On Thanksgiving, my cousin (Hi Kate) asked me about a Benedictine monastery she thought was in Regensburg. She called in St. James, and I said well there is a place called St. Jakob: turns out they are the same place. I knew it as the building we walk by to get into town with the interesting door. From the (very) little I had read about the place, I knew that historians have not managed to interpret the symbolism around the door and that it was founded by Iro-Scottish monks.
As it turns out, you can go through the intricately carved door and explore the inside. The carvings around the door have been encased in glass to protect them from pollution. The damage already done has caused the stones to blacken. Beyond the 8 inch-thick wooden door was a modest cathedral.
The current structure was built between 1175 and 1180. The architectural style is Romanesque, so it is less intricate and detailed like gothic architecture. The church was originally in the hands of Irish monks, but then it passed onto Scottish monks in 1577. In German, Schottenkirche refers to Ireland and Scotland together, even though it looks as it only means Scottish. In 1862 the monks left and the Schottenkirche became a seminary school.
Even though we visited during the day, inside was very dark. The windows were small and there were no lights, but I imagined that during services, the place would be lit up with candles and it would be very beautiful inside. Along the walls were paintings and carvings venerating Saints. The pillars supporting the high, ribbed ceiling came down amongst the weathered, wooden pews in some places.
Around the altar were intricately carved wooden benches and chairs of a very dark wood, maybe mahogany. Beyond this area was the apse featuring stained glass a golden painted domed roof. I can only imagine the beauty that candlelight would add to this place.
P.S. Read the comments attached to this article for further insight on the Irish involved in this Benedictine monastery.
P.S. Read the comments attached to this article for further insight on the Irish involved in this Benedictine monastery.
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI first came across St. James at Regensburg (Ratisbon) aka St. Jakob (Jacob/Jakob/Iago/etc. are cognates for James) doing research on the Irish Cistercians and the introduction of continental monastic orders to Ireland.
Muiredach MacRobartaich (Latin Marianus Scotus) founded the first independent abbey of St. James Regensburg (Ratisbon) in 1070.
Re-founded outside the city in 1111, St. James Regensburg became the motherhouse of a large filiation of Irish Benedictine houses on the continent, maintaining close connections with the Irish Mac Carthaig kings of Desmond, a sub-kingdom of Munster.
Dirmicius, the second abbot of St. James Regensburg, probably sent Christian (who would later be the third abbot of that community) to help in the foundation of Cashel. Christian was a kinsman of Cormac Mac Carthaig, and Cormac’s Chapel was consecrated at Cashel in 1134. In addition to serving as patron of the Benedictine community at Cashel, Cormac Mac Cartaig was a great benefactor to houses of the Schottenkloster, which were largely staffed by Munster clerics. In return, Regensburg’s active scriptorium diverted some of its resources to create texts promoting the Mac Carthaig kings of Munster. Christian founded the abbey of St. James, Wurzburg, in 1138, and this house would establish the priory of St. Mary’s at Ross Carbery. There may have been additional Irish monasteries subject to Regensburg, but only Cashel and St Mary’s are known.
In medieval continental terms, "Scot"=Irish, a bit confusing for us now. Part of the mixup is due to the Irish Dalriada subkingdom on the Western part of Scotland in the early Medieval period, which also explains so-called "Scottish" cultural traditions that are actually, technically, Irish: bagpipe, kilts/tartans, Gaelic language, shinty aka hurling, whisk(e)y, Samhain/Celtic holidays, ceoli, the list goes on and on :)
I am glad you got to see the monastery, hopefully I can make it over someday soon. Thanks for the post, Kelly!