Reichenau Abbey was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

monastery on

Reichenau Island Reichenau Island () is an island in Lake Constance in Southern Germany. It lies almost due west of the city of Konstanz, between the Gnadensee and the Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance. With a total land surface of and a circumference o ...

(known in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

as Augia Dives). It was founded in 724 by the itinerant

Saint Pirmin Saint Pirmin (latinized ''Pirminius'', born before 700 ( according to many sources), died November 3, 753 in Hornbach), was a Merovingian-era monk and missionary. He founded or restored numerous monasteries in Alemannia (Swabia), especially in ...

, who is said to have fled Spain ahead of the Moorish invaders, with patronage that included

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish state ...

, and, more locally, Count Berthold of the

Ahalolfinger The Alaholfings (occasionally Ahalolfings) were a noble family of Alemannia in the Early Middle Ages. They were related to the previous rulers of Alemannia, to the Bavarian Agilolfings and to the Geroldings. Their original power base was around t ...

and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid I (Nebi). Pirmin's conflict with Santfrid resulted in his leaving Reichenau in 727. Under his later successor

Haito Haito (or Hatto or Heito) {c.762-March 17, 836) was the abbot of Reichenau Abbey and Bishop of Basel. Biography Haito was born in 763, of a noble family of Swabia. At the age of five, along with his brother Wadilcoz, he entered the Abbey of Re ...

the monastery began to flourish. It gained influence in the

Carolingian dynasty The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pi ...

, under Abbot

Waldo of Reichenau Waldo of Reichenau (sometimes Walto) (c. 740 - 814, Paris) was a Carolingian abbot and bishop. He belonged to a noble Frankish family from Wetterau. His father was Richbold Count of Breisgau and his older brother was Rupert Baron von Aargau. In 7 ...

(740–814), by educating the

clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and adminis ...

who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. Abbot Reginbert of Reichenau (died 846) built up the important book collection. Abbot

Walahfrid Strabo Walafrid, alternatively spelt Walahfrid, nicknamed Strabo (or Strabus, i.e. " squint-eyed") (c. 80818 August 849), was an Alemannic Benedictine monk and theological writer who lived on Reichenau Island in southern Germany. Life Walafrid Stra ...

(842–849), who was educated at Reichenau, was renowned as a poet and Latin scholar. The Abbey stood along a main north–south highway between Germany and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, where the lake passage eased the arduous route. The Abbey of Reichenau housed a school, and a

scriptorium Scriptorium (), literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the writing, copying and illuminating of manuscripts commonly handled by monastic scribes. However, lay scribes an ...

and artists' workshop, that has a claim to having been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing lavishly illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the

Reichenau School Ottonian art is a style in pre-romanesque German art, covering also some works from the Low Countries, northern Italy and eastern France. It was named by the art historian Hubert Janitschek after the Ottonian dynasty which ruled Germany and nort ...

. An example of the scriptorium's production is the

Pericopes of Henry II The Pericopes of Henry II (german: Perikopenbuch Heinrichs II.; Munich, Bavarian State Library, Clm 4452) is a luxurious medieval illuminated manuscript made for Henry II, the last Ottonian Holy Roman Emperor, made 1002–1012 AD. The manuscri ...

, made for the Emperor, now in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

. Reichenau has preserved its precious relics, which include the pitcher from the

wedding at Cana The transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana (also called the marriage at Cana, wedding feast at Cana or marriage feast at Cana) is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John. In the Gospel account, Jesus Chris ...

. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot

Berno of Reichenau __NOTOC__ Berno (c. 978 – 7 June 1048) was the Abbot of Reichenau from his appointment by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1008. He reformed the Gregorian chant. He compiled a ''tonarius'', dealing with the organisation of the church chants into ...

(1008–48). During his time, important scholars, such as

Hermannus Contractus Blessed Hermann of Reichenau (18 July 1013– 24 September 1054), also known by other names, was an 11th-century Benedictine monk and scholar. He composed works on history, music theory, mathematics, and astronomy, as well as many hymns ...

, lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the cultural importance of the Abbey started to wane owing to the restrictive reforms of Pope Gregory VII, and also to rivalry with the nearby

St. Gall Gall ( la, Gallus; 550 646) according to hagiographic tradition was a disciple and one of the traditional twelve companions of Columbanus on his mission from Ireland to the continent. Deicolus was the elder brother of Gall. Biography The ...

; in 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. When the abbey lands were secularized (initially in 1757 and permanently in 1803) and the monks disbanded under Napoleon, part of Reichenau's famed library was preserved in the state library (''Landesbibliothek'') at

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the German States of Germany, state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital o ...

. The '' Geographus Bavarus'' and several other important documents may be found in the

Bavarian State Library The Bavarian State Library (german: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, abbreviated BSB, called ''Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis'' before 1919) in Munich is the central " Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria, the bi ...

. Since 2001 a small community of Benedictines has been re-established at Niederzell ( Sts. Peter and Paul). Because of its historical importance and exceptional art and architecture, Reichenau Abbey (along with other monuments on the island) was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 2000.

Burials at the abbey

Gerold of Vinzgau Gerold of Vinzgau (also ''Vintzgouw'' or ''Anglachgau''; 725 - 799) was a count in Kraichgau and Anglachgau.{{sfn, Lapidge, 2017, p=5 His daughter married King Charlemagne in 771.{{sfn, Lapidge, 2017, p=5-6 In 784 generous donations to the monaste ...

Charles the Fat Charles III (839 – 13 January 888), also known as Charles the Fat, was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 881 to 888. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandso ...

Paul Edward Dutton, ''The Politics of Dreaming in the Carolingian Empire'', (University of Nebraska Press, 1994), 247. *

Burchard III, Duke of Swabia Burchard III (c. 91512 November 973), a member of the Hunfriding dynasty, was the count of Thurgau and Zürichgau, perhaps of Rhaetia, and then Duke of Swabia from 954 to his death. He was the son of Burchard II, Duke of Swabia and Regilind ...

Herman I, Duke of Swabia Herman I (died 10 December 949) was the first Conradine Duke of Swabia (from 926), the son of Gebhard, Duke of Lorraine, and a cousin of King Conrad I of Germany. When duke Burchard II died at Novara, while campaigning in Italy, King Henry the Fo ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control 724 establishments 1803 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire Christian monasteries established in the 8th century Christian monasteries disestablished in the 19th century Religious organizations disestablished in 1803 States and territories established in the 720s States and territories disestablished in the 1540s Imperial abbeys Monasteries in Baden-Württemberg Benedictine monasteries in Germany Merovingian architecture Landmarks in Germany

Burials at the abbey

See also

References

External links