Selz Abbey
Encyclopedia
Selz Abbey or Seltz Abbey is a former monastery and Imperial abbey in Seltz
, formerly Selz, in Alsace
, France
.
The Benedictine monastery, dedicated to Saints Peter
and Paul
, was founded in about 991 by Adelheid
, the second wife of Otto I
and dowager empress, who was buried there on 16 December 999.. In January 992 it was granted royal tuitio and immunity (the equivalent of the later Reichsunmittelbarkeit) by Otto III
.
The abbey suffered from severe floods in 1307. A new abbey was built between 1307 and 1315.
A daughter house of the abbey was founded at Mirmelberg. The relics of Saint Adelheid, which apparently survived the floods, were moved to the church of Saint Stephen in Seltz.
The abbey was eventually secularized in 1481 and the monks formed a college of canons operating as the chapter
of Saint Stephen's (a mile away the abbey), retaining some of the privileges of the former foundation, although not all the possessions.
The chapter became Protestant in 1575 and was mediatised by the Electoral Palatinate. Buildings of the abbey became a quarry at the beginning of the 17th century. The remaining building of the abbey became a reformed academy for young nobles in 1575. The academy was closed in 1577 because the new elector was Lutheran. The Protestant chapter reverted to a canonry in 1684 after Seltz was annexated by France (in 1680) and local population was converted to Roman Catholicism. It was dissolved by the bishop of Strasbourg (approved by the king of France) in 1692.
The Seltz parish was dissolved during the rule of the National Convention (1792–95) and the Saint Stephen church was burned by Austrians after the battle of Seltz, 23 October 1793. But the Saint Stephen church survived and the parish reborn during the French Consulate in 1801. The church was extensively rebuilt by the German Empire
(which had annexated Alsace in 1870) for the occasion of the anniversary of the death of the Empress Adelaide in 1899.
The church was almost destroyed during World War II
; restoration was completed in 1958.
Seltz
Seltz is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. It is located on the Sauer river near its confluence with the Rhine, opposite the German town of Rastatt.-History:...
, formerly Selz, in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The Benedictine monastery, dedicated to Saints Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, was founded in about 991 by Adelheid
Adelaide of Italy
Saint Adelaide of Italy , also called Adelaide of Burgundy, was the second wife of Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor...
, the second wife of Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
and dowager empress, who was buried there on 16 December 999.. In January 992 it was granted royal tuitio and immunity (the equivalent of the later Reichsunmittelbarkeit) by Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
.
The abbey suffered from severe floods in 1307. A new abbey was built between 1307 and 1315.
A daughter house of the abbey was founded at Mirmelberg. The relics of Saint Adelheid, which apparently survived the floods, were moved to the church of Saint Stephen in Seltz.
The abbey was eventually secularized in 1481 and the monks formed a college of canons operating as the chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Saint Stephen's (a mile away the abbey), retaining some of the privileges of the former foundation, although not all the possessions.
The chapter became Protestant in 1575 and was mediatised by the Electoral Palatinate. Buildings of the abbey became a quarry at the beginning of the 17th century. The remaining building of the abbey became a reformed academy for young nobles in 1575. The academy was closed in 1577 because the new elector was Lutheran. The Protestant chapter reverted to a canonry in 1684 after Seltz was annexated by France (in 1680) and local population was converted to Roman Catholicism. It was dissolved by the bishop of Strasbourg (approved by the king of France) in 1692.
The Seltz parish was dissolved during the rule of the National Convention (1792–95) and the Saint Stephen church was burned by Austrians after the battle of Seltz, 23 October 1793. But the Saint Stephen church survived and the parish reborn during the French Consulate in 1801. The church was extensively rebuilt by the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
(which had annexated Alsace in 1870) for the occasion of the anniversary of the death of the Empress Adelaide in 1899.
The church was almost destroyed during 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...
; restoration was completed in 1958.