Location: Sankt Florian, 19km (12 miles) Southeast of Linz, Upper Austria Map
Tel. +43 (0)7224 8902 0
Official site
The baroque Sankt Florian Abbey, one of the largest and most famous
monasteries in Austria, is located in the market town of St. Florian
near Linz in Upper Austria. The collegiate church dedicated to the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary (patrocinium August 15) is a parish church
and basilica minor. It belongs to the Deanery of Enns-Lorch in the
Diocese of Linz. The monastery basilica and the monastery building are
under monument protection.
A community of Augustinian canons has
existed here since 1071, today called the Congregation of Austrian
Augustinian Canons. The magnificent, almost intact baroque building with
the monastery basilica was created by the architects Carlo Antonio
Carlone, Jakob Prandtauer and Johann Gotthard Hayberger between 1686 and
1751.
The origin of the St. Florian monastery is not proven by any
documents. The first written sources date from the end of the 8th
century. A tradition from the 9th century, the Passio Floriani, tells of
the martyrdom of the first Christian known by name in what is now
Austria: Saint Florian, who initially worked in the civil administration
of the Roman Empire. When he later publicly professed Christianity in
the course of the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian, he
was tortured and thrown into the Enns river, where he died. According to
the Passio Floriani, a writing in which the martyrdom of the later Saint
Florian was described, he was buried in 304 at the place where the
collegiate church is located. This suggests a tradition of worship of
the eponymous saint in St Florian from the 4th century.
The first
written evidence of a monastery complex dates back to the Carolingian
period in 819. In 1071 Bishop Altmann von Passau introduced the
Augustinian rule. Until then, St. Florian was a monastery for secular
canons. With the introduction of the rule, the canons became religious,
who from then on took religious vows. Since then they have performed
monastic and pastoral tasks (the monastery oversees 33 incorporated
parishes).
The first known church building dates from the end of
the 11th century. It was destroyed in a fire in 1235, but was
immediately rebuilt afterwards.
In 1140/50 the giant bible of St.
Florian was created in the scriptorium of the monastery, a work of art
of Romanesque illumination.
In December 1162, the monastery
acquired the first parish outside of Upper Austria. Along with the
parent parish of St. Michael in the Wachau, its branches St. Margareta
and St. Ulrich in Mühldorf and St. Florian in Wösendorf were also taken
over. In 1258 the Wachau branches in Weißenkirchen and the reading farm
including vineyards in Weinzierl in the eastern municipality of Krems
were added.
In the 19th century, the monastery developed into the
center of Upper Austrian historical research, with Franz Xaver Pritz and
Jodocus Stülz as its most important representatives. From 1848 to 1855
the composer and musician Anton Bruckner worked as organist; he is
buried directly under the Bruckner organ built by Franz Xaver Krisman.
In January 1941 the monastery was confiscated and expropriated by
the Gestapo. The canons and their then provost Vinzenz Hartl were
expelled, but were able to continue their monastic life in Pulgarn
Monastery near Steyregg. From 1942, the Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft had
its headquarters here under its general director Heinrich Glasmeier.
After the end of the Second World War, the canons were able to return to
the monastery.
After Leopold Hager, Johannes Zauner (* 1913
Walding; † September 24, 1977 in St. Florian) and Wilhelm Neuwirth
(1977-2005), Johannes Holzinger has been the 57th provost of Sankt
Florian since 2005. The monastery currently has 30 canons (as of January
2021).
The list of prelates is largely based on the magnificent manuscript,
which was commissioned by Provost Johann Georg Wiesmayr in 1740 by the
Florian canon Johann Evangelist Pachl (1677–1744) and transferred to
parchment in decorative handwriting by the valet Karl Anselm Heiss.
Hartmann, officiated 1071-1099, first provost of the 1071 reformed
monastery
Isimbert, officiated 1099–1123
Dietmar I, officiated
1124–1152
Henry I, officiated 1153–1172
Engelbert I, officiated
1172–1202
Otto, officiated 1203-1213, from 1214 Bishop of Gurk
Altmann, officiated 1213–1223
Bernhard, officiated 1224–1240
Dietmar II, officiated 1240–1250
Arnold I, officiated 1250–1256
Sibito, officiated 1257–1258
Arnold II, officiated 1258–1271
Conrad, officiated 1272–1277
Ulschalk, officiated 1277–1283
Ulrich
von Patnanger (* in Enns), officiated 1283–1295
Einwik Weizlan (* in
Enns), officiated 1295–1313
Henry II of Marsbach, officiated
1314–1321
Wernher von Winkel, officiated 1322–1331
Henry III
Piber, officiated 1331–1350
John I, officiated 1350–1353
Weigand
Mosinger, officiated 1354–1372
Albert of Rana, officiated 1372–1381
Stephan Zainkgraben (Zeingraben), officiated 1382–1407
Jodok I
Pernschlag, officiated 1407–1417
Kaspar I Seisenecker, officiated
1417–1436
Lukas Fridensteiner von Maur, officiated 1436–1459,
received the pontificals from Pope Pius II Piccolomini (1458–1464), i.
H. that from this point on he was allowed to wear episcopal insignia and
perform episcopal official acts.
Johann II Stieger, officiated
1459–1467
Kaspar II Vorster, officiated 1467–1481
Peter II
Sieghartner, officiated 1481–1483
Leonhard Riesenschmied (* in
Lembach im Mühlkreis), officiated 1483-1508
Peter III Maurer (* in
St. Florian), officiated 1508-1545, resigned as provost
Florian Muth
(born 1491 in St. Florian), officiated 1545–1553
Siegmund
Pfaffenhofer (* in St. Florian), officiated 1553–1572
Georg I Freuter
(* in Coburg), officiated 1573–1598
Vitus (Veit) Widmann († January
20, 1612), officiated 1599–1612
Leopold I. Zehetner (* 1573 in St.
Florian; † September 30, 1646), officiated as provost 1612-1646
Mathias Gotter (* in Krummau), officiated as provost 1646-1666
David
Fuhrmann (* 1621 in Straubing; † October 6, 1689 in Linz), officiated
1667-1689, first Lateran abbot
Matthäus I von Weißenberg (* 1644 in
Steyr; † 1700 in St. Florian), officiated as provost 1689-1700
Franz
Klausius (Clausius) Kröll, officiated as provost 1700-1716
John III
Födermayr, who served as provost from 1716 to 1732, had Hohenbrunn
Palace built
Johann Georg II Wiesmayr (born April 4, 1695),
officiated as provost 1732–1755
Engelbert II Hofmann, officiated as
provost 1755–1766
Matthew II Gogl, officiated as provost 1766–1777
Leopold II Trulley, officiated as provost 1777–1793
Michael I.
Ziegler, officiated as provost 1793–1823
Michael II Arneth,
officiated as provost 1823–1854
Friedrich Mayer, officiated as
provost 1854-1858
Jodok II. Stülz, officiated as provost 1859-1872
Ferdinand Moser, officiated as provost 1872-1901
Josef Sailer,
officiated as provost 1901-1920, abbot general of the Austrian
Augustinian Canons Congregation 1907-1920
Vinzenz Hartl, officiated
as provost 1920-1944
Leopold Hager, officiated as provost 1944-1968,
resigned in 1968
Johannes Zauner, officiated as provost 1968-1977
Wilhelm Neuwirth, officiated as provost 1977-2005, 1987-2002 abbot
general of the Austrian Augustinian Canons' Congregation
Johannes
Holzinger (born April 12, 1951), has served as provost since 2005
The church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, St. Florian and
St. Augustine. From 1686, the St. Florian Collegiate Church was rebuilt
on the floor plan of the earlier church and using medieval walls. The
builder of the church was Carlo Antonio Carlone. It is considered his
main work. He was actually supposed to rebuild the entire monastery
complex, but he died during the work in 1708. He was able to complete
the church and almost the entire west wing of the monastery building by
then. After Carlone's death, Jakob Prandtauer took over the
construction, which essentially continued in Carlone's spirit. Since he
was a well-known artistic personality, he naturally made additions and
small changes. So are u. the portal of the west wing, which extends over
three floors, can be traced back to him, as well as the south wing with
the pavilion-like, protruding marble hall and the summer refectory as an
annex on the east side of the monastery. After Prandtauer's death
(1726), the convent wing was completed according to his design under the
direction of Jakob Steinhuber and his son Michael. – For interior design
and furnishings of the church, see below.
Architecture of the
monastery buildings (order according to the tour)
Abbey Library
Master builder Gotthard Hayberger from Steyr was entrusted with the
construction of a library wing (a first one was previously planned as an
annex building elsewhere) in the middle of the east wing. The main hall
of the abbey library, built between 1744 and 1751, is a late baroque
jewel. The bookshelves, the gallery and the doors were made by local
craftsmen and testify to the high quality of their work. Bartolomeo
Altomonte created the figures in the ceiling fresco Connecting Virtue
with Science (ref. 1747) and Antonio Tassi painted the architecture. The
overall design of the painting comes from Daniel Gran. The library
comprises around 150,000 volumes, including medieval manuscripts and
early prints, many of which were restored by Eleonore Klee after the
Second World War. The Florian Psalter was also part of the library until
1931.
art collections
The rich art collections include stocks
from all art epochs. Two larger-than-life figures of St. Florian from
the 14th century are part of it, as are the Gothic panels of the
Sebastian altar by Albrecht Altdorfer. Works by other masters of the
Danube School complete the important collection. The other art treasures
of St Florian Monastery include a glass painting collection, a
collection of baroque paintings and contemporary art, and a graphic
collection.
Marble Hall
The Marble Hall, which emerges as a
risalit in the middle of the south wing and occupies the entire second
and third floor of the building, was designed by Jakob Prandtauer in
1718. The plastic and ornamental decoration of the courtyard facade
comes from Leonhard Sattler (1723/24). The ceiling painting by
Bartolomeo Altomonte shows the glorification of Austria's and Hungary's
victories over the Turks and blessings of peace. Ippolito Sconzani
created the architectural painting. The equestrian portraits of Emperor
Charles VI and Prince Eugene were also created by Bartolomeo Altomonte.
The stucco and stucco marble work are by Franz Josef Ignaz Holzinger
(1724–1727).
Imperial and guest rooms
The 16 rooms, which were
made available to guests from the imperial family, but also to other
(through) travelers (Pope Pius VI stayed here, as did Michael Haydn,
Franz Schubert and Franz Grillparzer), still have the original
furnishings and furniture from the 18th century. Century. All were made
by Upper Austrian artists and craftsmen. The statues above the doors,
the candlesticks and the bedposts in the so-called Prinz Eugen Room are
of remarkable quality.
Some guest rooms feature large-scale
paintings, such as the Faistenberger Room, which is named after the
performing artist of the same name. The paintings on the walls of the
Prince Eugen room and the hunting room with landscapes and scenes from
the Turkish wars and hunting impressions come from the Winterthur
painter Felix Mayr and his son.
Church buildings have been documented on the same site since the end
of the 11th century. An earlier building was destroyed in the fire of
1235, but was immediately rebuilt. Today's collegiate church, dedicated
to the Assumption of Mary, is almost a new building that Carlo Antonio
Carlone planned and built from 1686 onwards. Noteworthy are the powerful
protruding semi-columns, capitals and the entablature, which performs a
strong movement in the upper part and dominates the interior. The motif
of the columns is continued in the architectural painting on the
ceiling. It forms a kind of framework for the figurative scenes in the
center (in the nave Life of St. Florian, in the choir Coronation of
Mary). Anton Gumpp and Melchior Steidl (1690–1695) were the artists of
the frescoes.
The high altar made of red Untersberg marble is by
Johann Baptist Colomba (1683-1690), the altarpiece Assumption of Mary by
Giuseppe Ghezzi (1687), the tabernacle by Johann Jakob Sattler (1769).
In the crossing there are richly carved choir stalls by Adam Franz
(1690/91) with depictions of the four church fathers by Jakob Auer in
the niches. Above it are music stands with two choir organs in richly
carved cases (by Josef Remmer 1691, the organs are from later periods),
also made by Adam Franz, with numerous putti playing music.
The
side altars are built into four niches on the left and right. They are
partly made of Untersberger marble. The first side altar to the right of
the vestibule is the Maria Magdalena altar by Giovanni Antonio Daria,
painted by Andrea Celesti around 1700. Opposite is the Barbara altar,
also by Daria with an altarpiece by Wenzel Halbax (1694). The second
altar on the right is the guardian angel altar by Giovanni Battista
Bianco, the opposite Anna altar is by the same artist, Michael Willmann
painted the two altarpieces. The two next altars on the left and right
are also by Bianco, the two statues of St. Ambrosius and St. Monica on
the Augustine altar were created by Leonhard Sattler, and the altarpiece
by Johann Michael Rottmayr. The two statues of St. Nicholas and St.
Donatus on the opposite Floriani altar are also by Leonhard Sattler
(1720), the altarpiece is by the Munich painter Leopold Schulz (1837).
The last two altars, the cross altar and the sacrament altar, were
created by Giovanni Antonio Daria, and Leopold Schulz painted the
pictures.
The pulpit made of black marble (the sound cover is
made of linden wood) was made by Johann Michael Leithner from
Lilienfeld. The plastic decoration comes from Josef Reßler from Vienna
(1755). Father Augustine, standing on the soundboard, holds his flaming
heart, the symbol of love, towards the dome of the church, which depicts
the coronation of Mary. The pews are from Stephan Jegg from St Florian
(from 1694).
The magnificent grating that separates the vestibule
from the nave was created by Hans Meßner in 1698. Behind the grating, a
modern monument (by Herbert Friedl 1997) commemorates the Wilbirg hermit
(more on this: see Crypt). - In 1999, Pope John Paul II raised the
collegiate church to the status of a minor basilica. This is
commemorated by a papal coat of arms by Klaus Wedenig, which is located
on the left behind the grating.
The crypt under the nave of the
church consists of an anteroom and a main room with groined vaults on
Tuscan columns. At this point one suspects the first burial place of St.
Florian. There are also tombstones of provosts of the abbey, a
remarkable tomb of Queen Catherine of Poland († 1572) and the stone
coffin of the hermit Wilbirg, who lived for 41 years in a hermitage next
to the old abbey church and died in 1289 with a reputation for holiness.
She is revered as the patron saint of the monastery. At the end of the
crypt, under the organ, stands the simple coffin of Anton Bruckner.
The organ in the basilica got its name because it is closely linked
to the work of Anton Bruckner. The Slovenian organ builder Franz Xaver
Krismann built the instrument between 1770 and 1774. It has 74 voices on
three manual works and pedal. The late baroque case was made by Johann
Christian Jegg.
In the course of time the organ was rebuilt
several times, e.g. by Johann Georg Fischer, Matthäus Mauracher, the
brothers Mauracher and Wilhelm Zika. Initially, the conversions were
limited to the bellows system in order to eliminate the problems with
the wind supply. In 1873 the instrument was permanently modified by
Matthäus Mauracher (Salzburg). In the interests of a more romantic
sound, about a third of the registers were replaced and some registers
revoiced. The instrument was given a fourth manual, the disposition was
expanded to 78 registers; in addition, the central front of the
prospectus was rebuilt from 8' to 16' in length. In 1932 the organ was
reworked by Dreher & Flamm (Salzburg) and the Mauracher brothers (Linz).
The slider chests were exchanged for cone chests, the instrument was
equipped with electro-pneumatic action and expanded to a total of 92
registers. In addition, the choir organs were connected to the main
organ. In 1951 Wilhelm Zika revised the organ and partially restored it
to its original condition. The instrument was fitted with slider chests
again, and a number of stops by Krismann were reconstructed. In
addition, the disposition was again expanded to 103 voices. The trumpet
and shelf work were added, the labial work was set up in a sill box. In
1996, employees of the Upper Austrian Organ Building Institute Kögler
(St. Florian) carried out a restoration. The instrument was given
electric tracker action and a new console with numerous playing aids
(including an electronic 4x640 beater system, a floppy disk storage
mechanism and an automatic playback system using magnetic tape). The
Bruckner organ has 103 registers (7,386 pipes) and was the largest
playable church organ in Austria, apart from the giant organ in St.
Stephen's Cathedral, which was built in 1960 and has been out of use for
almost 30 years.
Choir organ
In addition to the Bruckner
organ, there is also a choir organ in the collegiate church, which is
divided between the two sides of the presbytery. The Roman organ case
from 1691 contains a work by the Mauracher Brothers from 1931 with 43
registers.
Bells
The collegiate church has a historically
grown and musically and artistically valuable stock of church bells,
which is divided into two groups of bells: the main bell and the choir
or side bell.
Main bell
Twelve bells are distributed between
the two west towers, with the Great Bell being mounted separately in the
north-west tower. It is one of the largest bells in Austria and rings
every Thursday evening to commemorate Christ's agony on the Mount of
Olives; hence her nickname, Fear Bell. In the course of the renovation
in 2003, the two bells of the wind tower were added. The actual and
concurrent main bell consists of the seven largest bells. The bells,
which date from the 14th century, in particular the twelve bells, the
eleven bells, the six bells and the first choir bell, bear witness to
the high art of bell casting. They come from a foundry workshop in St.
Florian and are dated 1318 and 1319.
Choir or side bells
There
is also an eight-part choir bell. It serves as a side bell for daily use
(call to the three times a day choral prayer of the monks in the
oratory). The disposition follows a pure C major scale. Musically and
technically it is designed as a so-called cymbal ringing: the wall
thickness (rib) of the bells increases with increasing pitch, the pitch
goes up to the three-pitched octave (c3). The bells carry the invocation
and the seven prayers of the Lord's Prayer.
The Florian Boys' Choir, the well-known boys' choir with a long
tradition (its origins go back to the year 1071), are closely connected
to the monastery. They live in the boarding school and attend local
public schools. Since 1991, the Hauptschule and the Neue Mittelschule St
Florian have had their own classes for the choir boys. A choir director,
Markus Stumpner at the moment, takes care of the voice training and
rehearses the current repertoire with the boys.
Until a few
decades ago, the choir boys were almost exclusively responsible for the
creation of church music in the monastery. Under the former director
Prof Hans Bachl († 1984) the first concert tours abroad took place, and
the choir boys successfully took part in competitions. Today, the choir
has a variety of tasks: church music performances are still part of it,
they often sing in operas, such as B. the Three Boys in The Magic Flute
(Salzburg, Vienna, Berlin, Verona), regularly make concert tours to all
parts of the world and record CDs.
The male choir of the St
Florian Boys' Choir was founded in 1989. It consists mostly of former
boys' choir who are continuing their vocal training and sometimes also
appear in other ensembles or groups. Many musicians have also emerged
from this choir, the best known is certainly Anton Bruckner.
International Bruckner Days St. Florian
The "Bruckner Days St.
Florian" have been held every year since 1997 and open up direct access
to his work at the place where Anton Bruckner worked. The
twelve-year-old was admitted to the St Florian Boys' Choir in 1837 and
maintained close contact with the monastery and the Augustinian canons
from then until the end of his life. He returned there every summer to
gather strength long after he had lived in Vienna. In 1896 the musician
of God died and, according to his wishes, was buried under the organ of
the Florian monastery basilica.
In order to ensure the
continuation and development of the Brucknertage St Florian, the
association of the same name was established with the 2007 season. The
members are responsible for the organization and implementation of the
Bruckner Days. This continues the musical tradition of the St. Florian
monastery.
In 2015, Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony was performed
under the baton of Rémy Ballot.
Since 1984, part of the baroque Stiftsmeierei, which was built as a double square courtyard, has housed the Upper Austrian Fire Brigade Museum in St. Florian (also known as the Historical Fire Brigade Armory in St. Florian).