Michaelsberg Abbey
Encyclopedia
Michaelsberg Abbey is a former monastery of the Benedictine Order, belonging to the Subiaco Congregation
. The monastery is situated on the Michaelsberg ("St. Michael's Mount"), about 40 metres above the town of Siegburg
. For this reason it is occasionally also referred to as Siegburg Abbey.
Anno II of Cologne founded a Benedictine monastery there, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, from whom both the mountain and the abbey thenceforward took their names.
The monastery quickly became a reformed abbey in the Cluniac Reforms
. After Archbishop Anno died in 1075 he was buried in the abbey and later canonised. In 1183 his bones were translated to the "Anno shrine", which can still be seen in the abbey church.
In 1512, after a long legal battle, the abbey was recognised as reichsunmittelbar (that is, directly subject to the Emperor
and to no other territorial authority). This led to bitter rivalry, and on occasion even war, with the town of Siegburg. In 1676 the abbey again became subject to the local territorial power.
The abbey was dissolved during the secularisation
of 1802–03. Until their resettlement by the Cistercians on 2 July 1914, the buildings were used for varied purposes, for some time as a barracks, but also at other times as a lunatic asylum and a slaughterhouse.
In 1941 the abbey was again dissolved, this time by the SS
; the monks were expelled and the buildings commandeered. The buildings were almost completely destroyed by a bombing raid in 1944, although they were in use as military hospital and flying the flag of the Red Cross. In 1945 the monks expelled four years previously were finally able to return, some from captivity as prisoners of war, others from exile. They had to rebuild the monastery virtually from scratch.
In the north wing and also in a large part of the west wing the Edith Stein
Retreat House of the Diocese of Cologne has been accommodated since 1997.
In 2005, the community of Michaelsberg Abbey consisted of 13 members and one novice. The financial situation was uncertain and the Benedictine Association of MichaelBerg was placed in liquidation on 30 June 2011. The remaining 12 monks sadly left the Abbey. However the abbey church (except the crypt) is open daily to the public.
Since 2004 a beer was also brewed here, called Michel.
Subiaco Congregation
The Subiaco Congregation is an international union of Benedictine houses within the Benedictine Confederation. It was formed in 1867 through the initiative of Dom Pietro Franceso Casaretto, O.S.B., and received final approval by the Holy See in 1872.- History :Casaretto from the age of seventeen...
. The monastery is situated on the Michaelsberg ("St. Michael's Mount"), about 40 metres above the town of Siegburg
Siegburg
--122.148.78.228 05:06, 14 November 2011 Siegburg is a city in the district of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
. For this reason it is occasionally also referred to as Siegburg Abbey.
History
The hill called the Michaelsberg, formerly known as the Siegberg, was first inhabited about 800 by the Counts of Auelgau who built a castle there. In 1064 ArchbishopArchbishopric of Cologne
The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...
Anno II of Cologne founded a Benedictine monastery there, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, from whom both the mountain and the abbey thenceforward took their names.
The monastery quickly became a reformed abbey in the Cluniac Reforms
Cluniac Reforms
The Cluniac Reforms were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of West focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement is named for the Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy, where it started within the Benedictine order. The reforms were...
. After Archbishop Anno died in 1075 he was buried in the abbey and later canonised. In 1183 his bones were translated to the "Anno shrine", which can still be seen in the abbey church.
In 1512, after a long legal battle, the abbey was recognised as reichsunmittelbar (that is, directly subject to the Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
and to no other territorial authority). This led to bitter rivalry, and on occasion even war, with the town of Siegburg. In 1676 the abbey again became subject to the local territorial power.
The abbey was dissolved during the secularisation
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....
of 1802–03. Until their resettlement by the Cistercians on 2 July 1914, the buildings were used for varied purposes, for some time as a barracks, but also at other times as a lunatic asylum and a slaughterhouse.
In 1941 the abbey was again dissolved, this time by the SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
; the monks were expelled and the buildings commandeered. The buildings were almost completely destroyed by a bombing raid in 1944, although they were in use as military hospital and flying the flag of the Red Cross. In 1945 the monks expelled four years previously were finally able to return, some from captivity as prisoners of war, others from exile. They had to rebuild the monastery virtually from scratch.
In the north wing and also in a large part of the west wing the Edith Stein
Edith Stein
Saint Teresia Benedicta of the Cross, sometimes also known as Saint Edith Stein , was a German Roman Catholic philosopher and nun, regarded as a martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church...
Retreat House of the Diocese of Cologne has been accommodated since 1997.
In 2005, the community of Michaelsberg Abbey consisted of 13 members and one novice. The financial situation was uncertain and the Benedictine Association of MichaelBerg was placed in liquidation on 30 June 2011. The remaining 12 monks sadly left the Abbey. However the abbey church (except the crypt) is open daily to the public.
Alcohol production
In 1504 production of the abbey's liqueur, Siegburger Abtei-Likör, began. After an interruption, production was resumed in 1952 .Since 2004 a beer was also brewed here, called Michel.