CHAPTER FOUR Friedel and Friedl Albert's Schwab History in Germany
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CHAPTER FOUR Friedel and Friedl Albert’s Schwab History in Germany OUR KNOWN FAMILY HISTORY STARTS WITH ANTON SCHWAB. Our history comes from the Alberts. When they were staying with us in 1981, I asked if they would write it down so we all could share in our history. Many years later they finished the Schwab History in Germany. The following is that story. Page Break S u m m a r y The Village Astheim The Carthusian Monastery - Astheim The Secularization of 1803 The Schwab History - Astheim Written and edited by Friedel and Friedl Albert Volkach/Main -- August 1988 Copied as written by Louis B. Schwab Jr. For the family book---September 1994 Revised April 1999 Page Break Astheim The Franconian ferry place “Ostheim” (Eastheim) was donated to the Benedictine Monastery at Fulda by Carolingian King Arnulf in 888. Later it passed on to the Grafen zu Castell and then to the Herren von Seinsheim and his wife Anna of Bibra. The latter founded a Carthusian Monastery here in 1409. The very austere Carthusian Order with its 250 odd monasteries rendered outstanding benefit to the development of Germany. In 1803 the Carthusian Monastery was secularized and sold to the Schwab-Clan (Valentin Jörg, Johann Gedeon Schwab and his sisters). The monastery church was bought by the Fürst von Schwarzenberg, also the Prokuratie in 1868 by Valentin Schwab. In 1954 the community of Astheim bought back the monastery church and the Prokuratie (as the town hall) for 6,000 DM from the Fürst von Schwarzenberg with the condition to preserve and to care for the buildings. Since 1972 Astheim became part of the town of Volkach and since 1978 the “Prokuratie” is used as the archives. The Village Astheim numbers about 730 inhabitants and is well-known for its wine , fruit, (plums) and white asparagus production. Astheim is located on the inside of the Loop of the Main River opposite of Volkach. The loop of the Main is one of the jewels of our countryside. In order to carve its way through the hard rocks of the Franconian Plateau, the river had to twist and turn in all directions. The Loop of the Main at Astheim/Volkach originated in its most enchanting caper. It was already populated in the dim and distant past. The monks of the Benedictine Monastery at Fulda assisted the Franconian peasants, who had in the meantime introduced grape vines to the sunny slopes of the Main valley and transformed what had been a primeval forest into cultivated land. the wine is one of the greatest treasure of this little paradise at the Loop of the Main. Page Break The History of the Carthusian Monastery in Astheim 1. St. Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order Bruno was born 1032 in Koeln. After his studies in Reims, France he became a priest at St. Kunibert in Koeln. In 1075 he became the chancellor of the Archdiocese. In 1080 he resigned from his duties and moved back with his six companions into the emptiness of “Sene-Fontaine” (France). There he founded a hermit settlement which later became the Grande Chartreuse, the main monastery of the Carthusians. He Died on October 6, 1101 and was declared a saint in 1623. 2. The Carthusian Order The concept of Saint Bruno, was, to live in a community in a monastery as a hermit, it was well received even after his death. Many Christians wanted to live ascetically like him. During the 12th. century many monasteries were built for monks and nuns to live in according to the statutes of “Chartreuse”. A Carthusian Monastery is lead by a prior. The monks are priests or laymen. Around the main buildings are cells. These are small houses with a garden for one monk, the small houses or cells do not connect with each other. The cells lie at the cloister, which goes into the main buildings: the church, the assembly, the refectory and library. The life of the Carthusians is a mixture of hermits and a community. They take a strong vow of silence broken only on Sunday, holidays, during the common meal and on the common walk once a week. Their fast is very strong and they don't eat meat products. Daily the monks assemble in the church for mass and prayer, which is said day and night. On their agenda are study, immersion and hard work. 3. The Carthusian Monastery Astheim In 1409 Erkinger von Seinsheim and his wife Anna von Bibre founded the Carthusian Monastery Astheim, called Marienbrück (bridge to Mary). To this monastery belonged many fields, vineyards and forests, so the monks could live very well. After 70 years of prosperity it was time to replace the wood buildings with stone buildings. In 1520 the new doctrines of Luther excited the people and he had many followers. Also behind the monastery walls his doctrines were discussed. First of all the peasants misunderstood him. In 1525 There were many revolts in Franconia. The Carthusian Monastery was attacked and plundered. It was a bad time. After the defeat of the Peasants Revolt the destroyed monastery was rebuilt. In 1583 was the beginning of the house of the prior- later the Prokuratie - today the archives for the town of Volkach, and once the birth place of the Schwabs. In 1584 the Chapel of St. John was built- at the place of the old small monastery church. In1603 The main monastery church was built. In 1633 The "Thirty Years War" started and it plunged the whole land into ruin and poverty. In 1633 the Swedes occupied the monastery and chased away the monks. After 1647 an economic upswing followed. New buildings were constructed and the monastery church interior was changed into Baroque. This splendid time was broken with the peace of Luneville (in Lorraine), February 9, 1801. Its chief provisions were those of the Treaty of Campo Formio: all the territory west of the Rhine, from Basel to the sea, was given to France, together with all northern Italy west of the Adige. The Duke of Modena received part of Baden, and the Duke of Tuscany Salzburg. Other temporal princes of Germany, who lost part or the whole of their territory by the treaty, were compensated by secularizing the dominions of the ecclesiastical rulers and divided them among the former. Thus the states governed by archbishops, bishops, abbots, or other clerical dignitaries, nearly one hundred in number, were abolished at one blow. Many monasteries of Franconia then belonged to the state of Bavaria - also the Carthusian Monastery Astheim. On June 20th, 1803 the monastery in Astheim was dissolved. The monks had to leave their home. The public sale of the monastery and its fields was fixed for October 24th, 1804. The Fürst von Schwarzenberg (former Seinsheim), bought the church of the monastery, because many tombs of his ancestors were buried there, in the floor. 1801 Peace of Luneville-- The Emperor Napoleon passes the Secularization. 1802 December 1st The new government "Kurpfalz-Bayern" seizes prossesion of the monastery by sticking seizure documents as posters to the monastery walls. 1803 June 20th The monastery life ends. 1804 Oct. 20th The monastery is auctioned off and Kanzleidirektor Valentin Jörg buys from the State all buildings situated within the walls (excluding the church) and all the fields and meadows ,162.5 acres. Valentin then turned over to his nephew Johann Gedeon the job of administraitor, age 30. 1805 April 17 The Earl of Schwarzenberg buys the monastery church, because his ancestors are buried there. 1876 April 11 Flash of lightning- church and chapel are damaged. The Earl demolished the library building and part of the cloister. 1877 Kaspar and Anna Maria Schwab sell land for building a school- behind the Prioratshaus The Earl buys the garden at westside of the church- so that it is not surrounded by buildings 1900 Aug. 23rd Lightning hits and burns 11 houses in and near the Carthusian Monastery 1951 The coummunity of Astheim buys the Chapel and Prioratshaus from the Earl of Schwarzenberg. The Prioratshaus becomes the townhall 1954 The Carthasian Church is handed over to the coummunity of Astheim 1972 Astheim becomes a part of Volkach. The Prioratshaus becomes archive of Volkach 1999 June 10-13 The Prioratshaus becomes the Diocese of Würzburg Museum holding about 60 Million Marks ( 33 Million Dollars U.S.) of sacred art. Many U.S. Schwabs were in attendance. Figure 6: Schwabs at Karthause Church June, 1999 The Secularization of 1803 (Secularization - the expropriation of ecclesiastical landed property and fortune and to take over with secular ruler.) The church history knows many secularizations, but there was no one to compare with the revolutionary secularization of 1803. Since the middle of the 18th century the idea to do that was brewing. In 1789 the Great Revolution in France had broken out of the idea of the enlightenment. The church in France was expropriated and persecuted. The last motivating force of the secularization was self-interest and hate against the church. On February 20th, 1799 in Munich the new Kurfürst Maximilian Joseph (later the King of Bavaria) began with his reign. With him was his most important Secretary Graf von Monteglas. Now he was head of the Bavarian politics for many years. Prussia already got in 1795 ecclesiastical landed property as compensation because it lost on the left Rhine side land to France. The German Emperor had to agree to the demand of France in the peace of Campo Formio 1797 to indemnify the princes with secularization of church estate. In the peace of Luneville (1801) the secularization was passed.