St. Mang's Abbey, Füssen

St. Mang's Abbey, Füssen or Füssen Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery in Füssen in Bavaria, Germany.
== History ==
thumb|280px|left|Former St Mang Abbey Main Entrance
thumb|280px|right|Inner courtyard of the former Abbey
The Benedictine abbey of Saint Mang was founded in the first half of the 9th century as a proprietary monastery of the Bishops of Augsburg. The reason for its foundation goes back to the hermit Magnus of Füssen (otherwise known as Saint Mang), who built a cell and an oratory here, where he died on 6 September, although there is no record of which year.
The saint's body, amid miracles, was discovered uncorrupted, a proof of his sanctity, and the veneration of St. Mang was the spiritual basis of the monastery.
The foundation was not however solely spiritually motivated; there were practical political reasons underlying it as well. The monastery's key position not only on the important medieval road from Augsburg across the Alps to Upper Italy but also in the Füssen Gap ("Füssener Enge", the point where the Lech River breaks out of the Alps) gave it an immense strategic value, which made it of political concern both to the Bishops of Augsburg and to the Holy Roman Emperors.
The history of the abbey in the Middle Ages is principally marked by the efforts of the religious community to maintain a life true to the Rule of St. Benedict amidst the various pressures caused by external social developments. Over time therefore the monks repeatedly embraced various reforms and reforming movements intended to bring about a return to the essentials of the Benedictine life. These reforms mostly resulted in spiritual and economic growth and an increase in the headcount, which in turn brought more building and commissions of artwork.
The energy of the Counter-reformation found lasting expression in the construction of an enormous Baroque abbey complex between 1696 and 1726, commissioned by Abbot Gerhard Oberleitner (1696-1714), which still today, along with the High Castle (Hohe Schloss), characterises the town of Füssen.
The architect Johann Jakob Herkomer (1652-1717) succeeded in turning the irregular medieval abbey premises into a symmetrically organised complex of buildings complex. The transformation of the medieval basilica into a Baroque church based on Venetian models was intended to be an architectural symbol of the veneration of Saint Magnus. The entire church represents an enormous reliquary. For the first time in South German Baroque construction the legend of the local saint inspires the suite of frescoes throughout the entire church. The community at the time also set out to make the new church the envy of connoisseurs for the quality of its artworks.
In the second half of the 18th century the community returned to their spiritual, intellectual and social duties with renewed vigour: the cure of souls, scholarship, music and education.
Although the abbey was never able to obtain the coveted Reichsunmittelbarkeit (independence of all lordship except for that of the Emperor), it had a decisive influence as a centre of lordship and economy, cultural and faith life, on Füssen and the whole region.
thumb|280px|left|Fresco above main entrance of former St Mang Abbey
thumb|280px|right|St Mang Basilica and Former St Mang Abbey
==Dissolution==
On 11 December 1802, during the secularisation that followed the Napoleonic Wars and the Peace of Lunéville, the princes of Oettingen-Wallerstein were awarded possession of St. Mang. On 15 January 1803 Princess Wilhelmine ordered Abbot Aemilian Hafner to dissolve the abbey and vacate the premises by 1 March of that year.
The contents of the library were shipped off to the new owners down the Lech on rafts. Most of the items are now in the library of the University of Augsburg, except for a small collection of especially valuable manuscripts, which are in the Augsburg Diocesan Archives.
==Later history==
thumb|280px|right|St Mang Basilica,Parish Church,next to the former St Mang Abbey
In 1837 the former abbey church was transferred as a gift to the parish of Füssen. In 1839 the Royal Bavarian chamberlain, Christoph Friedrich von Ponickau, bought the remaining lordship of St. Mang. In 1909 the town of Füssen acquired the Ponickau estate, including the former abbey buildings (apart from the church).
The north wing was used as the town hall. In the south wing the Füssen Town Museum is now located, with displays on the history of the abbey and of the town, particularly of the traditional manufacture of lutes and violins in Füssen. It is also possible to view the Baroque reception rooms of the abbey in the museum.
== List of the abbots of St. Mang's Abbey, Füssen ==
Until 919 there is no documentary evidence of the abbots of this abbey. Abbey tradition names Saint
Magnus as the founding abbot, and his successor as Blessed Conrad.
thumb|300px|right|List of Abbots in the Crypt of St Mang Basilica where they are buried
thumb|300px|right|List of Abbots in the Crypt of St Mang Basilica where they are buried
thumb|210px|right|Burial place of Abbots in the Crypt of St Mang Basilica
thumb|210px|right|Burial place of Abbots in the Crypt of St Mang Basilica
Abbot 	Period of authority 	Date of death
1. Saint Magnus 	  	6 September
2. Konrad I 	  	 
3. Wolpoto 	9th century ? 	26 April
4. Bernold 	9th century ? 	 
5. Leutolph 	9th century ? 	 
6. Gisilo 	occurs 919 	 
7. Ortolf 	  	5 April
8. Heinrich I. 	  	 
9. Gotebold 	  	 
10. Berthold 	  	23 August
11. Adalbert 	  	 
12. Wilhelm 	c. 1030–1040 	 
13. Eberhard 	c. 1060–1061 	11 May 1091
14. Swidker 	  	 
15. Adalhalm 	1086 	25 August 1094
16. Alberich 	  	23 January
17. Konrad II 	occurs 1160–c.1175 	 
18. Heinrich II 	occurs 1178–1191 	19 February
19. Konrad III 	occurs 1206, 1218 	14 July, c. 1218
20. Dieto (Theodo) 	occurs 1219, 1222 	March 1225
21. Rugger 	occurs 1227 	 
22. Rudolf von Thalhofen 	occurs 1235, 1251 	22 May
23. Albert 	occurs 1255 	13 March 1256
24. Hermann I 	occurs 1257, 1262 	 
25. Hiltebold 	occurs 1263, 1283 	19 October 1284
26. Konrad IV 	occurs 1284, 1285 	 
27. Hermann II 	occurs 1287, 1295, 1311	 
28. Goswin 	occurs 1313, 1317 	8 July, c. 1318
29. Heinrich III 	occurs 1319, 1335 	December, c. 1336
30. Ulrich Denklinger 	occurs 1336, 1339 	18 January 1347
31. Johannes I Hochschlitz 	c. 1347 	11 August
32. Luiprand 	occurs 1374 	 
33. Friedrich 	occurs 1390 	28 April
34. Johannes II Lauginger 	occurs 1392, 1396 	21 March 1403
35. Georg I Sandauer 	1397–1410 	15 February 1410
36. Yban von Rotenstein 	1410–1426 	19 May 1439
37. Johannes III Schmerlaib 	1426–1431 	16 May 1431
38. Konrad V Klammer 	1431–1433 	13 March 1433
39. Johannes IV Fischer 	occurs 1436; res. 1458 	30 March 1460
40. Johannes V Hess 	1458–1480 	1481
41. Benedikt I Furtenbach 	1480–1524 	March 1531
42. Joh. Baptist VI Benzinger	1524–1533 	8 April 1537
43. Gregor Gerhoch 	1537–1554 	4 October 1554
44. Sympert Lechler 	1554–1556 	21 November 1560
45. Georg II Albrecht 	1556–1560 	2 February 1560
46. Johannes VII Kessler 	1560–1567 	8 June 1567
47. Hieronymus Alber 	1567–1573 	17 August 1573
48. Matthias Schober 	1579–1604 	15 August 1604
49. Heinrich IV Amman 	1604–1611 	30 July 1615
50. Martin Stempfle 	1614–1661 	26 February 1665
51. Benedikt II Bauer 	1661–1696 	26 July 1696
52. Gerhard I Oberleitner 	1696–1714 	20 March 1714
53. Dominikus Dierling 	1714–1738 	4 September 1738
54. Benedikt III Pautner 	1738–1745 	18 January 1745
55. Leopold Freiherr von Rost	1745–1750 	7 November 1750
56. Gallus Zeiler 	1750–1755 	7 January 1755
57. Placidus Zerle 	1755–1763 	24 June 1770
58. Gerhard II Ott 	1763–1778 	1 March 1778
59. Aemilian Hafner 	1778–1803 	19 May 1823
== References ==
*Lindner, Pirmin, 1913. Monasticon Episcopatus Augustani antiqui. Bregenz.
*Ettelt, Rudibert, 1971. Geschichte der Stadt Füssen. Füssen.
*Leistle, David. Die Aebte des St. Magnusstiftes in Füssen, in Studien und Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des Benediktinerordens und seiner Zweige, 1918-1920.
*Riedmiller, Thomas, 2003: Das ehemalige Benediktinerkloster Sankt Mang in Füssen in Klosterland Bayerisch Schwaben (ed. W. Schiedermair). Lindenberg. ISBN 3-89870-127-1
==External links==
* Klöster in Bayern
* Historischer Verein Alt Füssen
*St Mang Basilica Füssen
Category:Monasteries in Bavaria
Category:Benedictine monasteries in Germany
Category:Christian monasteries established in the 9th century
de:Kloster Sankt Mang Füssen