Buxheim Charterhouse

Imperial Charterhouse of Buxheim Reichskartause Buxheim
1548–1802
Coat of arms
Status	Imperial Abbey
Capital	Buxheim Charterhouse
Government	Theocracy
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Charterhouse founded	10th century
• Donated toCarthusians	1402 1548
• Looted and abandoned duringGerman Peasants' War	1524–25
• Occupied byMemmingen duringSchmalkaldic War	1546–47
• Grantedimmediacyfrom Charles VatAugsburg	1548
•SecularisedtoOstein	1802
• Ostein inherited by Bassenheim	1809
Preceded by Succeeded by Memmingen County of Ostein
Today part of	Germany

Buxheim Charterhouse(German:Reichskartause Buxheim) was formerly a monastery of theCarthusians(the largestcharterhousein Germany) and is now a monastery of theSalesians.It is situated inBuxheimnearMemmingeninBavaria.

History

The estate of Buxheim belonged from the mid-10th century to thechapterofAugsburg Cathedral,who in about 1100 founded a house ofcanonshere, dedicated to theVirgin Mary.

In 1402, after a long period of decline, in an extreme move to preserve it the then provost, Heinrich von Ellerbach, gave the establishment to the Carthusians, a move which proved extremely successful in reviving Buxheim both spiritually and economically. Its wealth however drew the hostile attentions of the nearby city ofMemmingen,which occupied the monastery in 1546 during theReformation,and impounded its property. Prior Dietrich Loher was able by skilful diplomacy to obtain the favour ofEmperor Charles V,and in 1548 the monastery was declaredreichsfrei,and thus independent of all territorial authority save that of the Emperor himself, under whose protection it stood; it was the only charterhouse (Reichskartause) in Germany ever to be granted that status.

It was dissolved in thesecularisationof 1802, when ownership passed first to the Counts of Ostein, who allowed the community to remain, and then in 1809 by inheritance to the Counts Waldbott von Bassenheim, who from 1812 used the premises as a castle. In 1916 the state took over the buildings, which in 1926 were acquired by the Salesians.

Buildings

Parts of the monastery buildings were refurbished byDominikus Zimmermannin theRococostyle: the monastic church, St. Anne's chapel in the cloisters, and also the nearby parish church.

The Buxheim Carvings

A masterpiece ofBaroquecarving, thechoir stallsin the chapel with their rich ornament and figurative decoration, known as the Buxheim Carvings, are still almost complete. Created between 1687 and 1691 by theTyroleansculptor and woodcarverIgnaz Waibl,they are of international significance. The carvings have a varied history. They were sold to aGovernor of the Bank of Englandand subsequently installed in St. Saviour's Hospital, Osnaburgh Street, London, while it was run by theCommunity of the Epiphany,an order ofAnglican nuns.The sisters later withdrew toCornwalland their work was taken over by another Anglican order, theCommunity of the Presentation.In 1960 the sisters relocated to their other convent atHythe, Kent,taking the carvings with them. The community dwindled in size and was forced to hand the hospital over to a charitable trust. The sisters decided to return the carvings to Buxheim, which finally took place in the early 1980s. The Reverend Mother of the Presentation Sisters attended a special repatriation ceremony, and was awarded the Freedom of the City of Buxheim, only the second person ever to receive that honour.

• 
  St. Anne's Chapel, byDominikus Zimmermann
• 
  Choir stalls, St. Anne's Chapel, byIgnaz Waibl
• 
  Refectory, withRococostuccoceiling

Further reading

• Das Buxheimer Chorgestühl. Beiträge zur Bau- und Kunstgeschichte der ehemaligen Reichskartause Buxheim und zur Restaurierung des Chorgestühls.In: Michael Petzet (ed.):Arbeitshefte des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege,66. München 1994ISBN3874905691
• Ulrich Faust:Buxheim,in:Monasticon Cartusiense,ed. Gerhard Schlegel, James Hogg, Band 2, Salzburg 2004, pp. 372–380

External links

• Haus der Bayerishen Geschichte: Klöster in Bayern: Buxheim