Nuremberg Charterhouse
Encyclopedia
Nuremberg Charterhouse was a Carthusian
monastery, or charterhouse, in Nuremberg
in Germany
. Its surviving premises are now incorporated into the Germanisches Nationalmuseum
.
, and the Papal Legate
Cardinal Pileus. The first monks there are documented from as early as 1382, and the church is believed to have been consecrated in 1383 (or possibly 1387). In 1385 the founder, Marquard Mendel, was buried in the quire of the new church.
After the laying of the foundation stone (16 February 1381) the church, a Gothic
structure with a single nave, was constructed in two portions: the eastern parts up to c. 1383/87 and the western extension until 1405 (according to dendrochronological investigation the roof timbers were felled in that year). At the same time as the church and the sacristy the chapter house
was built on the south side of the church, producing a cruciform ground-plan. Probably shortly after 1459 the chapter-house received its own integral choir and the whole building was covered with a fan-vaulted ceiling.
The small courtyard was finished by 1405.
many monks followed the teachings of Martin Luther
and left their monasteries. Nuremberg Charterhouse was the only Carthusian monastery in Germany where so many did so that the monastery was dissolved, which it was, in 1525. Its assets were transferred to the general alms fund of the city. On part of the former monastic premises houses were built, and in 1552 the church was pressed into service as a gunpowder magazine. It was restored to religious use in 1615 as a Protestant church. From 1784 it was again a Roman Catholic church. In 1810 it was taken over by the Bavarian
military authorities as a magazine, and also for stables.
In 1857 the remaining structures, severely damaged, were taken over by the
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
.
World War II
caused substantial damage, including the destruction of the chapter house, which was investigated archaeologically in 1998.
Some of the once-monastic buildings round the church still survive, although often greatly changed in the re-building: the large and small courtyards with parts of the vaulted cloister as well as the monks' houses along its north range.
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery, or charterhouse, in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Its surviving premises are now incorporated into the Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
The Germanisches Nationalmuseum is a museum in Nuremberg, Germany. Founded in 1852, houses a large collection of items relating to German culture and art extending from prehistoric times through to the present day...
.
History
The monastery was founded in 1380 for the Carthusian order by the merchant Marquard Mendel. The extensive building complex was erected outside the first city wall in the southern suburb of Nuremberg, between the convent of the Poor Clares and St. James's (Jakobskirche), the former church of the Deutscher Orden. The laying of the foundation stone of the monastery church took place on 16 February 1381, and was attended by Wenceslaus, King of the RomansWenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
, and the Papal Legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
Cardinal Pileus. The first monks there are documented from as early as 1382, and the church is believed to have been consecrated in 1383 (or possibly 1387). In 1385 the founder, Marquard Mendel, was buried in the quire of the new church.
After the laying of the foundation stone (16 February 1381) the church, a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
structure with a single nave, was constructed in two portions: the eastern parts up to c. 1383/87 and the western extension until 1405 (according to dendrochronological investigation the roof timbers were felled in that year). At the same time as the church and the sacristy the chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
was built on the south side of the church, producing a cruciform ground-plan. Probably shortly after 1459 the chapter-house received its own integral choir and the whole building was covered with a fan-vaulted ceiling.
The small courtyard was finished by 1405.
Dissolution
During the Protestant ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
many monks followed the teachings of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and left their monasteries. Nuremberg Charterhouse was the only Carthusian monastery in Germany where so many did so that the monastery was dissolved, which it was, in 1525. Its assets were transferred to the general alms fund of the city. On part of the former monastic premises houses were built, and in 1552 the church was pressed into service as a gunpowder magazine. It was restored to religious use in 1615 as a Protestant church. From 1784 it was again a Roman Catholic church. In 1810 it was taken over by the Bavarian
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
military authorities as a magazine, and also for stables.
In 1857 the remaining structures, severely damaged, were taken over by the
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
The Germanisches Nationalmuseum is a museum in Nuremberg, Germany. Founded in 1852, houses a large collection of items relating to German culture and art extending from prehistoric times through to the present day...
.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
caused substantial damage, including the destruction of the chapter house, which was investigated archaeologically in 1998.
Some of the once-monastic buildings round the church still survive, although often greatly changed in the re-building: the large and small courtyards with parts of the vaulted cloister as well as the monks' houses along its north range.
Sources
- Dehio: Bayern I: Franken, 2. edn., Munich, 1999, pp.766 ff.
- Günther P. Fehring und Anton Ress: Die Stadt Nürnberg. Kurzinventar, 2nd edn revised by Wilhelm Schwemmer, Munich: Dt. Kunstverl. 1977 [reprint 1982] (= Bayerische Kunstdenkmale; 10), pp.198 ff.
- Claudia Frieser, Die archäologische Untersuchung des ehemalige Kapitelsaals im Kartäuserkloster zu Nürnberg, in: Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums 2000, pp.67-75
- G. Ulrich Großmann: Architektur und Museum - Bauwerk und Sammlung, Ostfildern-Ruit 1997 (= Kulturgeschichtliche Spaziergänge im Germanischen Nationalmuseum, Bd.1), passim and esp. pp.12-26
- Sabina Fulloni, Untersuchungen am Dachstuhl der Marienkirche des Kartäuserklosters zu Nürnberg, in: Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums 2001, pp.177-183
- Hermann Maué: Die Bauten der Kartause von ihrer Gründung 1380 bis zur Übernahme durch das Museum im Jahre 1857, in: Bernward Deneke and Rainer Kahsnitz (eds): Das Germanische Nationalmuseum. Nuremberg, 1852-1977. Beiträge zu seiner Geschichte, München/Berlin 1978, pp.315-356