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Revision as of 17:02, 30 November 2024 by Srnec (talk | contribs) (expanding)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Not to be confused with Lorsch Abbey.
Lorch Abbey (German: Klosert Lorch) was a Benedictine monastery in Lorch from 1102 to 1556. It was the house monastery of the Staufer dynasty. Today, many of its buildings remain and are open to visitors.
History
Lorch was founded in 1102 by Duke Frederick I of Swabia and dedicated to Saint Peter. Its original buildings were completed by 1108 atop the Liebfrauenberg (Mountain of the Virgin). It served as a private church of the Staufer dynasty, where many members were buried after 1140. The exact number and identity of burials is unknown. Duke Frederick, Queen Irene Angelina and the Empress Beatrice of Swabia are among them.
After the death of Conradin in 1268, Lorch was acquired by the County of Württemberg. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was the burial place of the lords of Woellwarth [de]. The complex was damaged in 1525 during the German Peasants' War. The monastery was closed during the Reformation in 1556. Plans to demolish the remains of the monastery were halted in the late 19th century, when it came to be seen as a monument to the Staufer. Today, it is operated by Baden-Württemberg's State Palaces and Gardens [de] and is open to visitors.
Buildings
Lorch was a fortified monastery, surrounded by a rampart and stone wall with round towers. The wall as it still stands was built in the 13th century to expand the area of the monastery. It was renovated in the early 16th century. The eastern gate once had a tower, gatehouses and a moat with a drawbridge. The buildings were originally built in the Romanesque style.
The largest building was the cruciform church, which mostly still stands. Its altar was dedicated in 1139. It had two round towers on its west façade. Only the Marsilius tower remains. Originally Romanesque, the church received a Gothic renovation in 1469 under Abbot Nikolaus Schenk von Arberg. Around 1500, the church had twelve altars. Once richly decorated, its decor has now been totally removed. This includes once sizeable relic collection. The eight piers of the nave are decorated with paintings of the Staufer kings from around 1500. The last of the church's furnishings, such as choir stalls, were taken out in 1833–1838, leaving an empty interior.
The monks' residence, the cloister, was attached to the church. Only its north wing survives, the rest a victim of the Peasants' War. It is now known as the "prelature" and includes the former dormitory, chapter house and refectory. There are murals of the life of Christ from about 1530 in the refectory. A modern mural depicting the sweep of Staufer history was added by Hans Kloss to the chapter house. The half-timber abbot's house, a separate building which also served as a guesthouse, still stands. The bailiwick, the residence of the steward and later used by the dukes of Württemberg during hunting trips, has been torn down.
The monastery's outbuilding included a hospital, school, cavalier house and tithe barns. The latter still stand, but the hospital and school are known only through archaeological excavations.
References
- ^ Leslie Anne Hamel, "Lorch", in John Jeep (ed.), Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia (Garland, 2001), p. 466.
- ^ Burial Place of the House of Staufer with Many Events: Lorch Monastery, Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten, Baden-Württemberg. Retrieved 30 November 2024.