Monasteries

Gurk

Hemma of Gurk founded a monastery for nuns between 1043 and 1045, which the Salzburg archbishop put under his protection. The Benedictines settled into the convent. Even today it is still not clear whether St. Hemma herself joined the monastery. About the monastery itself not much is known, but it quickly served as a place for daughters of the nobility, who would not or could not be married off. The monastery did not exist for long and the with the remaining goods, Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg founded the branch diocese of Gurk. Soon however, the aspiration was to become independent of Salzburg. In 1124, the founding of the cathedral chapter according to the rules of St. Augustine took place. In 1131, the diocese was given a small bishopric. And in the course of the 13th century, there were often conflicts between the cathedral chapter of Gurk and the Salzburg Archbishop. On the occasion of a visitation trip in 1347, a number of problems were discovered in the cathedral chapter. Reforms were demanded, among other things they forbad the monks living there from going to pubs or playing cards. In 1385, the Augustine canon were bound to celebrate mass at the high altar daily. Today, the cathedral is used as the parish church and the provost office, since 2014, has become a diocesan museum “The Treasury (Schatzkammer) of Gurk”. Besides this, Gurk is a popular pilgrim centre because of the grave of St. Hemma.

Maria Saal

In 1116, the canon monastery in Maria Saal was founded by the Archbishop of Salzburg of that time. One of the churches under the canon monastery was the Klagenfurt parish church St. Egyd. Also in Maria Saal the monastery site was expanded with defense structures in order to protect it from the Turks and Hungarians. Indeed the Hungarian troops, even after a 3-day siege, were not able to successfully attack the church. The provosts of Maria Saal were named the bishop of Gurk several times. Thus, they were mostly absent for long periods of time, and a certain sloppiness spread through the monastery. The provosts of Maria Saal often took over representational roles for the Archbishop of Salzburg for celebrations, or they undertook visitation trips as his mandate. It was criticised, among other things that there were no common masses celebrated. In 1669, a severe fire destroyed a large part of the church buildings and between 1670 and 1674 everything was rebuilt and a new roof put on. In 1688, there was a large mass celebration for the dedication of the famous Maria Saal bells. Maria Saal is today still the property of the Catholic Church.

Millstatt

The brothers Aribo II and Foto of the Bavarian line of nobility of the Aribons laid the foundation for the Benedictine Abbey in Millstatt. The first abbot of the abbey that can be documented was Abbot Otto II, who was in Millstatt from 1136-1166. In 1122, the abbey was put under the protection of the pope. The document that was issued for this is the oldest preserved document of the monastery. Under the abbots Otto II and Heinrich II, Millstatt experienced an economic and cultural upswing. A writing and painting school was founded, in which the famous Millstatt script was produced. Fires destroyed the abbey in 1274 and 1291, which however was rebuilt. In the 15th century, the Millstatt Abbey went through a noticeable decline. In 1541, Pope Nicholas V threatened the abbey with a ban, should it not be able to repay its debts. In 1469, the Benedictine abbey was dissolved by a papal commission on the order of the Emperor Friederich III. The monastery was given then to the Order of the Knights of St. George; its first high master in Millstatt was Johann Siebenhirter. In the middle of the 16th century, the Order of the Knights left Millstatt and Archduke Ferdinand II gave the building to the Jesuits from Graz in 1598. The order had its residence here until the Jesuit order was dissolved in 1773. Today, the monastery is home to a monastery museum, the church is the property of the parish, and all other buildings of the monastery are under the administration of the Austrian Bureau of Forestry.

St. Paul im Lavanttal

In 1091, Engelbert of Spanheim decided to found a monastery in the spirit of the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny. The first monks who settled in the abbey came from Hirsau in Swabia. In 1099, Pope Urban II put the abbey under his protection. In 1367, a fire broke out in the abbey and a large part of the site was destroyed; these were, however, immediately reconstructed. During the feud between Duke Friedrich and the Countess of Cilli, the Abbot of St Paul, Johann I, took the side of the duke. As a result the troops of the Countess of Cilli plundered and set fire to it. After these events, Abbot Johann II had the gates and the walls of the abbey reinforced. Due to these construction measures, the abbey withstood the invasion of the Turks. During a visitation trip in 1616, it was noted that only a few monks were living in St. Paul and they had a low level of education. Under the new abbot, Hieronymus Marchstaller, who was installed in 1616, St. Paul reached another high point. Hieronymus re-organized the abbey’s rules, abolished the private property of the monks and undertook rebuilding and new building construction. In 1618, he planned a new building that would give the abbey in St. Paul the façade we know now. From 1777 up to its final dissolution, the abbey ran an academic secondary school. In 1809, the abbey was again settled by Benedictine monks from St. Blasien. Today, the abbey is still lived in by monks of that order, part of the abbey site is used as a museum and the order again runs an academic secondary school.

Viktring

The monastery in Viktring was founded in 1142 as a gift from Count Bernhard of Spanheim and his wife Kunigunde, and was settled by Cistercian monks from Weiler-Bettnach in Lothringen. After 1146, the abbey was under papal protection and in 1202 the abbey church was dedicated. The abbey acquired a lot of property in southern Carinthia, southern Styria and Krain through gifts, trades and purchases. This economic upswing went hand-in-hand with a cultural one. Gothic additions to the church were built and wonderful glass painting was done. The site of the abbey was damaged in a fire in 1411, as well as by invasions of the Turks and Hungarians. In the course of the 18th century, the abbey was rebuilt in a baroque style. The closing of monasteries by Emperor Joseph II did not stop at Viktring. In 1786, the abbey was dissolved and in 1788 part of the complex was purchased by the brothers Johann and Christoph Moro. They opened a fabric manufacture. After 1897, the entire monastery complex was in the possession of the Moro family. In the 19th century, Viktring became an artistic centre of the “Viktring painters circle”. In 1970, the Republic of Austria bought the monastery and since 1977 the former rooms of the monastery have housed a Federal Secondary School.

Arnoldstein

In 1106, Bishop Otto of Bamberg donated a Benedictine abbey in Arnoldstein in honour of St. George. Due to bad harvests and a strong earthquake in 1348, that resulted in an enormous rockslide on the Dobratsch, the abbey came into financial difficulties. Added to these problems was the siege by the Turks, whereby a fire broke out in the monastery in 1476. In 1580, there was no abbot in Arnoldstein, but finally Johannes Pünein was installed as the abbot of the abbey. He, however, led a very secular life and so mass was only celebrated at the abbey about once a year and the abbey personnel converted to Protestantism. In 1630, Abbot Daniel took over the administration of the abbey and ushered in a new period of prosperity. In 1642, another fire destroyed large parts of the site. In 1782, Joseph II dissolved the monastery; after 1848 it was the headquarters of the imperial Department of Forestry and the district court. In 1883 fire again destroyed the roof and wood ceilings of the former monastery. In 1980, the township bought the property and founded a “Revitalisation Association for the Monastery Ruins of Arnoldstein.”. Today the monastery ruins are used as a cultural centre, for weddings, and for diverse celebrations and meetings.

Eberndorf

Count Chazilo from Friaul donated a Marian church in Eberndorf, as his marriage remained childless. Patriarch Ulrich I of Aquileia increased the size of the donated property and had a monastery built. Around the middle of the 12th century, an Augustinian Canon Monastery in Eberndorf was set up. Between 1446 and 1476, the monastery was expanded with diverse defensive constructions. In spite of that, the building was badly damaged by the Turks in 1473 and by the Hungarians in 1477, and by a fire further destroyed in 1483. Under the leadership of Provost Leonhard of Keutschach, the complex was rebuilt. As the monastery was highly indebt due to mismanagement, it was dissolved by the pope in 1604 and given to the Jesuits. In 1809, Kaiser Franz I gave the abbey to the Benedictines from St. Paul. In 1989, the monastery was leased to the township of Eberndorf for 50 years Today, the town hall is located in the monastic rooms and every summer the “Eberndorf Sommerspiele” take place.

Friesach – Teutonic Order

The Archbishop of Salzburg Eberhard II gave the Magdalene Hospital in Friesach to the Teutonic Order in 1203. In 1275, the order moved to the current site south of the city. It is assumed that the romanesque church was founded in 1106 by the Benedictines of the Admont Abbey. In 1461, the church was destroyed by fire and in 1492 after a successful reconstruction was newly dedicated. But again in 1582, it was destroyed by fire and this time was completely rebuilt only in 1612. A high point in the late Middle Ages was followed by financial decline. After 1719, the compound was redone in the baroque style. During the time of the French rule in Carinthia, the Teutonic Order was dissolved and the church was neglected. After the retreat of the French, the monastery was used by various hussar regiments as a barracks. After 1879, the renovation of the church was begun and a year later was newly dedicated. Up to the dissolution of the Teutonic Order in 1938, the complex was again in their hands. After the end of the Second World War, the complex was returned to the Order and today they run a hospital there.

Friesach – Dominicans

In 1216, Hyacinth of Poland founded a branch of the Dominican Order in Friesach. This was the first branch of the order in German speaking regions. As the abbey outside of the city walls was soon too small, Philipp of Spanheim had a new abbey complex built within the walls. In 1264, the building was dedicated by Bishop Dietrich II of Gurk. The abbey was badly destroyed by a fire in 1637. The dissolution of the abbeys and monasteries by the Emperor Joseph II did not affect the Dominican abbey in Friesach, because there were lively school and pastoral care activities organised from there. Under the French occupation in Carinthia, the abbey was dissolved and the building used as a military hospital. The Dominicans returned to Friesach in 1890 and established a formal settlement there. At the end of 2015, the Order announced that both the church and abbey were for sale. The Boos Family acquired the abbey complex and erected their workshops for the production of traditional costume attire.

Griffen

Bishop Eckbert of Bamberg decided to found a monastery near the existing parish church in 1236. It was the only abbey of the Premonstratensians in Carinthia, even within Austria. In 1272, with the building of the abbey, the new abbey church was begun. The abbey survived the Turkish wars without greater damage. After the fire of 1648, the abbey was rebuilt, but only to burn down again in 1750. The abbey complex as well as the horse stalls burned to the ground. Also the valuable archives of the Premonstratensians were lost to the fire. In 1786, the abbey was heavily in debt due to the fires and the Emperor Joseph II dissolved it. The abbey church became the parish church. The rectory became the property of the Counts of Egger. From 1997 to 1999, parts of the former monastery were renovated and adapted for exhibitions. Today, on the first floor of the former abbey, there is the Handke Museum, which concerns the life and works of the famous author Peter Handke.

Maria Luggau

The Franciscan order founded a settlement in Maria Luggau in 1591. Three year later, the foundation for the building of a monastery was laid. Because of the construction, there was a conflict between the landowner and the population, as they did not want to pay for the construction. Count Johann of Ortenburg decided to take over the costs himself. In 1628, the Franciscan order was recalled from Maria Luggau. The Tyrolean sovereign Archduchess Caudia de Medici advocated for giving the empty monastery to a new order. In 1635, the vacancy was ended and the Servites took over the monastery room in Maria Luggau. A fire severely damanged the building and also the church roof. Between 1640 and 1661, one was busy with the reconstruction. But another fire in 1738 destroyed the work. Only in 1741 was the building of the monastery finally finished. Since 1989, the monastery has housed a Catholic educational centre. Today the monastery is visited each year by around 40,000 pilgrims and is the second most popular pilgrimage site in Austria besides Maria Zell. In 2018, the monastery hostel was renovated and a guest house added on.

Ossiach

Ossiach Abbey is the oldest Benedictine Abbey in Carinthia and was founded in the first quarter of the 11th century by the Bavarian nobleman Ozi I. In 1028, the abbey was sold by his son Ozi II to his brother Poppo, the patriarch of Aquileia. Into the 13th century Ossiach remained a proprietary monastery of Aquileia. In 1267, the abbots of Ossiach were given the title of Archpriest of the Rosental, which they had until the dissolution of the abbey. In the course of the High Middle Ages it turned to the Archdiocese of Salzburg. Ossiach Abbey is one of the few abbey complexes that survived both the Turkish wars as well as the Hungarian war undamaged. But then in 1484, both the church and abbey were destroyed by fire. Under Abbot Herman, the abbey attained its present look. The Ossiach abbey was also dissolved under Emporer Joseph II in 1783 and became headquarters for the county office of the religious fund until 1810. Later the building was leased to the military that used it as a horse stud farm. During National-Socialism the German Imperial Forestry had their offices there. After the war the British quartered themselves there, before it was given to the Austrian Federal Office of Forestry in 1947. Since 1969, the monastery has been the site of the Carinthian Summer music festival in the summer months. Since 1995, the monastery is a property of the state of Carinthia.

St. Georgen am Längsee

Between 1002 and 1018, the Countess Wichpurch had a Benedictine abbey for nuns built in St. Georgen. In 1023, it was dedicated by the Archbishop of Salzburg and in 1122 was put under the Diocese of Salzburg. In the beginning only nobility were accepted into the abbey, which quickly increased its wealth. During the Turkish war the abbey was plundered in 1473. The number of nuns decreased dramatically during the Counter-Reformation. In 1654, the abbey was generously remodelled and expanded. In 1720, the church was redone in a baroque style. Also St. Georgen was dissolved in the course of Emperor Joseph II’s reforms and was put under the direction of the religious funds. In 1788, Maximilian Thaddäus von Egger bought the monastery, which became the new residence of the Egger Family until 1884. In 1935, the Mariannhill missionaries bought it. During the Second World War, the monastery was confiscated by the National-Socialists and in only in 1948 was it returned to the ownership of the Mariannhill missionaries. Since 1959, the monastery belongs to the diocese of Gurk and today is used as an educational centre with attached restaurant and hotel.

Wernberg

The first time the “castrum Werdenburch” is documented is in 1227. Bernhard of Spanheim had the castle erected. His purpose was to break the preeminence of the Bambergs in southern trading at the loop of the Drau River. In 1519, the castle became the property of the Khevenhüller Family. Under George of Khevenhüller the castle was rebuilt between 1570 and 1575. In the course of the Counter-Reformation, Paul, Baron of Khevenhüller, was forced to sell it. It changed hands several times before the castle and its properties was bought by the Abbot Christoph Kaponig of Ossiach. A large part of the convent moved from Ossiach to Wernberg. Under the Abbot Virgil Gleißenberger, the castle church was erected and from 1737 to 1753 was decorated with frescoes by the painter Josef Ferdinand Fromiller. This was again followed by many changes of ownership until the castle came into the hands of the Mission Sisters of the the Precious Blood. The sisters today operate a restaurant, a pension, a kindergarten, an education enter, a monastery shop and they operate the manor that belongs to the castle.