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Stella Matutina (Jesuit school)
Encyclopedia
Stella Matutina in Feldkirch
, Austria
, was a Jesuit school from 1651–1773 and from 1856-1979.
discontinued the order of the Society of Jesus
, the school closed. It was reopened under Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
in 1856 with the support of Pope Pius IX
and operated until 1938, when the Nazis forced the closing of the school. With the help of French
occupation forces, headed by a former student, Stella Matutina reopened in 1946, it continued until 1979.
authorities, in the late 19. century, English students introduced soccer to the Stella, and thus to Austria. This is debatable. From 1856 on, sports at the Stella was dominated by the now defunct 'stilts
game', "soccer on stilts". The stilts, usually made from wood, were relatively short. They reached "with a transverse grab handle up to the middle of the thigh ... where they were clasped with a firm grip". Arm and leg muscles were activated, by running on stilts and particularly by striking the ball with them.
Because of these violent consequences, the stilts game was forbidden at the Stella Matutina and the "entombment of the stilts did not take place without streams of tears". The students went on strike, and the Jesuits permitted the less violent soccer version to be played. Unlike today soccer, the players were allowed to use hands and there was no referee.
Not only soccer was popular. The pride of the school was a larger than Olympic size indoor pool, which was completed in 1912, the only one in Austria-Hungary
at the time. A delegation from the ministry in Vienna complained in 1912, that there is no other school in Austria with an indoor pool, not to mention such a large one. 120 years ago, ninety minutes were available in the afternoon on a daily basis for sports. The students had six large play grounds, which were converted for ice skating and hockey games in winter times .
, Germany and Switzerland. The conversational language was Latin
. The Jesuit professors were expected to publish in their respective fields and not a few of them taught at the Gregorian University after of before they were at the Stella. A 1931 volume of twenty-six publications shows a wide range of topics, from theology to law and natural sciences;
The Stella Matutina scholars were recognized at the time. Achille Ratti, later on Pope Pius XI
and Ludwig von Pastor
went to Feldkirch to conduct joint research with Jesuit professors of the Stella. After the outbreak of World War I
, the Stella lost much of its international flair and educated mainly students from German speaking counties among them much of the Catholic aristocracy
. The religious spirit of Stella Matutina manifested itself in the occupational choices after graduation. Over twenty of the graduates (1896–1938) entered the priesthood, many of them the order of the Jesuits.
, the General of the Jesuit Order; the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar
; Cardinal Franz Ehrle
; Professor and Rector of Innsbruck University, Hugo Rahner
; social reformer Pesch; Max Pribilla, and Erich Przywara
liberal authors; Papal advisor, scholar and superior, Otto Faller
; Niklaus Brantschen
, Zen
master, author, and founder of the Lassalle-Institut. Resistance fighters against the Nazis the martys Alfred Delp
and Alois Grimm
; others survived concentration camps, Friedrich Muckermann and Augustin Rösch
. Professors Oswald von Nell-Breuning
and Rudolf Cornely.
Some of them were previous students, such as Jesuit General Franz Xavier Wernz
and Cardinal Franz Ehrle
also Professor Johann Baptist Singenberger
.;
Other Stella Matutina students included: The President of the German Catholic Association, Aloys Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg; "The Lion of Münster", Blessed Cardinal
Clemens August Graf von Galen
and the last Chancellor of Austria
before the Adolf Hitler
take-over in 1938, Kurt Schuschnigg
Feldkirch, Vorarlberg
- Schools :* Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch * Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Feldkirch* Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Schillerstrasse...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, was a Jesuit school from 1651–1773 and from 1856-1979.
Short history
The “Kolleg” began in 1649 but opened formally in 1651. In 1773, when Pope Clement XIVPope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV , born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was Pope from 1769 to 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals.-Early life:...
discontinued the order of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, the school closed. It was reopened under Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
in 1856 with the support of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
and operated until 1938, when the Nazis forced the closing of the school. With the help of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
occupation forces, headed by a former student, Stella Matutina reopened in 1946, it continued until 1979.
Stilts Game and Soccer
According to FeldkirchFeldkirch, Vorarlberg
- Schools :* Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch * Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Feldkirch* Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Schillerstrasse...
authorities, in the late 19. century, English students introduced soccer to the Stella, and thus to Austria. This is debatable. From 1856 on, sports at the Stella was dominated by the now defunct 'stilts
Stilts
Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a distance above the ground. Walking stilts are poles equipped with steps for the feet to stand on, or straps to attach them to the legs, for the purpose of walking while elevated above a normal height...
game', "soccer on stilts". The stilts, usually made from wood, were relatively short. They reached "with a transverse grab handle up to the middle of the thigh ... where they were clasped with a firm grip". Arm and leg muscles were activated, by running on stilts and particularly by striking the ball with them.
-
- "On the playground there was ... only a gang of savage boys who, a big stilt in each hand, fought like possessed for a leather ball. ... There were some real masters among us, at home on the stalks just as on their own legs. ... As far as I am concerned, I was soon able to overtake in a race a good foot runner, to take obstacles jumping, to hop on one stalk - the other one swinging - across the whole width of the yard." Since the stilt play "was played with fanaticism" there were dangerous wounds: broken legs, lost teeth etc. . And there were always quarrels among the players: "They hit with the stilts."
Because of these violent consequences, the stilts game was forbidden at the Stella Matutina and the "entombment of the stilts did not take place without streams of tears". The students went on strike, and the Jesuits permitted the less violent soccer version to be played. Unlike today soccer, the players were allowed to use hands and there was no referee.
Not only soccer was popular. The pride of the school was a larger than Olympic size indoor pool, which was completed in 1912, the only one in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
at the time. A delegation from the ministry in Vienna complained in 1912, that there is no other school in Austria with an indoor pool, not to mention such a large one. 120 years ago, ninety minutes were available in the afternoon on a daily basis for sports. The students had six large play grounds, which were converted for ice skating and hockey games in winter times .
Scholarship
Before 1914, Stella Matutina was a truly international school with Jesuit Professors and Students from the USA, England, Ireland, Italy, France, the many regions of Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, Germany and Switzerland. The conversational language was Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. The Jesuit professors were expected to publish in their respective fields and not a few of them taught at the Gregorian University after of before they were at the Stella. A 1931 volume of twenty-six publications shows a wide range of topics, from theology to law and natural sciences;
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
and Ludwig von Pastor
Ludwig von Pastor
Ludwig Pastor, later Ludwig von Pastor, Freiherr von Campersfelden , was a German historian and a diplomat for Austria. He became one of the most important Roman Catholic historians of his time and is most notable for his History of the Popes...
went to Feldkirch to conduct joint research with Jesuit professors of the Stella. After the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Stella lost much of its international flair and educated mainly students from German speaking counties among them much of the Catholic aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
. The religious spirit of Stella Matutina manifested itself in the occupational choices after graduation. Over twenty of the graduates (1896–1938) entered the priesthood, many of them the order of the Jesuits.
Famous alummi
Stella Matutina had a series of well known professors and educators ; among them, Franz Xavier WernzFranz Xavier Wernz
Franz Xavier Wernz, S.J. was the twenty-fifth Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was born in Rottweil, Württemberg ....
, the General of the Jesuit Order; the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar
Hans Urs von Balthasar
Hans Urs von Balthasar was a Swiss theologian and priest who was nominated to be a cardinal of the Catholic Church...
; Cardinal Franz Ehrle
Franz Ehrle
Franz Ehrle was a German Jesuit, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archivist of the Holy Roman Church, he was named cardinal during the consistory of 11 December 1922, given the titulus of San Cesareo in Palatio.-Early years and formation:Franz was the son of Franz Ehrle, a physician,...
; Professor and Rector of Innsbruck University, Hugo Rahner
Hugo Rahner
Hugo Rahner, was a German Jesuit, Theologian, * 3 May 1900 in Pfullendorf , † 21 December 1968 in Munich. He was Dean and President of Innsbruck University and the elder brother of Karl Rahner.-Early life :...
; social reformer Pesch; Max Pribilla, and Erich Przywara
Erich Przywara
Erich Przywara was a German theologian who was highly influential in Europe, but less known in North America.From 1913-1917, he was teaching at Stella Matutina...
liberal authors; Papal advisor, scholar and superior, Otto Faller
Otto Faller
Rev.Otto Faller SJ was Provincial Superior of the Jesuit order in Germany, educator, teacher and Dean at Stella Matutina in Feldkirch, Austria and Kolleg St. Blasien in Germany, professor of patristic studies at the Gregorian University. He was life-long editor of the works of St. Ambrose...
; Niklaus Brantschen
Niklaus Brantschen
Niklaus Brantschen is a Swiss Jesuit, Zen master of the White Plum Sangha line and founder of the Lassalle-Institute within the Lassalle-House in Bad Schönbrunn/Zug, Canton of Zug...
, Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
master, author, and founder of the Lassalle-Institut. Resistance fighters against the Nazis the martys Alfred Delp
Alfred Delp
Alfred Delp was a German Jesuit priest who was executed for his resistance to the Nazi régime in Germany.- Early life and education :...
and Alois Grimm
Alois Grimm
Alois Grimm was a Jesuit priest, Patristic scholar, educator, and victim of Nazi religious hostility.-Early years:...
; others survived concentration camps, Friedrich Muckermann and Augustin Rösch
Augustin Rösch
Augustin Rösch was a German Jesuit, Provincial, resistance fighter against National Socialism. He had contacts to the circle of conspirators against Adolf Hitler of the July 20, 1944 and contributed to Catholic resistance against the Nazi regime.-Life:Rösch entered the Jesuit order at the age of 18...
. Professors Oswald von Nell-Breuning
Oswald von Nell-Breuning
Oswald von Nell-Breuning SJ was a Roman Catholic theologian and sociologist.Born in Trier, Germany into an aristocratic family, Nell-Breuning was ordained in 1921 and appointed Professor of Ethics at the University of Frankfurt am Main in 1928...
and Rudolf Cornely.
Some of them were previous students, such as Jesuit General Franz Xavier Wernz
Franz Xavier Wernz
Franz Xavier Wernz, S.J. was the twenty-fifth Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was born in Rottweil, Württemberg ....
and Cardinal Franz Ehrle
Franz Ehrle
Franz Ehrle was a German Jesuit, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archivist of the Holy Roman Church, he was named cardinal during the consistory of 11 December 1922, given the titulus of San Cesareo in Palatio.-Early years and formation:Franz was the son of Franz Ehrle, a physician,...
also Professor Johann Baptist Singenberger
Johann Baptist Singenberger
Johann Baptist Singenberger was a Swiss composer, music teacher, editor and publisher. His works comprised a large part of the repertory of the Catholic Church's music. He was reckoned to have taught over 1,000 musicians in his lifetime. Singenberger founded the American St...
.;
Other Stella Matutina students included: The President of the German Catholic Association, Aloys Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg; "The Lion of Münster", Blessed Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Clemens August Graf von Galen
Clemens August Graf von Galen
Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen was a German count, Bishop of Münster, and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church....
and the last Chancellor of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
before the Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
take-over in 1938, Kurt Schuschnigg
Kurt Schuschnigg
Kurt Alois Josef Johann Schuschnigg was Chancellor of the First Austrian Republic, following the assassination of his predecessor, Dr. Engelbert Dollfuss, in July 1934, until Germany’s invasion of Austria, , in March 1938...
Literature
- Alex Blöchlinger SJ Die Bewegte Geschichte des Kollegs Stella Matutina von 1856-1938 und 1946-1979; Illustrierte Buchausgabe: Bucher Verlag, Hohenems 2006, 155 Seiten, ISBN 978-3902525-52-9
- Otto FallerOtto FallerRev.Otto Faller SJ was Provincial Superior of the Jesuit order in Germany, educator, teacher and Dean at Stella Matutina in Feldkirch, Austria and Kolleg St. Blasien in Germany, professor of patristic studies at the Gregorian University. He was life-long editor of the works of St. Ambrose...
SJ 25 Jahre Kolleg St.Blasien, in: "Kollegbrief 1959" Kolleg St. Blasien (Hrsg), St. Blasien 1959, Seiten 20-25; - Albert Heitlinger SJ Über alte Jesuitenkollegien und ihre Pädagogik in: "Kollegbrief Weihnachten 1954" Kolleg St. Blasien (Hrsg), St. Blasien 1954
- Josef Knünz SJ 100 Jahre Stella Matutina 1856-1956 J.N.Teutsch, Bregenz 1956;
- Alois Koch SJ, Play and Sport at the Jesuit College "Stella Matutina" in Feldkirch, Published in: W. Schwank (and others ed.): Begegnung. Schriftenreihe zur Geschichte der Beziehung zwischen Christentum und Sport, volume 4. Aachen 2003
- Josef Stiglmayr SJ Festschrift zur Feier des Fünfzigjährigen Pensionats U L F Stella Matutina in Feldkirch Feldkirch, Austria, 1906;
- Stella Matutina (Hrsg.) 75 Jahre Stella Matutina Band 1-3; Selbstverlag, Feldkirch, Austria, 1931; Band I: Abhandlungen von Mitgliedern des Lehrkörpers; Band II: Abhandlungen von ehemaligen Zöglingen; Band III: Stellazeiten und Stellaleben, geschildert von Zöglingen mit 103 Bildtafeln;
- Stella Matutina Jahresberichte, Stella Matutina Feldkirch, (annual reports)
- Anton Ludewig SJ Briefe und Akten zur Geschichte des Gymnasiums und des Kollegs der Gesellschaft Jesu in Feldkirch (1649–1773) in: Jahresberichten des Privatgymnasiums Stella Matutina (1908–1911);