Former Benedictine Abbey of St. Benedict
Monastery of Benediktbeuern
Benediktbeuern, Upper Bavaria, Germany
1669–73 convent and choir building
1682–86 nave of the abbey church
1695–1731 arcaded courtyard
1708–16 economy building
1722–25 archive and library building
1750–58 Chapel of St. Anastasia
Architecture of convent and chancel building: Marx Schinnagl (1612–81);Architecture of abbey church, stucco work in convent and chancel building: Kaspar Feichtmayr the Elder (1639–1704);Stucco work in the abbey church: Giovanni Nicolò Perti and Prospero Brenno (died 1699);Franz Edmund Doll (1744–1824);Ceiling frescoes in the abbey church: Hans Georg Asam (1649–1711);Architecture of the arcaded courtyard and library building: Friar Michael Ötschmann OSB (1670–1755);Stucco work and frescoes in the library hall and prince’s wing: Johann Baptist (1680–1758) and Johann Joseph (1707–43) Zimmermann;Architecture of the economy building: Father Christoph Vogt OSB (1648–1725);Architecture of the Chapel of St. Anastasia: Johann Michael Fischer (1692–1766);Stucco and high altar in the Chapel of St. Anastasia: Johann Michael Feichtmayr (1696–1772);Ceiling frescoes in the Chapel of St. Anastasia: Johann Jakob Zeiller (1710–83)
Ecclesiastical architecture (monastery)
Abbots Amand Thomamiller (gov. 1661–71), Placidus Mayr (gov. 1672–89), Eliland Öttl (gov. 1690–1707), Magnus Pachinger (gov. 1707–42) and Leonhard Hochenauer (gov. 1742–58)
The Benedictine Abbey, founded legendarily around 742, and revived in modern times by the Salesians of Don Bosco, is considered the second oldest monastery in Old Bavaria. It is also still in possession of an arm relic of St. Benedict, the founder of the order. In accordance with this sacred status, it was also one of the first monasteries in the country to have its buildings renewed little by little from 1669 onwards, starting with the square of the inner convent and ending with that of the exterior arcaded courtyard which was completed in 1731. The last significant building project was the renewal of the Chapel of St. Anastasia around 1750, the relics of which were the objective for lucrative nationwide pilgrimage.
The high Baroque abbey church, as a basilica-like gallery hall adorned with innovative ceiling frescoes, is inspired by Salzburg Cathedral. Via the early Baroque double-towered chancel and sacristy building the church is connected with the three-winged convent of the same style, including cloister, chapter house, and refectory on the ground floor as well as a festival hall and monk’s cells on the upper floor. The traditional arcade architecture of the large exterior court of honour disguises the fact that it belongs to the late Baroque period. On the north side are seminar rooms and on the south side is the representative princely wing, the centre of which is formed by the ceremonial staircase and the new festival hall. Constructed at a fireproof distance are the gigantic four-winged economy building as well as the archive and library building.
View Short DescriptionThe venerable, second oldest Benedictine abbey in Old Bavaria was gradually renovated in the Baroque era. With its expansive buildings, it offers a cross-section of all the decoration styles of the era, beginning with the early Baroque stucco of the monk’s choir through the lavish high Baroque stucco of the abbey church, to the elegant Régence decorations of the princely wing and the capriccio-like Rococo of the Chapel of St. Anastasia.
Through chronical sources
First floor of the chancel building
1673
Architecture: Marx Schinnagl (1612–81); Stucco: Kaspar Feichtmayr the Elder (1639–1704)
Because of its stuccoed stellar vault the oratory of the monks is counted as one of the most beautiful early Baroque rooms in Old Bavaria. A round dance of angels in its centre presents the instruments of passion of Christ.
Second floor of the convent floor west wing
1672–75 establishmentAround 1690 replenishment of ceiling stucco
Architecture: Marx Schinnagl (1612–81); Stucco: Kaspar Feichtmayr the Elder (1639–1704), Nicolò Perti or Prospero Brenno; ceiling paintings: Stephan (1622–1700) and Michael Kessler (born 1649)
The early Baroque festival hall, adorned with two magnificently columned doorways, underwent a reworking in the high Baroque style by means of fully plastical stucco. The allegorical ceiling paintings, complexly mirroring life, deal with the seasons; the elements of fire, water, air and earth; the animal, plant and mineral worlds; the eternal circle of virtue and vice; the work of Christ interpreted as hunter, fisherman and gardener; as well as the resulting triumph of the rational believing soul.
Chancel of the abbey church
1686 mensa, retable, and sculptures in niches 1696 tabernacle 1788 altarpiece 1790 attic of the retable and tabernacle figures
Architecture of the altar: Johann Georg Guggemos (1636–1703); sculptures in niches and angels: Balthasar Ableithner (1614–1705); architecture of the tabernacle: Abbot Eliland Öttl (gov. 1690–1707); tabernacle figures: Roman Anton Boos (1733–1810); attic of the retable: Franz Edmund Doll (1744–1824); altarpiece: Martin Knoller (1725–1804)
The high altar, including the interior façade of the sacristy and the monk’s choir through the figure niches, is the oldest part of the valuable furnishing of the abbey church with marble altars. In the course of time, the columned aedicule of the retable was supplemented by a tabernacle and a new altarpiece that shows St. Benedict, the founder of the order, together with his sister Scholastica, as well as by an attic, the large clock of which is a reminder of the passing of time.
First floor in the south wing of the arcade court
1731-1733
Stucco and frescoes: Johann Baptist (1680–1758) and Johann Joseph (1707–43) Zimmermann
The Festival Hall, ideally conceptualised for the reception of Bavarian electoral princes as sovereigns, is decorated in the courtly Régence style. The central ceiling painting illustrates the establishment of the abbey as if it occurred in the present day at the time. This reinforces the ambivalent relationship between monastic allegiance and welfare provided by the sovereign.
At the north side of the abbey church nearby the chancel and sacristy
1750–58
Architecture: Johann Michael Fischer(1692–1766); stucco and high altar: Johann Michael Feichtmayr (1696–1772); side altars: Ignaz Günther (1725–75); altarpieces for the altars of St. Anastasia and of the Immaculate Conception: Jacopo Amigoni (1682–1752); ceiling fresco: Johann Jakob Zeiller (1710–83)
Marble columns connected elegantly by arches support a vault decorated with virtuous Rocaille stucco, on which is painted the vision of St. Anastasia’s ascension into heaven. The high-quality Venetian altarpiece of the main altar illustrates the intercession of saints to pilgrims with illnesses of the head and mental diseases of all kinds. Capriccio-like side altars by the hand of the famous sculptor Ignaz Günther complete the precious decoration.
Bauer, H. and Rupprecht, B. (eds), Corpus der barocken Deckenmalerei in Deutschland, Bd. 2: Freistaat Bayern, Regierungsbezirk Oberbayern: Die Landkreise Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Miesbach, Munich: Süddeutscher Verlag, 1981: 38–133.
Jahn, P. H., “Die Baugestalt der barocken Klosterkirche St. Benedikt zu Benediktbeuern (1672-1686): Italienisches und Einheimisches in der altbayerischen Sakralarchitektur des 17. Jahrhunderts”, Oberbayerisches Archiv 123, 1999: 75–234.
Kirmeier, J. and Treml, M. (eds), Glanz und Ende der alten Klöster: Säkularisation im bayerischen Oberland 1803 (Veröffentlichungen zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 21/91), Munich: Süddeutscher Verlag, 1991: 51–77, 185–206.
Weber, L. SDB, Kloster Benediktbeuern. Hoheits-, Wirtschafts- und Kulturzentrum seit dem frühen 8. Jahrhundert im Pfaffenwinkel (Große Kunstführer 23), revised version, Regensburg: Schnell & Steiner, 2003.
Weber, L. SDB, Kloster Benediktbeuern. Mit Päpstlicher Basilika und Anastasiakapelle (Kleine Kunstführer 34), 11th revised edition, Regensburg: Schnell & Steiner, 2001.
Peter Heinrich Jahn "Former Benedictine Abbey of St. Benedict" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;de;Mon12;19;en
MWNF Working Number: DE3 19
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