Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy
Encyclopedia
The Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire
. Princely power was exercised by the Benedictine
abbot of the imperial double monastery of Stavelot
and Malmedy
, founded in 651. At 600 km² (231.7 sq mi), it was the second-smallest territory in the Empire, after the Duchy of Bouillon at 140 km² (54.1 sq mi). Along with Bouillon and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, it was one of only three principalities in the region that were never a part of the Southern Netherlands
, all having been a part of the Lower Rhenish
Imperial Circle
, rather than the Burgundian Circle
.
In 1795 the principality was abolished and its territory was incorporated into the French département of Ourthe. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 assigned Stavelot to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
and Malmedy became part of the Prussian
district of Eupen-Malmedy
. Both are currently parts of the Kingdom of Belgium — since the 1830 Belgian Revolution
and the 1919 Treaty of Versailles
respectively.
Saint Remaclus founded the Abbey of Stavelot on the Amblève
river circa 650 on lands occupying the border between the bishoprics of Cologne and Tongeren, this territory previously having been part of the Frankish Empire
. A charter of Sigebert III
, king of Austrasia
entrusted Remaclus with both monasteries of Stavelot and Malmedy a few kilometres eastwards in the Ardennes
forest, "a place of horror and solitary isolation which abounds with wild beasts". Sigebert granted forest land and his Mayor of the Palace
, Grimoald the Elder
, was charged with furnishing money to build the two monasteries and continued to foster these communities with personal gifts and means from the king.
The monastery of Malmedy is considered by the historians and the hagiographers to be slightly older than the monastery of Stavelot, with the town claiming foundation in 648. Malmedy is listed on earlier maps than Stavelot and the commission appointed in 670 by Childeric II
, in order to delimit the abbey territory, started from Malmedy . Afterwards, the territory of the abbey was increased westwards so that Stavelot became the geographical center and the capital of the principality.
The site of Malmedy was probably already settled before the foundation of the abbey, despite etymology
seeming to indicate Malmedy may have been unsuitable for settlement. was "a place with winding waters" or, most probably, , a "bad confluency". The Warchenne was partially canal
ised and its banks strengthened, before which Malmedy was often flooded.
The first church in Stavelot was built by abbot Godwin
and, on 25 June 685, was dedicated to the saints Martin
, Peter
and Paul. The relic
s of Saint Remaclus were held in this new church. The abbey church in Malmedy was dedicated to St Benedict.
In 747, Carloman, Mayor of the Palace, increased the abbeys' lands from his own on his abdication
. Throughout the ninth century, the abbeys played an important cultural role in Lotharingia
, particularly thanks to abbot Christian
. Around 875, the relics of St Quirinus
were translated from Gasny
to Malmedy Abbey after the intercession of Emperor Charles the Bald
, partly to secure relics comparable to those of St Remaclus at Stavelot.
Through the seventh and eighth centuries, the two abbeys followed their mission of evangelism
, along with forest clearance
. With the decline of the Carolingian Empire
, however, the abbeys suffered the same decay as elsewhere, leaving the principality in the custody of lay abbot
s — temporal guardians — from 844 to 938, including Ebbo, archbishop of Rheims, Adalard the Seneschal
and Reginar
and Giselbert
, dukes of Lorraine.
Welcoming pilgrims
and the sick was a part of the monks' mission. The Miracula sancti Remacli mention the , the monastery's hospice
, where poor pilgrims are granted hospitality, including food for almost eight days, whilst they make their devotions
; this hospice differs from the abbey's hospital
: . On 13 April 862, Lothair II of Lotharingia
, while dealing with the distribution of property "", ordered that local tithe
s be paid to the hospital "", an order he confirmed on 10 June 873.
In December 881, Normans
invaded the area, including Godfrid, Duke of Frisia, burning both abbeys and causing the monks to flee with their treasures and relics. Several historical sources provide evidence on the raid of 881, which was well prepared and organised. The monks rushed to dig up the relics of Remaclus and fled to the county of Porcien in present-day Bogny-sur-Meuse in the French Ardennes; the surrounding region was largely unaffected by the invasion. Stavelot and Malmedy were both burned, with the monks not returning until just before Christmas 882, with a stay in Chooz
allowed them to repair the roofs of the monastic buildings. Relics from Aachen
, which had been entrusted to the monks at Stavelot because of the Norman threat, were returned intact. In gratitude, on 13 November 882, Charles the Fat
, Carolingian emperor and king of East Francia, Alemannia
and Italy
, granted the abbeys the lands of Blendef, a dependency of Louveigné
, and restored to them the chapel in Bra (now a part of Lierneux
in Liège
).
In 885, Normans extracted ransom
from Hesbaye
and passed through the Meuse valley, marching on Prüm
, causing the monks of Stavelot to flee again, finding refuge in the county of Logne and Chèvremont
; the Miracula Remacli details the flight from the invaders and follows the monks' wanderings. After the invasions, abbot Odilon rebuilt the ruined abbey of Stavelot; with support from bishops of Liège
— including Notker
, the first prince-bishop — the abbots Odilon and Werinfride rebuilt the abbeys, with new buildings, the re-establishment of the monastic community and the re-organisation of the principality; by the time of the Ottonian dynasty in the early 10th century, the abbeys were once again of suitable Imperial stature. A new abbey church was built in Malmedy in 992, dedicated to St Quirinus; in 1007, a parish church was consecrated to Saint Gereon.
Another danger threatened the abbey — and the Western Empire — in the tenth century: the Hungarian invasions. Having been deposed as duke of Lotharingia, Conrad the Red
invited the Hungarians to undermine his opponents, Bruno the Great, archbishop of Cologne, and Reginar III, Count of Hainaut. The Annales Stabulensis report: "" (In they year 954, Hungarians populate the regions of Gaul ... In the year 995, victory over the Hungarians). On 1 July 960, Eraclus, bishop of Liège, driven by the fears of the time, granted the monks a location to build a refuge in Liège. Five years earlier, the victory of emperor Otto I
over the Hungarians at Lechfeld
proved the danger from Hungarian sack
.
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The key building period at the abbey of Stavelot corresponds to the rule of prince-abbot Poppo of Deinze, the second founder of the abbey, who was made abbot by Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II
in 1020. He built an imposing church over 100 metres (328.1 ft) in length, which was consecrated in the presence of Emperor Henry III
on 5 June 1040. As well as confirming the authenticity of the relics of St Quirinus at Malmedy in 1042, Poppo revived the cult of St Remaclus. Poppo died in 1048; his cult, which began almost immediately, focused on his resting place in the crypt. Thietmar was the lay patron who assembled carpenters and stonemasons to build the abbey church. Malmedy developed around the monastery; until the end of the tenth century, the villagers used the chapel of Saint Laurent, an apsidiole
of the abbey church, as their place of worship.
In 1065, controversy arose when Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne
, named Tegernon of Brauweiler abbot of Malmedy, on dubious authority — whilst Malmedy was in the archdiocese of Cologne, the two abbeys were linked and, thus, under the purview of the diocese of Liège, where Stavelot lay. This occurred despite several previous Imperial bulls reinforcing the position that the two abbeys should be subject to a single abbot. The monks from Stavelot processed to Malmedy with the crosier
and relics of St Remaclus to remind the rebellious monks of the traditional order for the abbeys that the saint had instituted. The relics and crosier were also transported to an Imperial Diet
of Henry IV
in Goslar
. In 1066, they processed again, this time to Aachen
and Fritzlar
; they processed to Bitburg
and Bamberg
the following year. That their prayers were not answered apparently led the monks to despair that the relics were becoming impotent or that the monks were being punished by their patron; in 1067 and 1068, abbot Thierry even went to Rome
to appeal to Pope Alexander II
. This impasse lasted for a further three years, until Henry held court at Liège at Easter in 1071; with great ceremony, the monks processed with Remaclus's relics to meet with his legendary fellow bishop St Lambert, joined en route by the relics of St Symmetrus. Numerous miracles convinced the emperor to recognise the union of the two abbeys and reiterate the superiority of Stavelot, forcing Anno eventually to capitulate. A rejoiceful procession back to Stavelot paused en route to celebrate Mass on the banks of the Meuse; finally, the monks processed with Remaclus's relics to the abbey at Malmedy, to symbolise the restoration of his and their authority. This series of episodes is recounted in the heroic narrative of the Triumph of St Remaclus and confirmed in several contemporary sources.
In 1098, Wibald
was born in the hamlet of Chevrouheid, near Stavelot. Elected prince-abbot in 1130, he played a key international-level role in the religious life of the region and the abbeys. In 1138, he granted permission for the castle to be built in Logne, first mentioned in an 862 abbey charter. In the 12th to 15th centuries, however, the abbacy experienced a slow decline. In the 14th and 15th centuries, several Imperial edicts afforded the protection of the counts of Luxembourg, firstly under Emperor Charles IV
.
, Just
, Peter and Philip joined by parishioners from Lierneux with the relics of Symmetrus. In 1521, after the castle in Logne had been dismantled, William added "Count of Logne" to the abbots' titles, with the county representing most of the western portion of the principality's territory.
The abbey church served as a monastic church and as a church of pilgrimage until the French Revolution. Its imposing gatehouse tower was rebuilt in 1534; its ground floor is all that remains, though the abbey church has been excavated and its layout is shown on the ground. Malmedy began to flourish particularly in the 16th century with the development of tannery; in 1544 there were only 216 houses with a thousand inhabitants, but that over tripled by 1635.
After the death of abbot Christopher of Manderscheid, there was a series of absent abbots, including Maximilian Henry of Bavaria
(who was also bishop of Liège and of Hildesheim
), who reformed the abbey in 1656. In the 17th century, Stavelot and Malmedy were major centres of tanning
in Europe. Other industries also known to Malmedy include cotton
manufacturing, manufacture of chess sets, dominoes
and gingerbread
; papermaking
was particularly important to Malmedy, as was the manufacture of gunpowder
. In 1659, a Capuchin
convent was built in Stavelot.
Despite the abbacy's neutrality
and the protection of the prince-abbots, the territory was invaded at least 50 times by troops passing through, whose depredations had disastrous consequences for the population, including the 4 October 1689 razing of both Stavelot and Malmedy on the orders of Nicolas Catinat
, general to Louis XIV of France
, during the Nine Years' War. In Stavelot, the entire town, including over 360 houses, was destroyed, leaving just the abbey and its farmyard standing; Some 600 out of the 660 houses of the town were destroyed and it took more than a century to completely rebuild Malmedy. Malmedy's 1601 city walls had previously been destroyed by French troops in 1658, during the 1635–59 Franco-Spanish War. The wars, and passage by troops of Brandenburg-Prussia
, the Dutch Republic
, France
and Liège, had cost the principality the sum of 2.75 million Reichsthaler
s, requiring the abbey to borrow 134 000 thalers from Liège and Verviers
; another loan, shared amongst the communities, totalled 109 000 thalers, with annual interest
of 14 161 thalers and arrears
of 26 000 thalers.
By the start of the 18th century the principality had lost a third of its territory, as a result of war, fires, pillage and unjust encroachments. The deputies to the Reichstag
showed that, in the 16th century, the Spanish Netherlands had seized several territories and that the Bishopric of Liège had stolen over half a dozen seigneuries totalling over 2000 households, adding that the principality itself retained only 1693 households, having had 3780 households before the upheavals and that the suffering of the principality had caused some of the richest and most powerful families to emigrate. The Reichstag was moved to halve the Reichsmatrikel for the abbeys (reducing the sums and troops the abbeys needed to provide towards the Imperial army) and exempting any need for the abbeys to send troops to the Imperial army for three years, an exemption extended for four more years on 24 March 1715.
, from 1793 to 1804, the abbey was abandoned by the monks and the principality extinguished. Stavelot was incorporated to the French Republic by a decree of 2 March 1793, along with Franchimont
and Logne. Despite opposition from local notables, Malmedy was similarly incorporated by decree of 9 Vendémiaire
of the Year IV (1 October 1795). Stavelot abbey itself was sacked and the church sold and demolished; of the church just the western doorway remains, as a free-standing tower. Two cloister
s — one secular, one for the monks — survive as the courtyards of the brick-and-stone 17th-century domestic ranges. The foundations of the abbey church are presented as a footprint, with walls and column bases that enable the visitor to visualize the scale of the Romanesque
abbey.
Based largely in the Amblève and Ourthe
river valleys, the principality took up a substantial proportion of what is now the arrondissement of Verviers
in the province of Liège. By the time of the French Revolution
, the principality was bounded to the north by the duchy of Limburg
, to the south and east by the duchy of Luxembourg and to the north-west by the marquisate of Franchimont and the Condroz
. The principality was divided into three administrative districts: the of Stavelot, the of Malmedy and the county of Logne, totalling around 28,000 inhabitants. The of Stavelot contained 14 communities and that of Malmedy contained the town itself and the of Waimes
and Francorchamps. The county of Logne was divided into four : Hamoir
(7 communities), Ocquier (6), Comblain (5) and Louveigné
(2), with public assemblies being based in Bernardfagne. In addition, six other communities were exclaves, plus the of Anthisnes
and Vien, in the Confroz. In 1768, these two were exchanged with Liège for Chooz
, Sclessin and Ougrée.
Several sources note that there were disputes between the two abbeys, with Stavelot assuming primacy over Malmedy, to the latter's discontent; though new abbots were invested in Stavelot on behalf of both abbeys. Whilst an absolute
principality, in some matters the prince-abbot could consult a general assembly or of clergy, dignitaries, prince's officers, mayors and aldermen, whose main role was to vote for tax
es. Each of the three districts had its own provincial assembly and court, with a Princely Council for highly-contested cases; as a court of last resort, citizens could appeal to the Imperial Chamber Court , created by Emperor Maximilian I
(reigned 1508–19) on the model of the parliaments in Paris
and Mechelen
and headquartered in Frankfurt
(1495–1527), Speyer
(1527–1693) and Wetzlar
(1693–1806).
Shortly before the principality's extinction, it contributed just over 81 Reichsthaler per session to the Imperial economy (for the maintenance of the Imperial Chamber Court), with annual revenues of around 25 000 Rhenish gulden.
, one of the leading schools of Romanesque art
, especially in goldsmith
metalwork, which was still the most prestigious form of art. Their collections were dispersed by wars and finally the French Revolution, and works from the abbeys are now in museums across the world. The illuminated manuscript
Stavelot Bible
(now in the British Library
) was probably the abbey's main bible, and created there by several hands over a four-year period ending in 1097, and other works can be identified from the same scriptorium
. The bible has been described as "a perfect microcosm of the influences and interests that gave rise to the first Romanesque painting". A group of manuscripts from the less productive scriptorium
at Malmedy were donated to the Vatican Library
in 1816 by Pope Pius VII
,, including the Malmedy Bible and two lectionaries
from about 1300. Malmedy illuminations show particular closeness with metalwork styles.
Abbot Wibald
(ruled 1130–58) was an important Imperial minister and diplomat, and regarded as one one of the greatest patrons of Mosan art in its best period, although much of the evidence for this is circumstantial. Some of his surviving letters discuss works which may be identifiable with existing pieces, and an "aurifaber G" who some have identified with Godefroid de Claire / of Huy, a shadowy figure to whom many masterpieces are attributed. Several important commissions were certainly placed by Wibald with Mosan workshops of goldsmiths and metalworkers, and other works later connected with Stavelot are also presumed to have been commissioned by him. The works, mostly including champlevé
enamels
of very high quality, include the Stavelot Triptych
, a portable altar reliquary
for two fragments of the True Cross
, c. 1156, (now in The Morgan Library & Museum in New York
), the "Stavelot Portable Altar" of 1146 and a head-shaped reliquary of Pope Alexander II
, c. 1150, possibly by Godefroid (both now Cinquantenaire Museum
, Brussels
). A gold relief
retable
of the Pentecost
(1160–70) is in the Musée de Cluny
, Paris, but an important and more elaborate retable of Saint Remaclus, of about 1150 and extending about nine square metres, was broken up at the French Revolution, and only two round enamel plaques survive, in Berlin and Frankfurt
, though a 17th century drawing survives in Liège.
, granted to the town of Stavelot in 1819, is also the coat of arms of the abbey — parted fess
wise between an image of St Remaclus and the wolf, which in Stavelot's founding legend carried bricks for the building of the abbey after having killed Remaclus's donkey
.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. Princely power was exercised by the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbot of the imperial double monastery of Stavelot
Stavelot
Stavelot is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006, Stavelot had a total population of 6,671. The total area is 85.07 km² which gives a population density of 78 inhabitants per km².-History:...
and Malmedy
Malmedy
Malmedy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region, Province of Liège. It belongs to the French Community of Belgium, within which it is French-speaking with facilities for German-speakers. On January 1, 2006 Malmedy had a total population of 11,829...
, founded in 651. At 600 km² (231.7 sq mi), it was the second-smallest territory in the Empire, after the Duchy of Bouillon at 140 km² (54.1 sq mi). Along with Bouillon and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, it was one of only three principalities in the region that were never a part of the Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
, all having been a part of the Lower Rhenish
Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle
The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lorraine, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the former Duchy of Saxony....
Imperial Circle
Imperial Circle
An Imperial Circle comprised a regional grouping of territories of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for the purpose of organizing a common defensive structure and of collecting the imperial taxes, but also as a means of organization within the Imperial Diet and the Imperial Chamber Court.Each...
, rather than the Burgundian Circle
Burgundian Circle
The Burgundian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire created in 1512 and significantly enlarged in 1548. In addition to the Free County of Burgundy , the circle roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e...
.
In 1795 the principality was abolished and its territory was incorporated into the French département of Ourthe. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 assigned Stavelot to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
and Malmedy became part of the Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
district of Eupen-Malmedy
Eupen-Malmedy
Eupen-Malmedy, or the East Cantons , is a group of cantons in Belgium, composed of the former Prussian districts of Malmedy and Eupen, together with the Neutral Moresnet...
. Both are currently parts of the Kingdom of Belgium — since the 1830 Belgian Revolution
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
and the 1919 Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
respectively.
Establishment
Amblève (river)
The Amblève or Amel is a 93 km long river in eastern Belgium in the province of Liège. It is a right tributary of the river Ourthe. It rises near Büllingen in the High Fens , close to the border with Germany.Tributaries of the Amblève are the rivers Warche, Eau Rouge, Salm and Lienne...
river circa 650 on lands occupying the border between the bishoprics of Cologne and Tongeren, this territory previously having been part of the Frankish Empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
. A charter of Sigebert III
Sigebert III
Sigebert III was the king of Austrasia from 634 to his death; probably on 1 February 656, or maybe as late as 660. He was the eldest son of Dagobert I....
, king of Austrasia
Austrasia
Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
entrusted Remaclus with both monasteries of Stavelot and Malmedy a few kilometres eastwards in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
forest, "a place of horror and solitary isolation which abounds with wild beasts". Sigebert granted forest land and his Mayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
, Grimoald the Elder
Grimoald the Elder
Grimoald I , called the Elder , was the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia from 643 to 656. He was the son of Pepin of Landen and Itta....
, was charged with furnishing money to build the two monasteries and continued to foster these communities with personal gifts and means from the king.
The monastery of Malmedy is considered by the historians and the hagiographers to be slightly older than the monastery of Stavelot, with the town claiming foundation in 648. Malmedy is listed on earlier maps than Stavelot and the commission appointed in 670 by Childeric II
Childeric II
Childeric II was the king of Austrasia from 662 and of Neustria and Burgundy from 673 until his death, making him sole King of the Franks for the final two years of his life. He was the second eldest son of Clovis II. His elder brother Chlothar III was briefly sole king from 661, but gave...
, in order to delimit the abbey territory, started from Malmedy . Afterwards, the territory of the abbey was increased westwards so that Stavelot became the geographical center and the capital of the principality.
The site of Malmedy was probably already settled before the foundation of the abbey, despite etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
seeming to indicate Malmedy may have been unsuitable for settlement. was "a place with winding waters" or, most probably, , a "bad confluency". The Warchenne was partially canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
ised and its banks strengthened, before which Malmedy was often flooded.
The first church in Stavelot was built by abbot Godwin
Godwin of Stavelot
Saint Godwin of Stavelot was a Benedictine abbot of the monastery of Stavelot-Malmedy, Belgium, who died in 690. His feast day is October 28.- External links :*...
and, on 25 June 685, was dedicated to the saints Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
, Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Paul. The relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s of Saint Remaclus were held in this new church. The abbey church in Malmedy was dedicated to St Benedict.
Development and the High Middle Ages
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
. Throughout the ninth century, the abbeys played an important cultural role in Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
, particularly thanks to abbot Christian
Christian of Stavelot
Christian of Stavelot was a ninth-century Christian monk. He is sometimes referred to as Christian Druthmar or Druthmar of Aquitaine. Christian was a noted grammarian, Biblical commentator, and eschatologist. He was born in Aquitaine in the early ninth century CE, and became a monk at the...
. Around 875, the relics of St Quirinus
Nicasius, Quirinus, Scubiculus, and Pientia
Nicasius, Quirinus, Scubiculus, and Pientia were venerated as martyrs and saints. Their feast day is October 11. Their historicity is uncertain, and "no trustworthy historical reports of [them] exist."...
were translated from Gasny
Gasny
Gasny is a commune in the Eure department in northern France.-Population:...
to Malmedy Abbey after the intercession of Emperor Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
, partly to secure relics comparable to those of St Remaclus at Stavelot.
Through the seventh and eighth centuries, the two abbeys followed their mission of evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, along with forest clearance
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
. With the decline of the Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
, however, the abbeys suffered the same decay as elsewhere, leaving the principality in the custody of lay abbot
Lay abbot
Lay abbot is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey as a reward for services rendered; he had charge of the estate belonging to it, and was entitled to part of the income.This custom existed principally in the Frankish Empire from the eighth...
s — temporal guardians — from 844 to 938, including Ebbo, archbishop of Rheims, Adalard the Seneschal
Adalard the Seneschal
Adalard, also known as Adalhard or Alard, and called the Seneschal, was a Frankish nobleman of the ninth century. He served as warden of the Norman march from 861 to 865....
and Reginar
Reginar, Duke of Lorraine
Reginar I Longneck was the Duke of Lorraine from 910 until his death. He stands at the head of the clan of Reginarids, an important Lotharingian noble family....
and Giselbert
Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine
Gilbert was the duke of Lotharingia until 939.The beginning of the reign of Gilbert is not clear. A dux Lotharingiae is mentioned in 910 and this may have been Gilbert...
, dukes of Lorraine.
Welcoming pilgrims
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
and the sick was a part of the monks' mission. The Miracula sancti Remacli mention the , the monastery's hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
, where poor pilgrims are granted hospitality, including food for almost eight days, whilst they make their devotions
Catholic devotions
A Roman Catholic devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to God. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to serve God; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts such as the adoration of God or the veneration of the saints or the Virgin Mary.Roman Catholic...
; this hospice differs from the abbey's hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
: . On 13 April 862, Lothair II of Lotharingia
Lothair II of Lotharingia
Lothair II was the second son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. He was married to Teutberga, daughter of Boso the Elder. He is the namesake of the Lothair Crystal, which he probably commissioned, and of the Cross of Lothair, which was made over a century after his death but...
, while dealing with the distribution of property "", ordered that local tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s be paid to the hospital "", an order he confirmed on 10 June 873.
In December 881, Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
invaded the area, including Godfrid, Duke of Frisia, burning both abbeys and causing the monks to flee with their treasures and relics. Several historical sources provide evidence on the raid of 881, which was well prepared and organised. The monks rushed to dig up the relics of Remaclus and fled to the county of Porcien in present-day Bogny-sur-Meuse in the French Ardennes; the surrounding region was largely unaffected by the invasion. Stavelot and Malmedy were both burned, with the monks not returning until just before Christmas 882, with a stay in Chooz
Chooz, Ardennes
Chooz is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.The Chooz Nuclear Power Plant is located in Chooz.-Population:...
allowed them to repair the roofs of the monastic buildings. Relics from Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, which had been entrusted to the monks at Stavelot because of the Norman threat, were returned intact. In gratitude, on 13 November 882, Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...
, Carolingian emperor and king of East Francia, Alemannia
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
and Italy
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
, granted the abbeys the lands of Blendef, a dependency of Louveigné
Louveigné
Louveigné is a village in the municipality of Sprimont, province of Liège, Belgium....
, and restored to them the chapel in Bra (now a part of Lierneux
Lierneux
Lierneux is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. On January 1, 2006 Lierneux had a total population of 3,367. The total area is 92.08 km² which gives a population density of 37 inhabitants per km². Lierneux is known for its psychiatric hospital...
in Liège
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
).
In 885, Normans extracted ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
from Hesbaye
Hesbaye
Hesbaye or Haspengouw , is a region spanning the south of the Belgian province of Limburg, the east of the Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, and the northwestern part of the province of Liège.The Limburgish portion contains the cities of Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Bilzen and...
and passed through the Meuse valley, marching on Prüm
Prüm
Prüm is a town in the Westeifel , Germany. Formerly a district capital, today it is the administrative seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Prüm.-Geography:...
, causing the monks of Stavelot to flee again, finding refuge in the county of Logne and Chèvremont
Kerkrade
Kerkrade is a town and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands.It is the western half of the divided region and de facto city, taken together with the eastern half, the German town of Herzogenrath...
; the Miracula Remacli details the flight from the invaders and follows the monks' wanderings. After the invasions, abbot Odilon rebuilt the ruined abbey of Stavelot; with support from bishops of Liège
Bishopric of Liège
The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries in present Belgium. It acquired its status as a prince-bishopric between 980 and 985 when Bishop Notger, who had been the bishop of Liege since 972, acquired the status of Prince-Bishop...
— including Notker
Notker of Liège
Notker of Liège was a Benedictine monk, bishop and first prince-bishop of the Bishopric of Liège with a capital Liège/Lüttich, ....
, the first prince-bishop — the abbots Odilon and Werinfride rebuilt the abbeys, with new buildings, the re-establishment of the monastic community and the re-organisation of the principality; by the time of the Ottonian dynasty in the early 10th century, the abbeys were once again of suitable Imperial stature. A new abbey church was built in Malmedy in 992, dedicated to St Quirinus; in 1007, a parish church was consecrated to Saint Gereon.
Another danger threatened the abbey — and the Western Empire — in the tenth century: the Hungarian invasions. Having been deposed as duke of Lotharingia, Conrad the Red
Conrad, Duke of Lorraine
Conrad the Red was a Duke of Lorraine from the Salian dynasty.He was the son of Werner V, Count of the Nahegau, Speyergau, and Wormsgau. His mother was a sister of Conrad I of Germany. In 941, he succeeded his father in his counties and obtained an additional territory, the Niddagau...
invited the Hungarians to undermine his opponents, Bruno the Great, archbishop of Cologne, and Reginar III, Count of Hainaut. The Annales Stabulensis report: "" (In they year 954, Hungarians populate the regions of Gaul ... In the year 995, victory over the Hungarians). On 1 July 960, Eraclus, bishop of Liège, driven by the fears of the time, granted the monks a location to build a refuge in Liège. Five years earlier, the victory of emperor Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
over the Hungarians at Lechfeld
Battle of Lechfeld
The Battle of Lechfeld , often seen as the defining event for holding off the incursions of the Hungarians into Western Europe, was a decisive victory by Otto I the Great, King of the Germans, over the Hungarian leaders, the harka Bulcsú and the chieftains Lél and Súr...
proved the danger from Hungarian sack
War loot
War loot refers to goods, valuables and property obtained by force from their lawful owners via looting during or after warfare. These "spoils of war" differ from tributes or other payments extracted after the fact by a victorious nation in that their extraction is largely arbitrary and immediate,...
.
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...
Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
in 1020. He built an imposing church over 100 metres (328.1 ft) in length, which was consecrated in the presence of Emperor Henry III
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
on 5 June 1040. As well as confirming the authenticity of the relics of St Quirinus at Malmedy in 1042, Poppo revived the cult of St Remaclus. Poppo died in 1048; his cult, which began almost immediately, focused on his resting place in the crypt. Thietmar was the lay patron who assembled carpenters and stonemasons to build the abbey church. Malmedy developed around the monastery; until the end of the tenth century, the villagers used the chapel of Saint Laurent, an apsidiole
Apsidiole
An apsidole or absidiale is a small or secondary apse, one of the apses on either side of the main apse in a triapsidal church, or one of the apse-chapels when they project on the exterior of the church, particularly if the projection resembles an apse in shape.Francis Bond says that the Norman...
of the abbey church, as their place of worship.
In 1065, controversy arose when Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne
Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne
Saint Anno II was Archbishop of Cologne from 1056 to 1075.He was born around 1010, belonging to the Swabian family of the von Steusslingen, and was educated at Bamberg. He became confessor to the Emperor Henry III, who appointed him archbishop of Cologne in 1056...
, named Tegernon of Brauweiler abbot of Malmedy, on dubious authority — whilst Malmedy was in the archdiocese of Cologne, the two abbeys were linked and, thus, under the purview of the diocese of Liège, where Stavelot lay. This occurred despite several previous Imperial bulls reinforcing the position that the two abbeys should be subject to a single abbot. The monks from Stavelot processed to Malmedy with the crosier
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
and relics of St Remaclus to remind the rebellious monks of the traditional order for the abbeys that the saint had instituted. The relics and crosier were also transported to an Imperial Diet
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
of Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
in Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
. In 1066, they processed again, this time to Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
and Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
; they processed to Bitburg
Bitburg
Bitburg It is situated approx. 25 km north-west of Trier, and 50 km north-east of Luxembourg . One American airbase, Spangdahlem Air Base, is located nearby.-History:...
and Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
the following year. That their prayers were not answered apparently led the monks to despair that the relics were becoming impotent or that the monks were being punished by their patron; in 1067 and 1068, abbot Thierry even went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to appeal to Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
. This impasse lasted for a further three years, until Henry held court at Liège at Easter in 1071; with great ceremony, the monks processed with Remaclus's relics to meet with his legendary fellow bishop St Lambert, joined en route by the relics of St Symmetrus. Numerous miracles convinced the emperor to recognise the union of the two abbeys and reiterate the superiority of Stavelot, forcing Anno eventually to capitulate. A rejoiceful procession back to Stavelot paused en route to celebrate Mass on the banks of the Meuse; finally, the monks processed with Remaclus's relics to the abbey at Malmedy, to symbolise the restoration of his and their authority. This series of episodes is recounted in the heroic narrative of the Triumph of St Remaclus and confirmed in several contemporary sources.
In 1098, Wibald
Wibald
Wibald was a 12th century Abbot of Stavelot and Malmedy, both in present-day Belgium, and of Corvey in Germany.-Biography:...
was born in the hamlet of Chevrouheid, near Stavelot. Elected prince-abbot in 1130, he played a key international-level role in the religious life of the region and the abbeys. In 1138, he granted permission for the castle to be built in Logne, first mentioned in an 862 abbey charter. In the 12th to 15th centuries, however, the abbacy experienced a slow decline. In the 14th and 15th centuries, several Imperial edicts afforded the protection of the counts of Luxembourg, firstly under Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
.
Early Modern Age
In 1509, William of Manderscheid organised a procession to induce the recalcitrant county of Logne, a fief of the abbey, to submit to his jurisdiction. The cortège was pious, rather than fraught with tension, with Stavelot monks carrying the shrines of Remaclus and Babolene with other reliquaries and the monks of Malmedy with reliquaries of QuirinusNicasius, Quirinus, Scubiculus, and Pientia
Nicasius, Quirinus, Scubiculus, and Pientia were venerated as martyrs and saints. Their feast day is October 11. Their historicity is uncertain, and "no trustworthy historical reports of [them] exist."...
, Just
Justus of Beauvais
Saint Justus of Beauvais is a semi-legendary saint of the Roman Catholic Church. He may have been a Gallo-Roman martyr, but his legend was confused with that of other saints, such as Justin of Paris....
, Peter and Philip joined by parishioners from Lierneux with the relics of Symmetrus. In 1521, after the castle in Logne had been dismantled, William added "Count of Logne" to the abbots' titles, with the county representing most of the western portion of the principality's territory.
The abbey church served as a monastic church and as a church of pilgrimage until the French Revolution. Its imposing gatehouse tower was rebuilt in 1534; its ground floor is all that remains, though the abbey church has been excavated and its layout is shown on the ground. Malmedy began to flourish particularly in the 16th century with the development of tannery; in 1544 there were only 216 houses with a thousand inhabitants, but that over tripled by 1635.
After the death of abbot Christopher of Manderscheid, there was a series of absent abbots, including Maximilian Henry of Bavaria
Maximilian Henry of Bavaria
thumb|154 px|Maximilian Heinrich of BavariaMaximilian Henry of Bavaria was the third son and fourth child of Albert VI, landgrave of Leuchtenberg and his wife, Mechthilde von Leuchtenberg. In 1650, he was named Archbishop of Cologne, Bishop of Hildesheim and Bishop of Liège succeeding his uncle,...
(who was also bishop of Liège and of Hildesheim
Bishopric of Hildesheim
The Diocese of Hildesheim is a diocese or ecclesiastical territory of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in Germany. Founded in 815 as a missionary diocese by King Louis the Pious, his son Louis the German appointed the famous former archbishop of Rheims, Ebbo, as bishop...
), who reformed the abbey in 1656. In the 17th century, Stavelot and Malmedy were major centres of tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
in Europe. Other industries also known to Malmedy include cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
manufacturing, manufacture of chess sets, dominoes
Dominoes
Dominoes generally refers to the collective gaming pieces making up a domino set or to the subcategory of tile games played with domino pieces. In the area of mathematical tilings and polyominoes, the word domino often refers to any rectangle formed from joining two congruent squares edge to edge...
and gingerbread
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is a term used to describe a variety of sweet food products, which can range from a soft, moist loaf cake to something close to a ginger biscuit. What they have in common are the predominant flavors of ginger and a tendency to use honey or molasses rather than just sugar...
; papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
was particularly important to Malmedy, as was the manufacture of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
. In 1659, a Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
convent was built in Stavelot.
Despite the abbacy's neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
and the protection of the prince-abbots, the territory was invaded at least 50 times by troops passing through, whose depredations had disastrous consequences for the population, including the 4 October 1689 razing of both Stavelot and Malmedy on the orders of Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
, general to Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, during the Nine Years' War. In Stavelot, the entire town, including over 360 houses, was destroyed, leaving just the abbey and its farmyard standing; Some 600 out of the 660 houses of the town were destroyed and it took more than a century to completely rebuild Malmedy. Malmedy's 1601 city walls had previously been destroyed by French troops in 1658, during the 1635–59 Franco-Spanish War. The wars, and passage by troops of Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
, the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
and Liège, had cost the principality the sum of 2.75 million Reichsthaler
Reichsthaler
The Reichsthaler was a standard Thaler of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1566 by the Leipzig convention. It was also the name of a unit of account in northern Germany and of a silver coin issued by Prussia.-Reichsthaler coin:...
s, requiring the abbey to borrow 134 000 thalers from Liège and Verviers
Verviers
Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
; another loan, shared amongst the communities, totalled 109 000 thalers, with annual interest
Interest
Interest is a fee paid by a borrower of assets to the owner as a form of compensation for the use of the assets. It is most commonly the price paid for the use of borrowed money, or money earned by deposited funds....
of 14 161 thalers and arrears
Arrears
Arrears is a legal term for the part of a debt that is overdue after missing one or more required payments. The amount of the arrears is the amount accrued from the date on which the first missed payment was due...
of 26 000 thalers.
By the start of the 18th century the principality had lost a third of its territory, as a result of war, fires, pillage and unjust encroachments. The deputies to the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
showed that, in the 16th century, the Spanish Netherlands had seized several territories and that the Bishopric of Liège had stolen over half a dozen seigneuries totalling over 2000 households, adding that the principality itself retained only 1693 households, having had 3780 households before the upheavals and that the suffering of the principality had caused some of the richest and most powerful families to emigrate. The Reichstag was moved to halve the Reichsmatrikel for the abbeys (reducing the sums and troops the abbeys needed to provide towards the Imperial army) and exempting any need for the abbeys to send troops to the Imperial army for three years, an exemption extended for four more years on 24 March 1715.
Abolition
During the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, from 1793 to 1804, the abbey was abandoned by the monks and the principality extinguished. Stavelot was incorporated to the French Republic by a decree of 2 March 1793, along with Franchimont
Franchimont Castle
Franchimont Castle is a medieval castle in the municipality of Theux, province of Liège, Belgium. It sits at the western end of a small hill overlooking the village of Franchimont....
and Logne. Despite opposition from local notables, Malmedy was similarly incorporated by decree of 9 Vendémiaire
Vendémiaire
Vendémiaire was the first month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word vendange .Vendémiaire was the first month of the autumn quarter . It started on the day of the autumnal equinox, which fell between 22 September and 24 September, inclusive. It thus ended...
of the Year IV (1 October 1795). Stavelot abbey itself was sacked and the church sold and demolished; of the church just the western doorway remains, as a free-standing tower. Two 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...
s — one secular, one for the monks — survive as the courtyards of the brick-and-stone 17th-century domestic ranges. The foundations of the abbey church are presented as a footprint, with walls and column bases that enable the visitor to visualize the scale of the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
abbey.
Geography and administration
Ourthe
The Ourthe is a 165 km long river in the Ardennes in Wallonia . It is a right tributary to the river Meuse. The Ourthe is formed at the confluence of the Ourthe Occidentale and the Ourthe Orientale , west of Houffalize.The source of the Ourthe Occidentale is near Libramont-Chevigny, in the...
river valleys, the principality took up a substantial proportion of what is now the arrondissement of Verviers
Arrondissement of Verviers
The Arrondissement of Verviers is one of the four administrative arrondissements in the Province of Liège, Belgium. It is also a judicial arrondissement. However, only the municipalities in the French Community belong to this judicial arrondissement...
in the province of Liège. By the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the principality was bounded to the north by the duchy of Limburg
Duchy of Limburg
The Duchy of Limburg, situated in the Low Countries between the river Meuse and the city of Aachen, was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Liège and Limburg , the Dutch province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in...
, to the south and east by the duchy of Luxembourg and to the north-west by the marquisate of Franchimont and the Condroz
Condroz
The Condroz is a region in the center of Wallonia and in the south of Belgium. Its unofficial capital is Ciney....
. The principality was divided into three administrative districts: the of Stavelot, the of Malmedy and the county of Logne, totalling around 28,000 inhabitants. The of Stavelot contained 14 communities and that of Malmedy contained the town itself and the of Waimes
Waimes
Waimes is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Liège, in Belgium. On January 1, 2006 Waimes had a total population of 6,728. The total area is 96.93 km² which gives a population density of 69 inhabitants per km²....
and Francorchamps. The county of Logne was divided into four : Hamoir
Hamoir
Hamoir is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Hamoir had a total population of 3,592. The total area is 27.80 km² which gives a population density of 129 inhabitants per km². Hamoir is situated on the river Ourthe.-References:...
(7 communities), Ocquier (6), Comblain (5) and Louveigné
Louveigné
Louveigné is a village in the municipality of Sprimont, province of Liège, Belgium....
(2), with public assemblies being based in Bernardfagne. In addition, six other communities were exclaves, plus the of Anthisnes
Anthisnes
Anthisnes is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Anthisnes had a total population of 3,998. The total area is 37.08 km² which gives a population density of 108 inhabitants per km²....
and Vien, in the Confroz. In 1768, these two were exchanged with Liège for Chooz
Chooz, Ardennes
Chooz is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.The Chooz Nuclear Power Plant is located in Chooz.-Population:...
, Sclessin and Ougrée.
Several sources note that there were disputes between the two abbeys, with Stavelot assuming primacy over Malmedy, to the latter's discontent; though new abbots were invested in Stavelot on behalf of both abbeys. Whilst an absolute
Absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government in which the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government, his or her power not being limited by a constitution or by the law. An absolute monarch thus wields unrestricted political power over the...
principality, in some matters the prince-abbot could consult a general assembly or of clergy, dignitaries, prince's officers, mayors and aldermen, whose main role was to vote for tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es. Each of the three districts had its own provincial assembly and court, with a Princely Council for highly-contested cases; as a court of last resort, citizens could appeal to the Imperial Chamber Court , created by Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
(reigned 1508–19) on the model of the parliaments in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
and headquartered in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
(1495–1527), Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
(1527–1693) and Wetzlar
Wetzlar
Wetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...
(1693–1806).
Shortly before the principality's extinction, it contributed just over 81 Reichsthaler per session to the Imperial economy (for the maintenance of the Imperial Chamber Court), with annual revenues of around 25 000 Rhenish gulden.
Art
The abbeys at Stavelot and Malmedy commissioned some of the finest surviving works of Mosan artMosan art
Mosan art is a regional style of art from the valley of the Meuse in present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Although the term applies to art from this region from all periods, it generally refers to Romanesque art, with Mosan Romanesque architecture, stone carving, metalwork, enamelling...
, one of the leading schools of Romanesque art
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
, especially in goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
metalwork, which was still the most prestigious form of art. Their collections were dispersed by wars and finally the French Revolution, and works from the abbeys are now in museums across the world. The illuminated manuscript
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
Stavelot Bible
Stavelot Bible
The Stavelot Bible is a Romanesque illuminated manuscript bible in two volumes datable to 1093-1097. It was produced for, but not necessarily in, the Benedictine monastery of Stavelot, in the Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy of modern Belgium, and required four years to complete...
(now in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
) was probably the abbey's main bible, and created there by several hands over a four-year period ending in 1097, and other works can be identified from the same scriptorium
Scriptorium
Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic scribes...
. The bible has been described as "a perfect microcosm of the influences and interests that gave rise to the first Romanesque painting". A group of manuscripts from the less productive scriptorium
Scriptorium
Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic scribes...
at Malmedy were donated to the Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
in 1816 by Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
,, including the Malmedy Bible and two lectionaries
Lectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
from about 1300. Malmedy illuminations show particular closeness with metalwork styles.
Abbot Wibald
Wibald
Wibald was a 12th century Abbot of Stavelot and Malmedy, both in present-day Belgium, and of Corvey in Germany.-Biography:...
(ruled 1130–58) was an important Imperial minister and diplomat, and regarded as one one of the greatest patrons of Mosan art in its best period, although much of the evidence for this is circumstantial. Some of his surviving letters discuss works which may be identifiable with existing pieces, and an "aurifaber G" who some have identified with Godefroid de Claire / of Huy, a shadowy figure to whom many masterpieces are attributed. Several important commissions were certainly placed by Wibald with Mosan workshops of goldsmiths and metalworkers, and other works later connected with Stavelot are also presumed to have been commissioned by him. The works, mostly including champlevé
Champlevé
Champlevé is an enamelling technique in the decorative arts, or an object made by that process, in which troughs or cells are carved or cast into the surface of a metal object, and filled with vitreous enamel. The piece is then fired until the enamel melts, and when cooled the surface of the object...
enamels
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
of very high quality, include the Stavelot Triptych
Stavelot Triptych
The Stavelot Triptych is a medieval reliquary and portable altar in gold and enamel intended to protect, honor and display pieces of the True Cross. Created by Mosan artists—"Mosan" signifies the valley of the Meuse river—around 1156 at Stavelot Abbey in present-day Belgium...
, a portable altar reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
for two fragments of the True Cross
True Cross
The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
, c. 1156, (now in The Morgan Library & Museum in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), the "Stavelot Portable Altar" of 1146 and a head-shaped reliquary of Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
, c. 1150, possibly by Godefroid (both now Cinquantenaire Museum
Cinquantenaire Museum
The Cinquantenaire Museum or Jubilee Park Museum is located in the Cinquantenaire park in Brussels, Belgium. It is part of the Royal Museums for Art and History, which is a Belgian federal institute of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office ....
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
). A gold relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
retable
Retable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
of the Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
(1160–70) is in the Musée de Cluny
Musée de Cluny
The Musée de Cluny , officially known as Musée National du Moyen Âge , is a museum in Paris, France...
, Paris, but an important and more elaborate retable of Saint Remaclus, of about 1150 and extending about nine square metres, was broken up at the French Revolution, and only two round enamel plaques survive, in Berlin and Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, though a 17th century drawing survives in Liège.
Coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, granted to the town of Stavelot in 1819, is also the coat of arms of the abbey — parted fess
Fess
In heraldry, a fess or fesse is a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shield. Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by a fess or other ordinary, ranging from one-fifth to one-third...
wise between an image of St Remaclus and the wolf, which in Stavelot's founding legend carried bricks for the building of the abbey after having killed Remaclus's donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
.