Mariawald
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Mariawald-1979.jpg
History
Founded in 1480 by Cistercians from Bottenbroich, the monks took care for centuries of the Marienwallfahrt, a pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin Mary that developed around a particular image of the Virgin.
In 1795 the monastery was closed as a result of the French Revolution; the monks were expelled. The image of Virgin was relocated to Heimbach. From 1860 onwards the abbey was "recolonised" by members of the Oelenberg abbey in Alsace, who also belonged to the Trappist order.
From 1875 to 1887 the monks were prohibited from entering the monastery because of a Kulturkampf ("cultural conflict") with the Prussian government.
The monks had to leave the monastery a third time under the Nazi regime during World War II, from 1941 to 1945. Afterwards, the monastery was again resettled and was rewarded with the title "abbey". As of 2004, it is the only Trappist monastery in Germany, with approximately 20 monks living there under abbot Bruno Gooskens.
Life
The monks follow the rules of St. Benedict of Nursia and the constitution of the religious order of the "Cistercians of the Strict Observance". Silent and/or choral prayer, physical work and theological reading constitute the typical schedule of a monk, who lives a contemplative life in a quiet atmosphere. A typical day starts at 4:15am and ends at 8:00pm. Seven times a day the monks do the "hourly prayer" in the church of the abbey, which is open to visitors. Visitors can also stay a few days in the abbey's guesthouse, but the cloister of the monks cannot be visited.
The abbey runs an successful tavern and an art gallery / bookshop. It also produces and sells liqueur.
External link
- Official site (http://www.mariawald.com)