The Abbey’s history:
) Münzenberg Castle |
rnsburg had been a Cistercian abbey and a medieval foundation, it existed for more
than 600 years until its dissolution in the year 1803. The abbey was founded in the
year 1174, as a donation by the Lords of Arnsburg, who had lived in the Arnsburg castle
until then and had moved to the Münzenburg – a castle which you can still see today
from the main road leading to Arnsburg. The premises were given to the Cistercians
monks from the Eberbach abbey. Thus, Arnsburg is a “daughter foundation” of Eberbach
abbey and a “granddaughter foundation” of Clairvaux abbey in Burgundy, France, where
the Cistercian order was founded (Cîteaux, 1098 AD). Although the Cistercian order
was based on the rules of the Holy Benedict, it rejected the worldly development of
the Benedictine order and wanted to return to the pure rules of the Holy Benedict
(poverty, labour, asceticism). The Cistercians were experienced agriculturalists.
At Arnsburg, the monks introduced high-quality fruits and grains and kept bees.
Their infirmary served as a hospital for the sick and the elderly. The rejection
of Benedictine habits can be seen in the building site itself: whereas Benedictine
abbeys used to be built on hills, Cistercian abbeys were built usually in a valley,
if possible close to a river. Here in Arnsburg the abbey is close to the little
river Wetter.
Arnsburg reached its full flowering especially in the 13th and 14th centuries. Beginning in 1209, and during the entire 13th century, Arnsburg had not only gained significant privileges, e.g. dispensation from the tithe by papal order; placement under both the protection of the Emperor (by means of the fortified castle of Friedberg) and of the Pope (by means of the Abbey of Hersfeld), but also expanded its land holdings to the north and the south, with permanent houses in a great number of towns in the vicinity but also further away (Marburg, Grünberg, Gießen, Lich, Wetzlar, Butzbach, Friedberg, Gelnhausen, Frankfurt and Mainz).
) Arnsburg Abbey, AD 1500 (Copyright: Dieter Wolf, Butzbach) |
The Abbey of Arnsburg suffered great economic hardships in the course of the next three centuries as a direct result of various battles which took place in this area. The abbey was occupied several times. In 1574, the counts of Solms attempted to force the monks to convert to Protestantism. Calling upon the Emperor for help and intervention, the abbey was placed under special protection of the Archbishop of Mainz. For the next two centuries, until its dissolution in 1803, the abbey remained a Catholic stronghold, surrounded by a Protestant environment. During the Thirty Years’ War, the abbey was pillaged by Swedish troops and many of the monks fled. Returning to the abbey, they started to rebuild the cloister and the abbey church during the second half of the 17th century.
The 18th century was marked by a time of bustling building activity, during which various buildings in the Baroque style, using red sandstone, were erected. At the end of the 18th century, during the War of Revolution, the abbey was used as a military hospital. With the end of the Holy Roman German Empire the independent existence of the abbey ended as well. The premises were given to the House of Solms as a compensation for territories the family had lost to France. The abbey’s library was given to the family of Solms-Laubach, the archives to the family of Solms-Lich. The altar was moved to the Protestant Marienstiftskirche in Lich. From 1812 on, the church was left unattended, open for pillage, until it was declared a building of historical heritage.
In the 19th century, the abbey’s buildings were put to various uses. Until 1811 they served as a penitentiary and a mental hospital; from 1847 they housed an orphanage. In the 1950s, the former cloisters were restored and became the last resting place for both soldiers who died in the Second World War and victims of a labour camp.
Only from the 1960s on there were initiatives to preserve the inner parts of the abbey, and a society for the preservation of these premises was founded: The Friends of Kloster Arnsburg society (“Freundeskreis Kloster Arnsburg”).
A brief guide to the Abbey’s buildings:
) Pfortenbau |
oday, Arnsburg is one of the most beautiful monastic ruins in Europe. The
ruins with their combination of architectural history and nature were put under
a preservation order – a rebuilding of the church is therefore not possible – and
thus, the very special atmosphere evoked by the ancient buildings will be preserved.
The contrast between the medieval ruins and the baroque buildings contributes its
share to Arnsburg’s special charm.
Arriving in Arnsburg, the visitor first sees a fine stone portal (“Pfortenbau”), designed by Coelestin Wagner in 1774-77. In it, one can see two prominent life-size figures, designed by the court sculptor Nikolaus Binterim from Mainz: St Bernard of Clairvaux (the most prominent Cistercian abbot) and the Holy Mother Mary.
) Bursenbau |
The next building which then comes into view, is the “Bursenbau”, the lay brothers’ dormitory and refectory. Its groundfloor dates back to the mid 13th century, as can be seen by the round arched windows. The first floor, which was destroyed in the Thirty Years’ War, was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th century.
The lay brothers’ high gothic portal is the entrance to the western part of the church. The church ruin’s atmosphere is surely unique in its unusual harmony between art and nature and nature’s slow recapturing of its original ground is very impressive.
) Ruins of the church |
The church was the first part of the abbey that was built, around 1197, and the building time was approximately sixty years. The church was consecrated in 1246. It is a basilica with three naves: the higher middle nave and the slightly lower aisles. At least in the beginning, the interior of the church was very pure and simple which again followed the Cistercian rules of simplicity. One can follow the changes within architecture in the church: from the Romanesque period in the eastern part to forms of the early Gothic in the western part.
To the north of the church one finds the original graveyard. In the days of the abbey the monks were buried here. The graves you see here are new ones. Inhabitants of Arnsburg are buried here. The original entrance to the graveyard was the portal in the northern part of the church.
) Monk’s dormitory |
The staircase at the opposite side of the church leads to the monk’s dormitory. The direct connection from the sacred part of the church to the profane part of the sleeping room was typical for the Cistercians. The roof is a vault with three bays, with a transition to two bays where it is narrower. The wooden ceiling in the back part of the dormitory is new – it had to be constructed, due to the collapsing of the old roof. Again, changes in architecture can be traced: There are the baroque window-sills and the small medieval windows, which have been renovated. Today, the dormitory is mainly used for concerts and exhibitions.
The “Mönchssaal” (monk’s room) was renovated only a couple of years ago. It used to be called the “auditorium” or “parlatorium”. These names refer to the fact that the monks – whose vows included the one of silence- were allowed to speak with their fellow monks in this room. Originally this room had two naves with seven bays and a cross vault, but the vault does not exist today.
) Cloisters and cemetery |
From the church the way leads to the cloisters (“Kreuzgang”), which, of course, used to be a closed space. There are the modern cemetery, the original drinking well (rebuild) and the beautifully restored chapter hall (“Kapitelsaal”), an early gothic room. It served as a meeting place for the monks and as a burial ground for the abbots. At the northern end of the cloister one finds the monk’s gate that led into the church. And of course, it was much more elaborate than the lay brothers’ church gate. The garden in the middle was the heart of the seclusive space. Here, the monk’s life found its centre, since it connected those buildings which where most important for the monks’ daily spiritual life.
The surrounding sites and attached buildings are equally noteworthy. They include the abbey’s office (“Abteigebäude”), the abbot’s home (“Prälatenbau”), the kitchen building (“Küchenbau”), the watermill (“Klostermühle” – today a restaurant), the old brewery (“Altes Brauhaus”), the stables and the abbot’s baroque garden house (“Gartenhaus”), erected in 1751.
) Prälatenbau |
) Klostermühle |
) Gartenhaus |
Übersetzung/Translation: Julijana Nadj
