Monastic abbey on an island since the 8th century CE - Monastic Island of Reichenau 974; Craft techniques and customary practices of cathedral workshops, or Bauhütten, in Europe, know-how, transmission, development of knowledge and innovation 01558
What and Why
Reichenau is a tiny island in the middle of Lake Constance (German: Bodensee). The island is famous of its Benedictine (Latin: Ordo Sancti Benedicti) abbey dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Aramaic: מרים, Maryam) and Saint Mark (Hebrew: מרקוס: Marqos). The church was built in the year 724 CE by Saint Pirmin (Latin: Pirminius). The Abbey of Reichenau (Kloster Reichenau) gained influence in the Carolingian (Mediaeval Latin: Karolingi) dynasty, and started building up an important book and scripture collection.
The abbey also stood geographically at a prime spot along a main north–south European passageway, where the lake passage eased the arduous route. The scriptorium and artists' workshop was the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing lavishly illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries CE, often known as the Reichenau School of Ottonian art. Ottonian art is a style in pre-Romanesque German art, especially covering also some works around the region named by after the Ottonian dynasty which ruled the region Swabia between during the 10th and 11th century CE under the kings Henry I (Heinrich I, né Heinrich), Otto I, Otto II and Otto III. An example of Reichenau precious relics include the pitcher from Galilee (Greek: Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, Kana tis Galilaias), when Jesus (Hebrew: ישוע, Yeshua) performed his first miracle and turned water into wine during a wedding.
The abbey reached its apex during Ottonian era. The cultural importance of the abbey started to wane owing to the restrictive reforms of Pope Gregory VII (Latin: Gregorius VII, né Ildebrando di Soana).
Toponymy
The toponymy of Reichenau is far-fetched. It was known simply as Ow, Auua (island) in Old / Middle High German. It was then latinised as Augia, and became Augia Dives later, meaning a rich island. It is then transliterated / translated back to a more German form Richenow and hence Reichenau.
See
Abbey of Reichenau (Kloster Reichenau)
The main site as above.
The abbey is one of the earliest timber structured building in Europe.
Farms
The island is now famous for its vegetable farms, which all started from the monasteries.
The area is also a famous stopover for migratory birds and the harbour is quite a sight.
Museum Reichenau
Museum Reichenau is where some, definitely not all, of the artefacts are stored and preserved. Some samples of these arts are shown here.
Other art.
Getting There and Around
Reichenau is connected to the mainland by a very scenic causeway. The island is very small, one can walk around the island within two hours without major exploration. The island is served by bus from Constance (Konstanz).
UNESCO Inscriptions
The island of Reichenau on Lake Constance preserves the traces of the Benedictine monastery, founded in 724, which exercised remarkable spiritual, intellectual and artistic influence. The churches of St Mary and Marcus, St Peter and St Paul, and St George, mainly built between the 9th and 11th centuries, provide a panorama of early medieval monastic architecture in central Europe. Their wall paintings bear witness to impressive artistic activity.
The workshop organization, or Bauhüttenwesen, appeared in the Middle Ages on the construction sites of European cathedrals. Now, as then, these workshops are home to various trades working in close collaboration. The term Bauhüttenwesen in German refers both to the organization of a workshop network dealing with the construction or restoration of a building and to the workshop itself, as a place of work. Since the end of the Middle Ages, these workshops have formed a supra-regional network extending beyond national borders. The workshops safeguard the traditional customs and rituals of their professions, as well as a wealth of knowledge transmitted across the generations, both orally and in writing. Faced with the progressive shortage of technical skills and in an age of increasing mechanization and cost optimization, the workshops created or re-established in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have become institutions that preserve, transmit and develop traditional techniques and know-how. Their commitment to safeguarding and promoting living heritage, through targeted awareness raising, information and communication measures and close cooperation with shareholders in the field of politics, the church, monument conservation, business and research, can be considered as an example to be adapted and implemented in other contexts worldwide. Through their organization and training system for on-site practice, the workshops could be considered as a model for all types of buildings that need to be built and maintained.
References
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