St. Ulrich's Priory in the Black Forest
Encyclopedia
St. Ulrich's Priory in the Black Forest (St. Ulrich im Schwarzwald) was a priory of Cluny Abbey
(in Burgundy) founded in the valley of the River Möhlin in the Black Forest
in about 1083. St. Ulrich is now part of the municipality of Bollschweil
, in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
, Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
.
, when Ulrich of Zell
(d. 1093), a monk of Regensburg
and Cluny, founded a priory of the latter house on the western edge of the Black Forest. In the process Ulrich took over an already existing monastic community, founded before 1072 on the Tuniberg (near Ober- and Unterrimsingen), which had moved between 1077 and 1080 to Grüningen near Oberrimsingen. Ulrich was considerably helped in this matter by the strong links with Cluny which had already been built up by the founder of the existing monastery, the nobleman Hesso of Eichstetten and Rimsingen, and by Hermann I, Margrave of Baden (d. 1074). At Ulrich's instigation the community moved yet again in about 1087, this time to Zell in the Möhlin valley, where in 868 there had been a cell of the Abbey of St. Gall
. Burkhard of Hasenburg (or of Fenis), Bishop of Basle from 1072 to 1107, obtained possession for the priory of the surrounding land, which was in need of clearance.
This, the only Cluniac house on the right bank of the Rhine, developed very satisfactorily. The priory's estates included possessions in the Breisgau
, Alsace
and in the Ortenau
; it owned inter alia the rectories of Grüningen, Wolfenweiler, Bollschweil and Hochdorf, and in 1315 exchanged the contested rectory of Achkarren for that of Feuerbach. The Vögte (lords protectors) were: the Counts of Nimburg; the Bishops of Strasbourg
(1200); the Hohenstaufen
kings (1236); the Counts of Freiburg im Breisgau; and the Dukes of Further Austria
(1445).
The priory and settlement were referred to both as "Zell" and as "St. Ulrich's" until the 14th century, when St. Ulrich's became the established name.
The monastic community declined in the 13th century. Repeated visitations from Cluny bear witness to a drastically reduced community, of four to seven monks and the prior. There was some revival under Prior Paulus von Kůnheim (1448–1489), but the community lost all independence during the Reformation
. St. Ulrich's became in 1547 a priory of St. George's Abbey in the Black Forest
, and then in 1560 of St. Peter's Abbey in the Black Forest
, into which it was fully incorporated in 1578.
In 1806, during secularisation, it was dissolved at the same time as St. Peter's.
church of St. Ulrich retains some traces of the preceding medieval buildings, in respect of which there are records of altar dedications, demolitions, repairs and new construction. There is a great font
of the 11th or 12th centuries and a 13th century Madonna
.
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
(in Burgundy) founded in the valley of the River Möhlin in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
in about 1083. St. Ulrich is now part of the municipality of Bollschweil
Bollschweil
Bollschweil is a municipality in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located approximately 10 km south of Freiburg.-History:...
, in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald is a district in the south of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Emmendingen, Schwarzwald-Baar, Waldshut, Lörrach and the French départements of the Haut-Rhin and the Bas-Rhin. The district-free city of Freiburg is surrounded by the district...
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History
The origins of the Cluniac priory of St. Ulrich lie in the time of the Investiture ControversyInvestiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
, when Ulrich of Zell
Ulrich of Zell
Saint Ulrich of Zell, also known as Wulderic, sometimes of Cluny or of Regensburg , was a Cluniac reformer of Germany, abbot, founder and saint.-Life:...
(d. 1093), a monk of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
and Cluny, founded a priory of the latter house on the western edge of the Black Forest. In the process Ulrich took over an already existing monastic community, founded before 1072 on the Tuniberg (near Ober- and Unterrimsingen), which had moved between 1077 and 1080 to Grüningen near Oberrimsingen. Ulrich was considerably helped in this matter by the strong links with Cluny which had already been built up by the founder of the existing monastery, the nobleman Hesso of Eichstetten and Rimsingen, and by Hermann I, Margrave of Baden (d. 1074). At Ulrich's instigation the community moved yet again in about 1087, this time to Zell in the Möhlin valley, where in 868 there had been a cell of the Abbey of St. Gall
Abbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
. Burkhard of Hasenburg (or of Fenis), Bishop of Basle from 1072 to 1107, obtained possession for the priory of the surrounding land, which was in need of clearance.
This, the only Cluniac house on the right bank of the Rhine, developed very satisfactorily. The priory's estates included possessions in the Breisgau
Breisgau
Breisgau is the name of an area in southwest Germany, placed between the river Rhine and the foothills of the Black Forest around Freiburg im Breisgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, which partly consists of the Breisgau, is named after that area...
, Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and in the Ortenau
Ortenau
The Ortenau is a historical territory in Baden-Württemberg, located on the right bank of the River Rhine. It covers approximately the same area as the Ortenaukreis, a present-day district....
; it owned inter alia the rectories of Grüningen, Wolfenweiler, Bollschweil and Hochdorf, and in 1315 exchanged the contested rectory of Achkarren for that of Feuerbach. The Vögte (lords protectors) were: the Counts of Nimburg; the Bishops of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
(1200); the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
kings (1236); the Counts of Freiburg im Breisgau; and the Dukes of Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
(1445).
The priory and settlement were referred to both as "Zell" and as "St. Ulrich's" until the 14th century, when St. Ulrich's became the established name.
The monastic community declined in the 13th century. Repeated visitations from Cluny bear witness to a drastically reduced community, of four to seven monks and the prior. There was some revival under Prior Paulus von Kůnheim (1448–1489), but the community lost all independence during the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. St. Ulrich's became in 1547 a priory of St. George's Abbey in the Black Forest
St. George's Abbey in the Black Forest
St. George's Abbey in the Black Forest was a Benedictine monastery in St. Georgen im Schwarzwald in the southern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Foundation to Reformation:...
, and then in 1560 of St. Peter's Abbey in the Black Forest
St. Peter's Abbey in the Black Forest
St Peter's Abbey in the Black Forest or St. Peter's Abbey, Schwarzwald is a former Benedictine monastery in the village of St. Peter im Schwarzwald, in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-History:...
, into which it was fully incorporated in 1578.
In 1806, during secularisation, it was dissolved at the same time as St. Peter's.
Buildings
The BaroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
church of St. Ulrich retains some traces of the preceding medieval buildings, in respect of which there are records of altar dedications, demolitions, repairs and new construction. There is a great font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
of the 11th or 12th centuries and a 13th century Madonna
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
.
Priors of St. Ulrich's
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