Seckau Abbey
Encyclopedia
Seckau Abbey or Abbey of Our Dear Lady, Seckau ( or Abtei Unserer Lieben Frau) is a Benedictine monastery in Seckau
in Styria, Austria
.
was moved to Seckau in 1142. This establishment was dissolved in 1782.
, who had had to leave Germany
because of the Kulturkampf
. In 1940 the monks were evicted by the Gestapo
and the buildings were confiscated. In 1945 the monks were able to return.
The abbey maintains a secondary school ("Gymnasium") and carries out the duties of the pastoral care belonging to a parish.
It is part of the Beuronese Congregation
within the Benedictine Confederation
.
basilica
, was built between 1143 and 1164. For centuries it was the place of burial of the Inner Austria
n line of the Habsburgs. In 1930 it was declared a minor basilica
.
collectors' coin: the Seckau Abbey commemorative coin. The obverse shows a wide view of Seckau Abbey looking west. Located in the center is the Romanesque basilica with its two towers surrounded by the Baroque monastic buildings. The reverse shows a view from the main entrance of the church to the high altar, depicting the mediaeval crucifixion
group hanging on four massive chains.
Seckau
Seckau is a Marktgemeinde in the state of Styria, Austria. It is situated near Knittelfeld. It is known for the Benedictine Seckau Abbey, once the seat of the bishopric Graz-Seckau.-Sources and references:*, on the Catholic Encyclopædia...
in Styria, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Seckau Priory
The monastery was founded by the Augustinian Canons, when an already existing community in Sankt Marein bei KnittelfeldSankt Marein bei Knittelfeld
Sankt Marein bei Knittelfeld is a municipality in the district of Knittelfeld in Styria, Austria....
was moved to Seckau in 1142. This establishment was dissolved in 1782.
Seckau Abbey
In 1883 the monastery was resettled by Benedictines from Beuron ArchabbeyBeuron Archabbey
Beuron Archabbey is a major house of the Benedictine Order located at Beuron in the upper Danube valley in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, who had had to leave 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...
because of the Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
. In 1940 the monks were evicted by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and the buildings were confiscated. In 1945 the monks were able to return.
The abbey maintains a secondary school ("Gymnasium") and carries out the duties of the pastoral care belonging to a parish.
It is part of the Beuronese Congregation
Beuronese Congregation
The Beuronese Congregation, or Beuron Congregation, is a union of mostly German or German-speaking religious houses of both monks and nuns within the Benedictine Confederation...
within the Benedictine Confederation
Benedictine Confederation
The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict.-Origin:...
.
Abbey church
The abbey church, a RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
, was built between 1143 and 1164. For centuries it was the place of burial of the Inner Austria
Inner Austria
Inner Austria was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the Windic March, the County of Gorizia , the city of Trieste and assorted smaller possessions...
n line of the Habsburgs. In 1930 it was declared a minor basilica
Minor basilica
Minor basilica is a title given to some Roman Catholic churches. By canon law no Catholic church can be honoured with the title of basilica unless by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom....
.
Gallery
In numismatics
Seckau Abbey was selected in 2008 as a main motif for a high value Austrian euroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
collectors' coin: the Seckau Abbey commemorative coin. The obverse shows a wide view of Seckau Abbey looking west. Located in the center is the Romanesque basilica with its two towers surrounded by the Baroque monastic buildings. The reverse shows a view from the main entrance of the church to the high altar, depicting the mediaeval crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
group hanging on four massive chains.
External links
- Abtei Seckau official website
- Seckau Abbey (JPEGJPEGIn computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
) - Stift Seckau on TouristicViews.com
