- Windberg Abbey
Windberg Abbey (Kloster Windberg) is a
Premonstratensian monastery inWindberg inLower Bavaria ,Germany .History
First foundation
Windberg Abbey was founded by Count Albert I of Bogen with the assistance of Bishop
Otto of Bamberg on the site of the original seat of the Counts of Bogen. Initially it was not a specifically Premonstratensian foundation, but was transferred to the order as an already established community between 1121 and 1146. The quire of the church was dedicated on 21 and22 May 1142 by Heinrich Zdik,Bishop of Olmütz , in the presence of Count Albert. Duke Vladislav II of Bohemia secured the endowment of the monastery by granting it the properties of Schüttenhofen (nowSušice ) and Albrechtsried.The foundation was dedicated in honour of the
Virgin Mary and in 1146 raised to the status of an abbey. After the extension of the abbey church it was dedicated on28 November 1167 by the Premonstratensian abbot of Leitomisch (nowLitomyšl ) and Johannes IV, bishop of Olmütz.The abbey was secularised and dissolved during the secularisation of Bavaria in 1803. The church became a parish church and the abbot's house the residence of the parish clergy. The monastic buildings passed into private ownership, and from 1835 were used for a brewery.
econd foundation
In 1923 the monastic community was re-established here by Premonstratensians from Berne-Heeswijk Abbey in the
Netherlands . As of 2005, 33 Premonstratensian canons live in Windberg.Roggenburg Priory nearNeu-Ulm is a priory of Windberg Abbey.The abbey church
The church is a three-aisled
basilica withtransept . It mostly originates from the 12th century and shows the influence ofHirsau Abbey . The monumental chief portal is especially impressive; the north portal is somewhat simpler. The tower, built in the 13th century, received its present form as recently as 1750 - 1760.The Baroque
high altar was made between 1735 and 1740, and contains a statue of the Virgin from about 1650. Thepulpit dates from 1674. Thestucco work in the church interior was created byMathias Obermayr , who also made the four extremely detailed side-altars, two of which are dated 1756.Sources and references
* "Prämonstratenser-Abtei Windberg", ISBN 3-89870-072-0
* "Die Kunstdenkmäler von Niederbayern, vol. XX: Bezirksamt Bogen", p. 440. Munich, 1929
* Backmund, Norbert, 1966. "Die Chorherrenorden und ihre Stifte in Bayern. Augustinerchorherren, Prämonstratenser, Chorherren v. Hl. Geist, Antoniter. Mit einem Beitrag von Adalbert Mischlewski: Die Niederlassungen des Antoniterordens in Bayern", p. 2. Passau.External links
* [http://www.praemonstratenserabtei-windberg.de/ Abtei Windberg: official website]
* [http://www.datenmatrix.de/projekte/hdbg/kloster/ Klöster in Bayern]
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