The name Grüssau Abbey refers to a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 1947 in the town of Bad Wimpfen in Baden-Württemberg, where the German Grüssau (Krzeszów) community moved, after Krzeszów became again part of Poland following World War II.
The Abbey, a 1242 Benedictine foundation, from 1289 to 1810 was run by Cistercians, until it was secularized by the Prussian state. Since 1919, it was again run by Benedictines, exiles from Prague. The new location in post-war West Germany was referred to as Grüssau Abbey or Grüssau-Wimpfen. The site of the abbey in Krzeszów, Poland, is known as Krzeszów Abbey. The abbey's Basilica of the Assumption contains a mausoleum of dukes of the Świdnica line of the Polish Piast dynasty.
The Abbey was destroyed during the Hussite Wars and again during the Thirty Years' War, and rebuilt on both occasions. It was particularly connected with the Silesian mystic Angelus Silesius. From 1728 on the abbey church was rebuilt in a Baroque style, including several sculptures by Ferdinand Brokoff as well as paintings by Petr Brandl and Michael Willmann. With most of Silesia, Krzeszów, as Grüssau, was conquered by King Frederick II of Prussia in 1742 and finally secularised in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. The church became a parish church and the remaining premises were used for various governmental purposes within the Prussian Province of Silesia.
After World War I, when the German monks of the Emmaus Abbey in Prague, Czechoslovakia were obliged to leave the city, they resettled in 1919 in the empty monastery buildings at Grüssau, then part of Weimar Germany. It was again raised to an abbey by Pope Pius XI in 1924, the monastery was however suspended by the Nazi government in 1940 and the buildings seized as a detention camp.[citation needed] During the bombing of Berlin from 1942 on, large parts of the Berlin State Library collection were outhoused at the abbey. Those documents include some of the earliest known species illustrations by European naturalists including, among others, Georg Marcgrave (Marcgraf) and botanist Ferdinand Bauer. This collection was stored at the abbey during World War II, and remained missing for over 30 years.[2]
The territory became again part of Poland according to the 1945 Potsdam Agreement. Although the monastery was returned to the monks after the end of World War II, as ethnic Germans they were expelled in accordance to the Potsdam Agreement by the Soviet-installed Polish communist government shortly afterwards on 12 May 1946. In 1946 a mysterious convoy called at the monastery and loaded thousands of manuscripts — autographed scores of Mozart (¼ of his known music), Beethoven, Bach and other composers — and disappeared.[citation needed] Several volumes were restored to East Germany in 1965, the remaining Berlinka collection at the Cracow Jagiellonian University and its status as "looted art" is still a matter of dispute.
In 1947 the expelled community under Abbot Albert Schmitt purchased the former Ritterstift (collegiate foundation or canonry) around the Gothic monastery church of Saint Peter in Bad Wimpfen, that had been abandoned since its secularisation in 1803, and became known as Kloster Bad Wimpfen. The last abbot, Laurentius Hoheisel, resigned in 1997. As the membership of the community had declined too far for it to be legally independent, it has been directed since 2001 by the abbot of Neuburg Abbey near Heidelberg.
By the autumn of 2006 no monks remained, the last having moved to Neuburg, although Kloster Bad Wimpfen still remains nominally a Benedictine monastery and is still a member of the Beuron Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. A small community (consisting at the end of 2006 of a priest and a layman) maintain the facilities as a Benedictine guest house and venue for retreats, under the management of Neuburg Abbey.
Gallery
Basilica of the Assumption
Basilica interior
Saint Joseph church
Saint Joseph church interior
Monastery building
Abbot House
References
^"Krezeszów Cistercian Abbey". National Heritage Board of Poland. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
^Peter Whitehead (1982). "The treasures at Grüssau"". New Scientist. 94: 226–231.
External links
(in German)
(in Polish)
View of the abbey from the drone
Virtual Tour
January 14, 2023
krzeszów, abbey, polish, klasztor, krzeszowie, german, kloster, grüssau, historical, baroque, cistercian, monastery, krzeszów, lower, silesia, poland, national, heritage, polandnative, name, polish, opactwo, cysterskie, krzeszowiechurches, locationkrzeszów, po. Krzeszow Abbey Polish Klasztor w Krzeszowie German Kloster Grussau is a historical Baroque Cistercian monastery in Krzeszow Lower Silesia Poland Krzeszow AbbeyNational Heritage of PolandNative name Polish Opactwo Cysterskie w KrzeszowieChurches of the Krzeszow AbbeyLocationKrzeszow PolandCoordinates50 44 04 N 16 04 20 E 50 73444 N 16 07222 E 50 73444 16 07222 Coordinates 50 44 04 N 16 04 20 E 50 73444 N 16 07222 E 50 73444 16 07222AreaEuropeArchitectural style s BaroqueLocation of Krzeszow Abbey in PolandThe name Grussau Abbey refers to a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 1947 in the town of Bad Wimpfen in Baden Wurttemberg where the German Grussau Krzeszow community moved after Krzeszow became again part of Poland following World War II The Abbey a 1242 Benedictine foundation from 1289 to 1810 was run by Cistercians until it was secularized by the Prussian state Since 1919 it was again run by Benedictines exiles from Prague The new location in post war West Germany was referred to as Grussau Abbey or Grussau Wimpfen The site of the abbey in Krzeszow Poland is known as Krzeszow Abbey The abbey s Basilica of the Assumption contains a mausoleum of dukes of the Swidnica line of the Polish Piast dynasty The original abbey is now one of Poland s official national Historic Monuments Pomnik historii as designated May 1 2004 and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 Silesia 1 2 Baden Wurttemberg 2 Gallery 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditSilesia Edit On 8 May 1242 the monastery at Krzeszow in Lower Silesia in fragmented Poland was founded by Duchess Anna of Bohemia widow of the High Duke of Poland Henry II the Pious who had been killed at the Battle of Legnica during the first Mongol invasion of Poland It was settled with Benedictine monks descending from the abbey of Opatovice in Bohemia In 1289 Anna s grandson Duke Bolko I of Swidnica again acquired the abbey s lands and gave them to the Cistercians at Henrykow who consecrated the new Assumption of Mary Monastery Church in 1292 In 1392 the Silesian Duchy of Swidnica was incorporated into the Kingdom of Bohemia an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire Krzeszow Abbey The Abbey was destroyed during the Hussite Wars and again during the Thirty Years War and rebuilt on both occasions It was particularly connected with the Silesian mystic Angelus Silesius From 1728 on the abbey church was rebuilt in a Baroque style including several sculptures by Ferdinand Brokoff as well as paintings by Petr Brandl and Michael Willmann With most of Silesia Krzeszow as Grussau was conquered by King Frederick II of Prussia in 1742 and finally secularised in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars The church became a parish church and the remaining premises were used for various governmental purposes within the Prussian Province of Silesia After World War I when the German monks of the Emmaus Abbey in Prague Czechoslovakia were obliged to leave the city they resettled in 1919 in the empty monastery buildings at Grussau then part of Weimar Germany It was again raised to an abbey by Pope Pius XI in 1924 the monastery was however suspended by the Nazi government in 1940 and the buildings seized as a detention camp citation needed During the bombing of Berlin from 1942 on large parts of the Berlin State Library collection were outhoused at the abbey Those documents include some of the earliest known species illustrations by European naturalists including among others Georg Marcgrave Marcgraf and botanist Ferdinand Bauer This collection was stored at the abbey during World War II and remained missing for over 30 years 2 The territory became again part of Poland according to the 1945 Potsdam Agreement Although the monastery was returned to the monks after the end of World War II as ethnic Germans they were expelled in accordance to the Potsdam Agreement by the Soviet installed Polish communist government shortly afterwards on 12 May 1946 In 1946 a mysterious convoy called at the monastery and loaded thousands of manuscripts autographed scores of Mozart of his known music Beethoven Bach and other composers and disappeared citation needed Several volumes were restored to East Germany in 1965 the remaining Berlinka collection at the Cracow Jagiellonian University and its status as looted art is still a matter of dispute In 1947 Krzeszow Abbey was resettled by Polish Benedictine nuns expelled from Lviv Lwow in pre war eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union Baden Wurttemberg Edit St Peter s Abbey Church in Bad Wimpfen In 1947 the expelled community under Abbot Albert Schmitt purchased the former Ritterstift collegiate foundation or canonry around the Gothic monastery church of Saint Peter in Bad Wimpfen that had been abandoned since its secularisation in 1803 and became known as Kloster Bad Wimpfen The last abbot Laurentius Hoheisel resigned in 1997 As the membership of the community had declined too far for it to be legally independent it has been directed since 2001 by the abbot of Neuburg Abbey near Heidelberg By the autumn of 2006 no monks remained the last having moved to Neuburg although Kloster Bad Wimpfen still remains nominally a Benedictine monastery and is still a member of the Beuron Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation A small community consisting at the end of 2006 of a priest and a layman maintain the facilities as a Benedictine guest house and venue for retreats under the management of Neuburg Abbey Gallery Edit Basilica of the Assumption Basilica interior Saint Joseph church Saint Joseph church interior Monastery building Abbot HouseReferences Edit Krezeszow Cistercian Abbey National Heritage Board of Poland Retrieved 7 May 2018 Peter Whitehead 1982 The treasures at Grussau New Scientist 94 226 231 External links EditFriends of Grussau Abbey in German FotoKrzeszow in Polish View of the abbey from the drone Virtual Tour Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Krzeszow Abbey amp oldid 1130231111, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
