The Abbey and Altenmunster Lorsch is a monastery
from the Carolingian era. During the late eighth and early ninth century,
Carolingian power expanded and during the time, rulers like Charlemagne
supported the development of literary culture, so they commissioned many
monastery projects. The rise of monasteries was crucial because monasteries
serve as the main center of learning during the Carolingian era. (1) The
monasteries serve three main objectives: religious retreats, center of scholarship
and art and lastly but most importantly is that these monasteries were used as
public schools for learning literacy and Latin. (2) But of course, aside from
these, the monasteries were used by the rulers to gain support of the
aristocrats and to govern their empire.
The Abbey of Lorsch was also called Konigshalle,
located in the town of Lorsch, Hesse, Germany. This is a gatehouse that serves
as a remainder of the past grandeur of an abbey found in 764. The detail of
this building is still visible and it still showcases its original appearance.
Around 876, this monastery became a burial spot for the Carolingian Kings of
the Eastern part of the Frankish realm. (3)
The monastery flourished throughout the eleventh
century, but in 1090 a devastating fire burned through it all and destroyed it.
But soon, in the twelve century, the monastery was reconstructed. Then in
around 1232, Lorsch was incorporated in Electorate of Mainz and this took away
half the power of the monastery and causing it to lose many of its privileges.
Aside from that, another disaster awaits for the monastery because a second
fire broke out and once again burned the monastery to the floor. Politics and
war deteriorated all the glorious establishments of the Carolingian reign. (3)
Works Cited
1. Rosamond McKitterick, Charlemagne. The Formation of a
European Identity (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2008) p.297-298
2.
Entre, UNESCO World Heritage.
"Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch." UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
3. Pfingsten
Max. “Carolingian Architecture: Style, Characteristics and Examples.” Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
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