Gottweig Abbey

 My memories of Gottweig are of arriving by bicycle totally out of breath, for it is a hilly area and it was a beautiful hot day. We were staying in Durnstein (more of this in a later post) and hired bikes to ride along the Danube. It was one of our best holidays ever. We could see this celestial city or whatever it was from afar and upon arrival it seemed even more majestic. I had been here a few years previously by car but the bike approach was infinitely superior, if painful. 

Gottweig Abbey had been founded in the 11th century as a monastery for Canons Regular by Altmann, Bishop of Passau. Things didn't go well and laxity caused Bishop Ulrich of Passau to get Pope Urban II to agree to make a foundatiobn for Benedictine monks under the Rule of St Benedict. Prior Hartmann of St Blaise's Abbey was made Abbot and things improved. Gottweig became a famed place of learning. Abbot Hartmann (1094-1114) founded a monastic school, a library and a nunnery which started at the foot of the hill, and was later moved to the top and still going until 1557. Decline set in by the 15th and 16th centuries and by 1564 there no monks at all. Then there was a major fire in 1580.Michael Herrlich  was brought over from Melk to become the new Abbot. He brought it back to life financially and spiritually and began a rebuild. Gottweig survived the 17th century satisfactorily until a major fire in 1718. Abbot Gottfried Bessel (1714-49) was responsible for the grand rebuild we see today to the designs of Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.

Hildebradt's vision was for possibly the grandest Imperial Baroque complex ever built. The fact that it was never completed does not lessen its significance as the epitomy of  Counter Reformation Imperial pretension. Abbot Bessel  had connections with the Schonborn family and hence Hildebrandt became the chosen architect. The Schonborns saw it as their very own project. Hildebrandt was a big expert on fortifications and he used this in his design.  The plan involved parts of the old monastery, with huge bastioned fortifications a large domed church in the centre and state rooms led off two grand staircases The accommodation was clearly vastly in excess of what was required by the Abbey. Apparently the design was to suggest a crown on the landscape  In practice Hildebrandt's plans were just too expensive and we are left with a huge torso. The best remnant is the tremendous staircase with a ceiling by Paul Troger of the apotheosis of Emperor Charles VI. The Escorial of Philip II of Spain was an inspiration : Gottweig is like a palace with the church in the centre. Its like the fortrress of God. This was the high water mark of he Austrian Empire, The Turks had been repulsed. There would be a Kaiserstiege amd a Kaisersaal in such a building.The emphasis of the links between and Crown and church to provide a common enterprise of Godly rule.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Church facade  CC BY-SA 2.5 Tschaensky

                                                                                                                                                                       The Church facade has a classical feel. The interior has a 4 bay basilica with narrower higher chancel. The organ screen at the back of the nave is unusual but over large. The colour scheme of blue gold brown dates from the 19th century and is not to everyone's taste.

Today there are some 150,000 books and manuscripts in the Library and a significant collection of religious engravings and various antiquities. It still houses a Benedictine congregation of around 30 members.

Finally, go on a little tour with the video below. Easier than ascending by bike....