Saint Maximin's Abbey, Trier

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by MB (talk | contribs) at 01:16, 2 February 2019 (cleanup, replaced: Infobox former country → Infobox country, removed: |continent = Europe, |country = Germany, |region = Rhine basin). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Imperial Abbey of St Maximin, TrierReichsabtei Sankt Maximin in Trier

before early 12th century – 1669

Coat of arms

St. Maximin's Abbey (centre) with St. Paulinus' church (left) and city wall of Trier. Engraving by Merian, c. 1646

Status

Imperial Abbey

Capital

St. Maximin's Abbey

Government

Theocracy

Historical era

Middle Ages

• Founded

4th century

• Refounded by
Benedictines

6th century

• Refounded after
Norman destruction

899

• Imperial immediacy

before early 12th century

• Papal immunity confirmed

1140

• Surrendered to Trier

1669

• Secularised

1802

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Electorate of Trier

Today part of

Germany

St. Maximin's Abbey (Template:Lang-de) was a Benedictine monastery in Trier in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

History

The abbey, traditionally considered one of the oldest monasteries in western Europe, was held to have been founded by Saint Maximin of Trier in the 4th century. Maximin (died 346) and other early bishops of Trier were buried in the crypt of the church on the site, an early Christian cemetery, and the church, at first dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, was later renamed after Maximin. A Benedictine monastery was established here in the 6th century, possibly replacing an earlier community. It was destroyed by the Normans in 882 and re-built from 942 to 952. In the 13th century it was destroyed by a fire and re-built again on the plan of the previous buildings.

Albero de Montreuil failed to subject the abbey to Trier's jurisdiction in the early 12th century, but the question of the abbey's Imperial immediacy (Template:Lang-de) was for centuries a matter of conflict, contested by Trier, to whom in 1669 the abbot formally renounced all claim to the status, making submission to the archbishop in his capacity as Prince-elector.

In 1674 the abbey was completely destroyed by French troops. It was rebuilt between 1680 and 1684 but, unusually for the period, still in a Gothic form.

The abbey was secularised in 1802. The monastic buildings were put to various secular uses — barracks, prison, school — and were totally destroyed in World War II except for the freestanding gateway. A school stands on the site.

The church of St. Maximin survived the war, but was de-consecrated, and between 1979 and 1995 converted to secular uses. In 1995 it opened as a concert hall, now well known for its exceptional acoustics.

Burials

References

"Nortmanni Treverim cum monasterio sancti Maximini vastantes Galliam cremaverunt", Annales S. Maximini Trevirensis in Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptorum series, II:213 (noted by Warren Sanderson, "The Early Mediaeval Crypts of Saint Maximin at Trier", The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 24.4 (December 1965:303-310) p. 304 note 1.
A detailed account with bibliography is in Sanderson 1965.

v t e Holy Roman Empire — Imperial abbeys of the Rhenish College
Imperial abbeys and colleges (Reichsabteien, Reichsklöster und Reichsstifte)	Buchau* Burtscheid* Essen* Gandersheim Gernrode Herford Hersfeld Kaisheim† Kornelimünster Memleben Michaelsberg Niedermünster Nienburg Obermünster Quedlinburg St. Emmeram's St. Ludger's St. Maximin's St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Thorn Walkenried Werden	Ecclesiastical states of the Holy Roman Empire, 1648
Imperial provostries and priories (Reichspropsteien)	Klingenmünster St. Bartholomäus
Imperial charterhouse (Reichskartause)	Buxheim†
* Also a Prince of the Empire † Also in Swabian College

49°45′35″N 6°39′06″E / 49.75972°N 6.65167°E / 49.75972; 6.65167

Categories: