St. Lambrecht's Abbey
Encyclopedia
St. Lambrecht's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the village of Sankt Lambrecht
in the Styrian Grebenzen nature reserve in Austria
. The monastery is located 1,072 meters above sea level.
. From 1942 to 1945, it was used as an external storage facility of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
. The monks returned in 1946.
Locally the two churches within the monastic grounds are called the Grosskirche ("big church", also known as the Stiftskirche or monastic church) and the Kleinkirche ("little church", also known from its dedication as the Peterskirche or St. Peter's church). During restoration work of the Grosskirche in the early 1970s extraordinary frescoes dating from the latter half of the 15th century were discovered on the north wall. These show the throne of Solomon
. On the lowest level is depicted the Old Testament
judgement of Solomon, above this the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, and above all else Jesus Christ: "the Flesh become the Word of God" (logos
). Other frescoes dating from the 14th century depict Saint Christopher
and Saint Agnes
. Formerly in the monastery there was also a votive altarpiece from which the Master of the Saint Lambrecht Votive Altarpiece
received his name; this is now in the Alte Galerie in Graz
.
The abbey is a member of the Austrian Congregation
within the Benedictine Confederation
.
Sankt Lambrecht
Sankt Lambrecht is a municipality in the District of Murau, Styria, Austria, and the highest market town in the state on the Thajagraben, the Styrian-Carinthian border mountain. Trades practiced in Sankt Lambrecht are woodworking , a dynamite factory , and tourism.St...
in the Styrian Grebenzen nature reserve in 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...
. The monastery is located 1,072 meters above sea level.
History
The monastery was founded in 1076 by Count Markward of Eppenstein; it was dissolved from 1786 to 1805. In 1938, the building was seized by the National SocialistsNational Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
. From 1942 to 1945, it was used as an external storage facility of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
. The monks returned in 1946.
Locally the two churches within the monastic grounds are called the Grosskirche ("big church", also known as the Stiftskirche or monastic church) and the Kleinkirche ("little church", also known from its dedication as the Peterskirche or St. Peter's church). During restoration work of the Grosskirche in the early 1970s extraordinary frescoes dating from the latter half of the 15th century were discovered on the north wall. These show the throne of Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
. On the lowest level is depicted the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
judgement of Solomon, above this the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, and above all else Jesus Christ: "the Flesh become the Word of God" (logos
Logos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
). Other frescoes dating from the 14th century depict Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher
.Saint Christopher is a saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, listed as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd century Roman Emperor Decius or alternatively under the Roman Emperor Maximinus II Dacian...
and Saint Agnes
Saint Agnes
Agnes of Rome is a virgin–martyr, venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheranism. She is one of seven women, excluding the Blessed Virgin, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass...
. Formerly in the monastery there was also a votive altarpiece from which the Master of the Saint Lambrecht Votive Altarpiece
Master of the Saint Lambrecht Votive Altarpiece
The Master of the Saint Lambrecht Votive Altarpiece was an Austrian painter active between about 1410 and 1440. His name is derived from a panel, formerly in St. Lambrecht's Abbey in the village of Sankt Lambrecht in Styria. This, now in the Alte Galerie in Graz, depicts a former abbot of the...
received his name; this is now in the Alte Galerie in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
.
The abbey is a member of the Austrian Congregation
Austrian Congregation
The Austrian Congregation is a congregation of Benedictine monasteries situated in Austria, within the Benedictine Confederation.-History:The Congregation was founded on 3 August 1625 by Pope Urban VIII, and consisted of eleven Benedictine monasteries in Austria:*Altenburg Abbey*Garsten...
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:...
.
Landmarks
- The early BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
monastic buildings - The monastery museum with its art collection
- The folklore museum of Father Romuald Pramberger and the bird museum of Father Blasius Hanf
- The GothicGothic architectureGothic 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....
abbey church - The Peterskirche (founded 1424)