Astheim Charterhouse
Encyclopedia
Astheim Charterhouse, also known as Marienbrück Charterhouse (Kloster or Kartause Astheim, also Kartause Marienbrück, in ) was a Carthusian
monastery, or charterhouse, in Astheim near Volkach
in Kitzingen
, Bavaria
, Germany
.
, as a place of burial for their family, a function which the monastery served for several centuries for Erkinger's descendants, the Barons and later Princes von Schwarzenberg. Erkinger, his second wife Barbara von Abensberg, Erkinger and Anna's sons Michael and Hermann renewed and confirmed the charterhouse in 1434.
It was settled by Carthusian monks from Cologne Charterhouse
. It was dissolved in 1803 in the secularisation of Bavaria
.
In 1804 the buildings passed into the ownership of the Princes of Schwarzenberg, descendants of the founder. Although most buildings were demolished, the church, built 1603-09, and the prior's lodging with a chapel of St. John (1583) remain extant. The church contains a Late Baroque
high altar of 1723-24 with an altarpiece depicting Saint Bruno of Cologne (founder of the Carthusian Order) and the Virgin Mary by Oswald Onghers, and choir stalls of 1606, with Baroque fittings added in 1724.
Today the surviving buildings on the site accommodate the archives of the town of Volkach
and from 1999 a museum, the Kartausenmuseum Astheim, run by the Diocese of Würzburg, specialising in Christian
graphic art, on which theme it has about 600 exhibits.
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery, or charterhouse, in Astheim near Volkach
Volkach
Volkach is a town in the district of Kitzingen in the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken in Bavaria. The town was founded in 906 AD.Volkach's main tourist attraction is its annual wine festival. Volkach's wine festival is the culminating festival for the entire Franken wine region.-External links:*...
in Kitzingen
Kitzingen
Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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...
.
History
The charterhouse was founded June 2, 1409 by Erkinger von Seinsheim and his first wife, Anna von BibraBibra family
For other Bibra and Bibran entries, go to Bibra disambiguation pageBibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia and Thuringia from the mid-15th century to about 1600. Later on the family rose from Reichsritter to Reichsfreiherr...
, as a place of burial for their family, a function which the monastery served for several centuries for Erkinger's descendants, the Barons and later Princes von Schwarzenberg. Erkinger, his second wife Barbara von Abensberg, Erkinger and Anna's sons Michael and Hermann renewed and confirmed the charterhouse in 1434.
It was settled by Carthusian monks from Cologne Charterhouse
Cologne Charterhouse
Cologne Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery or charterhouse established in the Severinsviertel district, in the present Altstadt-Süd, of Cologne, Germany. Founded in 1334, the monastery developed into the largest charterhouse in Germany until it was forcibly dissolved in 1794 by the invading...
. It was dissolved in 1803 in the secularisation of Bavaria
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
.
In 1804 the buildings passed into the ownership of the Princes of Schwarzenberg, descendants of the founder. Although most buildings were demolished, the church, built 1603-09, and the prior's lodging with a chapel of St. John (1583) remain extant. The church contains a Late Baroque
Baroque art
Baroque painting is the painting associated with the Baroque cultural movement. The movement is often identified with Absolutism, the Counter Reformation and Catholic Revival, but the existence of important Baroque art and architecture in non-absolutist and Protestant states throughout Western...
high altar of 1723-24 with an altarpiece depicting Saint Bruno of Cologne (founder of the Carthusian Order) and the Virgin Mary by Oswald Onghers, and choir stalls of 1606, with Baroque fittings added in 1724.
Today the surviving buildings on the site accommodate the archives of the town of Volkach
Volkach
Volkach is a town in the district of Kitzingen in the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken in Bavaria. The town was founded in 906 AD.Volkach's main tourist attraction is its annual wine festival. Volkach's wine festival is the culminating festival for the entire Franken wine region.-External links:*...
and from 1999 a museum, the Kartausenmuseum Astheim, run by the Diocese of Würzburg, specialising in Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
graphic art, on which theme it has about 600 exhibits.