July 6, 2011

St. Barbara and Barbaraberg

From: http://www.kloster-speinshart.de/ translated by GOOGLE TRANSLATE

The chapel of St. Barbara
Closely connected with the history of the monastery Speinshart is the nearby Barbara Berg. Between 1992 and 1995 excavations took place there, which brought a new insight into the history of this fabled mountain. Several reports of handing down of the sunken city Mirga. Perhaps these stories because of skeletal remains have been created on Barbara Berg, who remembered the domestic growers of giants. Already since 1910 we dubbed the mountain to an old Slavic Barbara worship. Have confirmed this assumption is ultimately the findings mentioned in the excavation period, as one could examine a total of 161 Slavic tombs and archaeological record.

These excavations were also found the foundations of a first stone church on the mountain Barbara. By the year 1000 there arose a hall. The Barbara patronage that flourished here quickly became a cult Barbara, was the church but probably not until the 13th or 14 Century, assigned as a saint before she was not really known in German speaking countries.
As "capella sancte Barbara in monte" the church in a visitation log is first mentioned in writing in 1508. At that time there was probably already the essence of Barbara's pilgrimage, for whose existence there in the 14th Century is evidence.
With the secularization of the monastery in 1557 first heard the pilgrimage to the mountain Barbara. It was not until 1661, after returning from the Norbertine canons Steingaden, the parish priest of Kemnath to rebuild the chapel with the miraculous image has sought late Gothic. It involved extensive repair work. The ruinous nave was given a new roof and new interior wooden benches built for about 120 pilgrims. A completed house Messner, the revived pilgrimage site, which now became one of the main sources of income of the monastery Speinshart.
The flourishing of the baroque pilgrimage being suggested by I. Abt Dominkus Lieblein it to build a new building. The idea for this measure had been his predecessor, Abbot Otto Peißner. Father Hugo Strauss took over the planning and construction management of the construction project began in 1741. The cross-shaped building, erected, was designed in the Rococo style. The interior decoration Ulrich Lambeck took over as a plasterer and a painter Michael Wild. Jacob Steinlen, who created convent carpenter, together with the sculptor Franz Xaver Amberger Schlott the altars. Completed was the new sanctuary until 1759th A fire in the monastery made ​​a dehydration necessary for financial reasons. From this church is now only received the facade. It is flanked on either side of each with a two-storey house. These houses served as a guest inn for pilgrims and as the summer residence of the Fathers of Speinshart.
With the secularization of the expiration of the rococo jewel Barbara began on the mountain. The interiors were auctioned off and the church itself - after the sale to the barons of Malsen - turned into a barn.
Damage in the roof work of the Church had the 1888 demolition of the entire central region, including the cupola of the church order. The remaining buildings were agricultural outbuildings. To make matters worse hit 1914 also added to the flash and the ruins of more widespread damage.
The Munich-based canon Prelate Dr. Michael Hartig acquired in 1919 the remains of the church, and left it built the present chapel. His goal was to build a vacation home here for the diocesan priests of Munich. The already established association dissolved in 1929, the area around the abbey to leave Speinshart.
Today, the late Gothic statue of St. Barbara is often the target of many private pilgrimage groups. Finally, the course offers in front of the church ruins and a wonderful view of the countryside.
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 Saint Barbara is the Patron Saint of Prisoners, Architects, and Artillery (including Military Engineers).  She is also the Patron of Miners because of their work with explosives and also of Mathematicians.  She basically had a cult following that can be traced back to the 9th century.  She was martyred by her own father who beheaded her for becoming Christian.  For killing her, he was struck by lightning and burned to death, that is why she is so closely related to fire and explosives.

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We were intending on going to a place near Barbaraberg for quite some time, Speinshart.  It is a Monastery that was built in 1145.  It is absolutely amazing.  While we were researching Speinshart, we found Barbaraberg and the information at the top.  For quite some time now...around 9 years I guess, I have been calling one of my BFF's Mom's St. Barbara or St. Bab's for short.  She's Catholic, for one, and for another it's this running silliness that she doesn't swear and she doesn't do anything bad ever regardless of what Laura says.  So she's St. Babs.  So when I saw this and that it's about 15 minutes from my house (well that turned into 25 because we had to drive up a 1 lane road and got a little lost) we HAD to go.  ST. BARBARAS!! I mean really.  We just had to.  And a whole Berg named after her as well! It was a tiny Berg, but still, a berg.  It was very interesting and one of the coolest things ever to be able to see the Speinshart Monastery (I was in a building that has 3 Monks IN THE WALL!! weird!! AND 2 SKELEBONES!! All festooned!! WEIRD but SO cool!!).  It felt strange to be in a building that has been around since 1145.  1145!!! There are no buildings in the United States that have been around since 1145.  It's just insane to think about.  1145!! (( **I googled oldest buildings in States...with the exception of the buildings that are NOW part of the States but used to be part of Mexico before we won/bought them ie parts of Utah/New Mexico/Arizona adobes etc, 1600's is the oldest buildings in the States)).

So I highly suggest you check out my pictures in the folder, there is some amazing stuff.  If you get the chance to check it out, local peeps...you really should.  Speinshart is between Eschenbach and the Volcano ;) and Barbaraberg is to the right of that...you have to look up directions, we got lost lol.
  
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