and over 1,100 monks. Monks of this congregation are known as Missionary Monks, and Wolf fulfilled his mandate by building hospitals, schools, colleges, and monasteries, including countries such as China and North Korea. On 7 September 2000, over 260 of the abbots of the

gathered in Rome and elected Wolf as the 9th Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict. Although an "Abbot Primate" possesses little real authority over autonomous monasteries or congregations of monks, this position does allow him to serve as the visible presence of the Benedictine Order to the larger world. The office of Abbot Primate was created by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

in 1886 to serve the Benedictine community as its liaison to the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

and civil authorities, to promote unity among the various autonomous Benedictine monasteries and congregations, and to represent the order at religious gatherings around the globe. The Abbot Primate resides at the primatial abbey of

Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino () is a complex located on the Piazza Knights Hospitaller, Cavalieri di Malta Square on the Aventine Hill in Rome's Ripa (rione of Rome), Ripa rione and overseen by the Benedictine Confederation and the Abbot Primate. The ...

in Rome, as well as serves as the "Grand Chancellor" to the Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo. With the election of Abbot Gregory Polan as the new Abbot Primate on 9 September 2016, Wolf had completed sixteen years of service to the Benedictine Confederation. Wolf returned to his home abbey of St. Ottilien and continued his life as a monk. He kept lecturing, including abroad such as in Tanzania and South Africa. His continued passions included inter-religious dialogue, environmental issues, responsible immigration policies, and ethical leadership and management. Notker had always been skilled in music, which he expressed in

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek language, Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed main ...

; he played flute and sometimes electric guitar in a rock band known as Feedback in concerts and recordings. He always took his flute along when traveling. Once when Feedback played as

opening act An opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, supporting act or opener, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform ...

for

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

in a concert in Germany, he rocked with Deep Purple on stage. He played guitar with a school band to frame his lecture in 2022. Wolf died on 2 April 2024, at the age of 83. He had accompanied a group of pilgrims to Rome, but felt ill and returned home sooner than the group. He missed a plane connection in Frankfurt and stayed in a hotel, where he died of a heart attack. His Requiem on 6 April was streamed live by the abbey.

Publications

Wolf published numerous books, articles, interviews, videos, music CDs, and online streaming platform content. His books, musical compositions, and articles have been translated into over twenty different languages. Among his publications are:

Books

* ''Freisein für Gott. Einübung in die Geistliche Lesung'' (with Johanna Domek), Bonifatius-Druckerei, Paderborn 2004 () * ''Worauf warten wir? Ketzerische Gedanken zu Deutschland'' (with Leo G. Linder), Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2006 () * ''Die Kunst, Menschen zu führen'' (with Enrica Rosanna & Leo G. Linder), Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2007 () ** ''The art of leadership'' (English version), Liturgical Press, Collegeville 2013 () * ''Die Botschaft Benedikts. Die Weisheit seiner Äbte und Äbtissinnen'', Vier Türme, Münsterschwarzach 2008 () * ''Aus heiterem Himmel. Einfälle und Eingebungen für das Leben hier unten'', Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2008 () * ''Im Schatten des großen Drachen. Begegnungen mit Chinas Christen'' (with Corinna Mühlstedt), Kreuz-Verlag, Stuttgart 2008 () * ''Regeln zum Leben. Die Zehn Gebote – Provokation und Orientierung für heute'' (with Matthias Drobinski), Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2008 () * ''Wie mit neuen Augen. Weg-Begleiter für Pilger'' (with Audio-CD), Butzon & Bercker, Kevelaer 2008 () * ''Gott segne Sie! Neue Einfälle für das Leben hier unten'', Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg February 2009 () * ''Von den Mönchen lernen'', Pattloch, April 2009 () * ''Gönn dir Zeit. Es ist dein Leben'', Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau April 2009 () ** ''Make time for yourself: it's your time'' (English version), D.K. Printworld, New Delhi 2010 () * ''Wohin pilgern wir? Alte Wege und neue Ziele'', Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg September 2009 () * ''Mitten im Leben wird Gott geboren'' (with Corinna Mühlstedt), Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau September 2010 () * ''Alles Gute kommt von Oben. Kleine Wahrheiten für zwischendurch'', Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg November 2010 () * ''Die sieben Säulen des Glücks'', Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau January 2011 () * ''Schmetterlinge im Bauch'', Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau March 2011 () ** ''Faith can give us wings: the art of letting go'' (English version), Paraclete Press, Brewster, MA 2013 () * ''Das kleine Buch der wahren Freiheit'', Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau September 2011 () * ''Erfüllte Zeit: Ermutigungen für das Leben'', St. Benno Verlag December 2011 () * ''JETZT ist die Zeit für den Wandel. Nachhaltig leben, für eine gute Zukunft'' (with Alfons Kifmann), Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau April 2012 () * ''Seien Sie unbesorgt! Vorschläge für ein erfülltes Leben'', Knaur TB, August 2012 () * ''Jesus: Ein Leben'' (with Leo G. Linder), Gütersloher Verlagshaus, August 2012 () * ''Die sieben Säulen des Glücks. Tugenden für das Leben'', Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2012 () * ''Spiritus loci – vom Geist des Ortes. Ein spirituelles Reisebuch'' (with Alfons Kifmann), Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2014 () * ''Das Böse. Wie unsere Welt aus den Fugen gerät'' (with Leo G. Linder), Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 2014 () ** ''Evil: how our culture is going off the rails'' (English version), D.K. Printworld, New Delhi 2016 () * ''Altwerden beginnt im Kopf – Jungbleiben auch'' (with Leo G. Linder), adeo-Verlag, 2015 () ** ''Aging starts in your mind: you're only as old as you feel'' (English version), Paraclete Press, Brewster, MA 2017 () * ''Läuft. Pessimisten stehen im Regen. Optimisten duschen unter Wolken'', adeo-Verlag, 2016 () * ''Schluss mit der Angst – Deutschland schafft sich nicht ab!'' (with Simon Biallowons), Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2017 () * ''Gute Vorsätze. Beim nächsten Mal wird alles anders'' (with Alfons Kifmann), Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 2017 () * ''Das Unmögliche denken, das Mögliche wagen. Visionen für eine bessere Zukunft'' (with Alfons Kifmann), Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 2019 () * ''Leadership in the context of religious institutions: the case of Benedictine Monasteries'' (with Günter Müller-Stewens) editors, Springer, Cham 2019 () * ''Ich denke an Sie die Kunst, einfach da zu sein'' (with Simon Biallowons), Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2020 () * ''Warum ich an Freiheit und Verantwortung glaube'', Leipzig Benno 2020 () * ''Donne-toi le temps de vivre: conseils d'un moine globe-trotter surbooké abbé-primat émérite de l'ordre bénédictin'' (with Marie-Noëlle Villedieu de Torcy), Nouan-le-Fuzelier 2020 () * ''Die Sehnsucht nach dem Ursprung ist die Sehnsucht nach einem neuen Anfang'' (with Hans-Günther Kaufmann), Leipzig Benno 2021 ()

Recordings

* with Feedback: ''Rock My Soul'', (Rock-Audio-CD) Point Music, April 2003 * with Inka Stampfl: ''Weiherserenade. Französische Kammermusik aus drei Jahrhunderten'', (Audio-CD) EOS-Verlag, St. Ottilien 2008 * with Carlo Günther: ''Notker Wolf liest "Wohin pilgern wir?" Alte Wege und neue Ziele'', (Audio-CD) audio book, Hamburg, Hamburg 2010 * ''Notker Wolf plays Bach'', (Audio-CD) Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau June 2011 * with Feedback: ''No Lies'', (Rock-Audio-CD) Transformer (Membran), April 2012

Gallery

Notker Wolf 2011.JPG , Wolf (l.) at the

Leipzig Book Fair The Leipzig Book Fair () is the second largest book fair in Germany after the Frankfurt Book Fair. The fair takes place annually over four days at the Leipzig Trade Fairground in the northern part of Leipzig, Saxony. It is the first large trad ...

, 2011 Animabruderschaft.JPG , Wolf (2nd l.) at a meeting of the Anima Fraternity,
2014 Feedback Band 04.jpg , In concert with Feedback,
2007 Feedback Band 02.jpg , As guitarist in concert,
2007 Feedback Band 01.jpg , As flutist in concert with Feedback,
2011

References

External links

International Atlas of Benedictine Monasteries

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German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Abbots Primate Benedictine abbots Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany German abbots German Benedictines German male non-fiction writers German Roman Catholic theologians Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts People from Unterallgäu Performers of Christian rock music 20th-century Christian abbots