Garsten Abbey
Encyclopedia
Garsten Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Garsten
near Steyr
in Upper Austria
. It is now a prison.
as a community of secular canons and as a dynastic burial place for his family. Together with his fortress, the Styraburg (Schloss Lemberg), it served as a focal point of Ottokar as ruler of the Traungau, and was endowed with significant possessions in the Traisen
and Gölsen
valleys, in Lower Austria
, probably from the dowry of Ottokar's wife Elisabeth, daughter of the Babenberger Leopold II of Austria.
In 1107-08 the monastery was given as a priory to the Benedictine Göttweig Abbey
, and became an independent abbey in 1110-11. Its first and greatest abbot was Blessed Berthold of Garsten
(d. 1142), a champion of the Hirsau Reforms, who is buried in the abbey church, and who built the abbey up to such a level that for centuries it was the religious, spiritual and cultural centre of the Eisenwurzen region.
From 1625 Garsten Abbey was a member of the Benedictine Austrian Congregation
.
In 1787 it was dissolved by Emperor Joseph II
.
is serving his sentence there.
architecture in Austria. Particularly notable are the stucco
work and the Dutch
tapestries. The Losenstein chapel, the sacristy and the summer choir
are also of special interest.
Garsten
Garsten is a municipality in the district of Steyr-Land in Upper Austria, Austria....
near Steyr
Steyr
Steyr is a town, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria....
in Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
. It is now a prison.
History
The abbey was founded in 1080-82 by Ottokar II of StyriaOttokar II of Styria
Ottokar II was Margrave of Styria. He was the son of Ottokar I and grandfather of Ottokar III, from the dynasty of the Otakars...
as a community of secular canons and as a dynastic burial place for his family. Together with his fortress, the Styraburg (Schloss Lemberg), it served as a focal point of Ottokar as ruler of the Traungau, and was endowed with significant possessions in the Traisen
Traisen
Traisen can refer to:Germany:* Traisen, Germany , in Rhineland-Palatinate, GermanyAustria:* Traisen , a river in Lower Austria, Austria** Inzersdorf ob der Traisen, Inzersdorf...
and Gölsen
Gölsen
The Gölsen is a tributary of the Traisen that is located in the Lower Austrian region of Mostviertel.The river begins in Hainfeld with the merging of the Fliedersbach and the Ramsaubach . It then flows through the communities of Hainfeld, Rohrbach an der Gölsen, and Sankt Veit an der Gölsen, before...
valleys, in Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, probably from the dowry of Ottokar's wife Elisabeth, daughter of the Babenberger Leopold II of Austria.
In 1107-08 the monastery was given as a priory to the Benedictine Göttweig Abbey
Göttweig Abbey
Göttweig Abbey is a Benedictine monastery near Krems in Lower Austria.-History:Göttweig Abbey was founded as a monastery of canons regular by Blessed Altmann, Bishop of Passau...
, and became an independent abbey in 1110-11. Its first and greatest abbot was Blessed Berthold of Garsten
Berthold of Garsten
Berthold of Garsten , also known as Blessed Berthold, is believed to be of the family of the Counts of Bogen and Vögte of Regensburg Cathedral. He was to begin with a Benedictine monk at St. Blaise's Abbey in the Black Forest and was then, in 1107, appointed prior at Göttweig Abbey...
(d. 1142), a champion of the Hirsau Reforms, who is buried in the abbey church, and who built the abbey up to such a level that for centuries it was the religious, spiritual and cultural centre of the Eisenwurzen region.
From 1625 Garsten Abbey was a member of the Benedictine 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...
.
In 1787 it was dissolved by Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
.
Prison
Since 1851 the former monastery buildings have accommodated a prison, Justizanstalt Garsten. This is one of the few prisons in Austria where life sentences are carried out. Austrian incest-rapist Josef FritzlFritzl case
The Fritzl case emerged in April 2008 when a 42-year-old woman, Elisabeth Fritzl , stated to police in the town of Amstetten, Austria, that she had been held captive for 24 years in a concealed corridor part of the basement area of the family home, a condominium-style apartment complex built by her...
is serving his sentence there.
Abbey church
The abbey church still survives as a parish church. It was built by the Carlone family of master builders and is considered one of the most beautiful examples of High BaroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
architecture in Austria. Particularly notable are the stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
work and the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
tapestries. The Losenstein chapel, the sacristy and the summer choir
Quire (architecture)
Architecturally, the choir is the area of a church or cathedral, usually in the western part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary . The choir is occasionally located in the eastern part of the nave...
are also of special interest.