Volkmarskeller
Encyclopedia
Volkmarskeller is the name of a cave that used to have a church next to it in the vicinity of Blankenburg (Harz) in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
.
and Ansgar of Bremen. Until the 1930s, her retreat was believed to have been at Volkmarskeller, until Walther Grosse was able to show that it could have been at Wendhusen Abbey near Thale
.
Either way, the church near the cave of Volkmarskeller was dedicated to St. Michael and was gifted in 956 by Otto I to Quedlinburg Abbey
. From then on, the cave, which was not far from the imperial hunting lodge of Bodfeld
, provided shelter for pious settlers. For example the death of a certain Bernhardus presbyter solitarius de Laide sancti Michaelis was recorded in 1118. According to the Annales Cistercienses, after several years of preparation that had begun in 1135, the cave and church was officially opened on 28 July 1146 as accommodation for Cistercian monks from Kamp Abbey
under Abbot Roger.
In 1146, at the request of the Abbess of Quedlinburg, Beatrix II, Pope Innocent II approved the founding of the abbey and the allocation to the monastery of estates in Marsleben, Groß- and Klein-Ditfurt, Sülten and other places (today mostly abandoned villages near Quedlinburg
). These had already been donated to the Quedlinburg Abbey in 1138/39 by Quedlinburg ministerialis, Burchard. In the period from 1151 to 1167, the monastery was moved to Evergodesrode at the lower end of the valley at the present site of Michaelstein Abbey
.
The ruined cave dwellings were excavated in 1884-1887 by architect (Baurat) Brinkmann and made accessible.
hiking network. The nearest car park is in Eggeröder Brunnen which is about 15 minutes walk away.
Not far away is the former iron ore pit of Volkmar. In 1893, there was an explosion here that was caused by the complications of handling dynamite at temperatures below 7° C. The Hüttenrode Alpine Club erected a memorial in 2007 to the miners who were killed. This is on the track and trail between Eggeröder Brunnen-Volkmarskeller and Michaelstein Abbey at Blankenburg.
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
.
History
Around the period from 850 to 870, the hermit Liutbirg, who was highly respected by her contemporaries, lived in a retreat. She was a close confidante of bishops Haimo of HalberstadtHalberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
and Ansgar of Bremen. Until the 1930s, her retreat was believed to have been at Volkmarskeller, until Walther Grosse was able to show that it could have been at Wendhusen Abbey near Thale
Thale
Thale is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Bode, approximately 8 km west of Quedlinburg. It is the terminus of the Magdeburg–Thale railway.- History :...
.
Either way, the church near the cave of Volkmarskeller was dedicated to St. Michael and was gifted in 956 by Otto I to Quedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey was a house of secular canonesses in Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded in 936 on the initiative of Saint Mathilda, the widow of Henry the Fowler, as his memorial...
. From then on, the cave, which was not far from the imperial hunting lodge of Bodfeld
Bodfeld
Bodfeld was a small royal palace or lodge that was primarily established for hunting purposes and, when the town of Elbingerode was emerged, for the administration of ore mining in the central Harz that underpinned the power of the Ottonian and Salian kings and emperors in medieval Europe...
, provided shelter for pious settlers. For example the death of a certain Bernhardus presbyter solitarius de Laide sancti Michaelis was recorded in 1118. According to the Annales Cistercienses, after several years of preparation that had begun in 1135, the cave and church was officially opened on 28 July 1146 as accommodation for Cistercian monks from Kamp Abbey
Kamp Abbey
Kamp Abbey , also known as Altenkamp Abbey or Altfeld Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery founded in German territory, in the present town of Kamp-Lintfort in North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:It was founded in 1123 by Friedrich I, Archbishop of Cologne, and settled from Morimond Abbey...
under Abbot Roger.
In 1146, at the request of the Abbess of Quedlinburg, Beatrix II, Pope Innocent II approved the founding of the abbey and the allocation to the monastery of estates in Marsleben, Groß- and Klein-Ditfurt, Sülten and other places (today mostly abandoned villages near Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
). These had already been donated to the Quedlinburg Abbey in 1138/39 by Quedlinburg ministerialis, Burchard. In the period from 1151 to 1167, the monastery was moved to Evergodesrode at the lower end of the valley at the present site of Michaelstein Abbey
Michaelstein Abbey
Michaelstein Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, now the home of the Stiftung Kloster Michaelstein - Musikinstitut für Aufführungspraxis , near the town of Blankenburg in the Harz in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.-History:In a deed of Emperor Otto I dated 956 giving property to...
.
The ruined cave dwellings were excavated in 1884-1887 by architect (Baurat) Brinkmann and made accessible.
Tourism
The Volkmarskeller can be visited free of charge. It is located in the upper part of the monastery grounds, just above the trail that leads from Michaelstein Abbey to the hamlet of Eggeröder Brunnen. At the Volkmarskeller is a checkpoint (no. 87) in the Harzer WandernadelHarzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
hiking network. The nearest car park is in Eggeröder Brunnen which is about 15 minutes walk away.
Not far away is the former iron ore pit of Volkmar. In 1893, there was an explosion here that was caused by the complications of handling dynamite at temperatures below 7° C. The Hüttenrode Alpine Club erected a memorial in 2007 to the miners who were killed. This is on the track and trail between Eggeröder Brunnen-Volkmarskeller and Michaelstein Abbey at Blankenburg.