Klarenthal Abbey
Encyclopedia
Klarenthal Abbey is a former convent
of the Order of Poor Ladies
in the borough of Klarenthal in Wiesbaden
, Germany
. Klarenthal was the only abbey
in present-day Wiesbaden.
Klarenthal Abbey was established in 1298 by Count Adolf of Nassau
(born before 1250; died July 2, 1298), who was elected King of Germany on May 5, 1292. The monastery was to serve as a tomb for the House of Nassau
, and Adolf’s wife Queen Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg
and many of his descendants were buried here. This continued until 1370, when, after the division of the Countship of Nassau, the preferred burial places became the central churches of the cities of residence of that particular branch of the House of Nassau. In 1429, Count Philipp I of Nassau-Weilburg-Saarbrücken was buried at Klarenthal, the last reigning member of the House of Nassau to be buried there.
The monastery belonged to the woman's Order of Poor Ladies, also known as the Poor Clares, which was founded on St. Clare of Assisi
, from which is derived the name Klarenthal. Many noble women of the surrounding area joined the monastery, in particular from the Rheingau
and Rheinhessen
.
During the siege of Wiesbaden by Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
in 1318, Klarenthal Abbey was looted and destroyed. It was rebuilt, however, in the following years. One hundred years later, under the abbesses Paze of Lindau
(1412? - 1422) and Countess Agnes of Hanau
(1446? - 1450), the monastery reached its heyday. Economically consolidated, it could also expand and decorate the ensemble of its monastic buildings. The cloister
was redesigned and the church partly painted.
The Mainz Diocese Feud (1461–1462) then presented a serious setback. Although the monastery itself was not affected in the conflict, many of the properties from which the monastery's income was generated were destroyed. The monastery eventually recovered economically.
In the late 15th century and early 16th century, however, Klarenthal Abbey found it increasingly difficult to attract young women. The local gentry, from which most of the nuns once came, found itself falling behind the middle class economically more and more and no longer wanted to pay the high entrance fees for admission to the monastery. Also the reputation of monasteries suffered during the late Middle Ages, so that entry into a monastery has lower social prestige. Even the medieval idea faded that a member of a family in a monastery performed a valuable service by praying for the deceased of her family. Finally, the Protestant Reformation, which turned its back on the monastic life, sounded its death knell in the areas where it prevailed, legitimizing the seizure of the monasteries by the local lord.
From 1553, Count Philip III of Nassau-Weilburg began to take steps to dissolve the monastery. Initially, he transferred the documents and records stored there into his own possession. In addition, he prevented, by no longer issuing the necessary permits, the monastery from receiving novices or choosing a new abbess. He adopted a policy of allowing its membership to decline through attrition. Eventually, in 1559, the remaining five nuns accepted the Count’s proposal to leave the monastery in exchange for appropriate compensation. This, however, did not legally abolish the monastery since, according to the Augsburg Interim
, the Count needed the Pope's consent. Nevertheless, the monastery was secularized in 1559.
In the Thirty Years War, the buildings of Klarenthal Abbey were heavily damaged. The church was without a roof, declined to ruin, and was eventually demolished in 1756. During a time of Catholic rule during the war, the Kloster was once again used as monastery, this time of the Jesuit order. But in 1650, it was again yielded.
In 1706 it became a factory for glass. This operation existed until 1723, when a fire severely damaged the facility. From 1724, it then became a paper mill. This lasted until 1840 when another fire damaged the building and this use ended. In 1730, the small settlement, which had formed around the factory, erected a chapel, which was overseen by a pastor from Wiesbaden.
of the cloister. Also, spolia
can be seen in various places. Anything else remaining of the original monastery is invisible to all but archaeologists. On the fields formerly belonging to Klarenthal Abbey, the housing development of Klarenthal was built in 1966, taking its name from the former monastery.
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Order of Poor Ladies
Order of Poor Ladies
The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare, the Order of Poor Ladies, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and the Second Order of St. Francis, , comprise several orders of nuns in the Catholic Church...
in the borough of Klarenthal in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, 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...
. Klarenthal was the only abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
in present-day Wiesbaden.
History as an active monastery
Nassau (state)
Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:...
(born before 1250; died July 2, 1298), who was elected King of Germany on May 5, 1292. The monastery was to serve as a tomb for the House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
, and Adolf’s wife Queen Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg
Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg
Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg was the Queen consort of Adolf of Nassau, King of Germany.-Life:Imagina was born in about 1255 to Gerlach I of Limburg and Imagina of Blieskastel. Her father, from the House of Limburg held power over Limburg an der Lahn...
and many of his descendants were buried here. This continued until 1370, when, after the division of the Countship of Nassau, the preferred burial places became the central churches of the cities of residence of that particular branch of the House of Nassau. In 1429, Count Philipp I of Nassau-Weilburg-Saarbrücken was buried at Klarenthal, the last reigning member of the House of Nassau to be buried there.
The monastery belonged to the woman's Order of Poor Ladies, also known as the Poor Clares, which was founded on St. Clare of Assisi
Clare of Assisi
Clare of Assisi , born Chiara Offreduccio, is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi...
, from which is derived the name Klarenthal. Many noble women of the surrounding area joined the monastery, in particular from the Rheingau
Rheingau
The Rheingau is the hill country on the north side of the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the western Taunus to the Rhine. It lies in the state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district...
and Rheinhessen
Rheinhessen
Rhenish Hesse refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards, therefore it is also called the "land of the thousand hills." Its larger towns include:...
.
During the siege of Wiesbaden by Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
in 1318, Klarenthal Abbey was looted and destroyed. It was rebuilt, however, in the following years. One hundred years later, under the abbesses Paze of Lindau
Lindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
(1412? - 1422) and Countess Agnes of Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
(1446? - 1450), the monastery reached its heyday. Economically consolidated, it could also expand and decorate the ensemble of its monastic buildings. The cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
was redesigned and the church partly painted.
The Mainz Diocese Feud (1461–1462) then presented a serious setback. Although the monastery itself was not affected in the conflict, many of the properties from which the monastery's income was generated were destroyed. The monastery eventually recovered economically.
In the late 15th century and early 16th century, however, Klarenthal Abbey found it increasingly difficult to attract young women. The local gentry, from which most of the nuns once came, found itself falling behind the middle class economically more and more and no longer wanted to pay the high entrance fees for admission to the monastery. Also the reputation of monasteries suffered during the late Middle Ages, so that entry into a monastery has lower social prestige. Even the medieval idea faded that a member of a family in a monastery performed a valuable service by praying for the deceased of her family. Finally, the Protestant Reformation, which turned its back on the monastic life, sounded its death knell in the areas where it prevailed, legitimizing the seizure of the monasteries by the local lord.
From 1553, Count Philip III of Nassau-Weilburg began to take steps to dissolve the monastery. Initially, he transferred the documents and records stored there into his own possession. In addition, he prevented, by no longer issuing the necessary permits, the monastery from receiving novices or choosing a new abbess. He adopted a policy of allowing its membership to decline through attrition. Eventually, in 1559, the remaining five nuns accepted the Count’s proposal to leave the monastery in exchange for appropriate compensation. This, however, did not legally abolish the monastery since, according to the Augsburg Interim
Augsburg Interim
The Augsburg Interim is the general term given to an imperial decree ordered on May 15, 1548, at the 1548 Diet of Augsburg, after Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, had defeated the forces of the Schmalkaldic League in the Schmalkaldic War of 1546/47...
, the Count needed the Pope's consent. Nevertheless, the monastery was secularized in 1559.
Later use
Initially, the assets of Klarenthal Abbey were used to assist the poor, run by priests and teachers paid by the Countship. In 1607 the buildings were transformed into a state hospital by Count Louis II of Nassau-Weilburg. In 1632 or 1650, the epitaphs of the Counts of Nassau and their relatives interred at Klarenthal were dismantled and set up in the Mauritius Church in Wiesbaden, where they would later be destroyed in the Great Fire of 1850.In the Thirty Years War, the buildings of Klarenthal Abbey were heavily damaged. The church was without a roof, declined to ruin, and was eventually demolished in 1756. During a time of Catholic rule during the war, the Kloster was once again used as monastery, this time of the Jesuit order. But in 1650, it was again yielded.
In 1706 it became a factory for glass. This operation existed until 1723, when a fire severely damaged the facility. From 1724, it then became a paper mill. This lasted until 1840 when another fire damaged the building and this use ended. In 1730, the small settlement, which had formed around the factory, erected a chapel, which was overseen by a pastor from Wiesbaden.
Remains
Of the original monastery buildings, little remains visible after to the repeated destruction. The present buildings partially use the foundations of the monastery buildings and in some places the walls preserve medieval stonework, including some of the arcadesArcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
of the cloister. Also, spolia
Spolia
Spolia is a modern art-historical term used to describe the re-use of earlier building material or decorative sculpture on new monuments...
can be seen in various places. Anything else remaining of the original monastery is invisible to all but archaeologists. On the fields formerly belonging to Klarenthal Abbey, the housing development of Klarenthal was built in 1966, taking its name from the former monastery.
Abbesses
| Abbottess | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Countess Richardis of Nassau House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as... |
until 1311 | |
| Countess Adelheid of Nassau | 1311–1338 | |
| Imagina I. | 1338? - 1347 | |
| Katherina | 1348–1350? | |
| Jutta I. of Laurenburg Laurenburg Laurenburg is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn district of Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. The town, a health resort situated in the lower Lahn River valley, belongs to the Diez Municipal Association.-History:... |
1350? – 1353? | |
| Countess Agnes of Nassau | 1353–1356 | |
| Imagina II. | 1356? – after 1360 | |
| Countess Gele of Nassau | in the 1360s | |
| Jutta II. of Laurenburg | 1360s / 1370s | |
| Countess Margarethe of Nassau | 1370s /1380s | 16 years in total |
| Paze of Hofheim Hofheim Hofheim may refer to one of these cities in Germany:*Hofheim, Hesse *Hofheim, Bavaria *Hofheim im Ried... |
1380s – 1390s | 6 years total |
| Cecilia | 1390s – 1400s | of the Mainz Mainz Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire... Patriziat |
| Paze of Lindau Lindau Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was... |
1412? - 1422 | |
| Countess Agnes of Hanau Hanau Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :... |
1422–1446 | Her sister Adelheid of Hanau was also a nun in Klarenthal |
| Margarethe of Eppstein (Adelsgeschlecht) | 1446–1450 | |
| Sophie of Bernbach | 1450–1453 | |
| Countess Bertha of Nassau | 1453–1457 | |
| Margarethe of Scharfenstein Scharfenstein Scharfenstein may refer to::* a district of Drebach in Erzgebirgskreis in SaxonyScharfenstein is the name of the following geographic features:* Scharfenstein , Oybin in Saxony, known as Lausitzer Matterhorn... |
1457–1466 | |
| Countess of Wild und Rhein Katharina von Dhaun-Kyrburg | 1466–1473 | Daughter of Johann IV, Count of Wild und Rhein und the Countess Elisabeth of Hanau (died 1446) |
| Countess Margarethe of Nassau | 1473–1486 | |
| Sophie von Hunolstein | 1486–1508 | |
| Schenkin Magdalena von Erbach | 1508–1512 | |
| Margarete von Dern | 1512–1518 | |
| Countess Maria von Hanau-Lichtenberg | 1518–1525 | |
| Anna Brendel | 1525–1553 | of Homburg Bad Homburg Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt am Main and Oberursel... |
Literature
- Walter Czysz: Klarenthal bei Wiesbaden. Ein Frauenkloster im Mittelalter 1298–1559. Wiesbaden 1987.
- Hermann Langkabel: Kloster Klarenthal (= Repertorien des Hessischen Hauptstaatsarchivs Wiesbaden, Abt. 18), Wiesbaden 1981.
- G. Maag: Die Klausurgebäude und die Kirche des Klarissenklosters Wiesbaden-Klarenthal. In: Nassauische Annalen 83 (1972).
- Fr. Otto: Clarenthaler Studien I. Die Äbtissinnen des Klosters Clarenthal bei Wiesbaden, in: Nassauische Annalen 29, 1897/98, S. 173-201.
- Langkabel, Hermann: Das Kloster Klarenthal als nassauisches Hauskloster im Mittelalter, in: Nassauische Annalen, Bd. 93, Wiesbaden 1982, S. 19-33