vvaldo Monks and water vvaldo vvaldo First edition 2021 Curators of the exhibition: Peter Erhart, Jakob Kuratli Hüeblin, Kathrin Moeschlin; Stiftsarchiv St. Gallen Kunstverlag Josef Fink Graphic conception: Atelier Andrea Gassner, Marcel Bachmann Translation: Jenifer Horlent Scenography: arge gillmann schnegg, Basel www.stiftsarchiv.sg.ch www.stiftsbezirk.ch www.e-chartae.ch Editorial by Peter Erhart If anyone knew what a monastic community could not do without, it was St Benedict. In his view, the three most impor- tant things for a monastery were access to water, as well as a mill and a gar- den. Indeed, his first hermitage at Subiaco in the Aniene Valley was situated close to a spring of fresh, clear water. Ever since the beginnings of monasticism in the Egyptian desert, monks have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with water. This year, we decided to find out more about this aspect of their lives. The manuscripts in the impressive col- lection of the St Gall Abbey Archives reveal the monks’ love of this element, which first had to be controlled before it could be used for the operation of a mill, a fishpond or the wells, bath houses and latrines. For the monks, rivers and lakes served as links to their environment. They were also “highways” of the Middle Ages and lifelines for the people living around Lake Constance. Waldo (who was born around 740 and died at the Abbey of St Denis near Paris on 29/30 March 813/814) was probably a member of the Moselle Franconian nobility close to the Carolingians. He was an agent for Charlemagne in Alemannia, abbot of the monastic communities at St Gall, Reichenau and St Denis, a teacher of princes, and Bishop of Pavia and Basel. We are familiar with his handwriting from 14 original documents in the St Gall collection dating from 773 to 782. Waldo is considered the first archivist of the Abbey of St Gall to be known by name, which is why this publi- cation series bears his name. Exhibition space of the Abbey Archives D A III I The oldest monastic archives p. 7 – 10 E C IV– V II The abbey’s memory p. 11 – 20 F III Works of art destined for administrative use p. 21 – 23 G IV Monks and water p. 25 – 32 H V First written testimonies I p. 33 – 35 II I J B A 4 5 Annual Exhibition 2021 Aqua Monks and water Theme of the annual exhibition In early medieval founding histories, there is hardly a miraculous event that does not take place on or near water. For monks, water had, above all, a spiritual significance. The use of this resource was therefore closely interwoven with the religious culture of a monastery. Aware of the necessity of water for survival, the monks would build their monasteries close to watercourses or lakes. Often, the name of the water source would supersede that of the saint who founded the monastery. A Evacuation box/es B Film “The miracle of transmission” C Rotatable map table D Research station “e-chartae” E Life in the Early Middle Ages F List of first written testimonies G The Plan of St Gall H Hands-on I Research station “The routes of the Abbey Archives” J Guardians of the archives 6 7 I The oldest monastic archives The St Gall Abbey Archives are considered the Pompeii of early medieval written records. Despite significant losses, they still hold around 900 original documents dating from the Merovingian and Carolingian age. No other monastic archive has succeeded in preserving so many documents from that period. These documents record the names, offices and duties of the monks. Their extensive and close relations with the outer world paved the way for the cultural rise of the Abbey of St Gall. I 0 Evacuation box I 1 The Church of St Gall on the Steinach 2nd quarter of the 18th century Kembs, 15 December 756? Monks attached great importance to the security of their archives. A loss The Steinach was the abbey’s lifeline. caused by fire or a war could perma- This stream supplied the monastic nently destroy the memory of the community with drinking water and monastery. enabled the operation of a mill. Around 1730, Prince-Abbot Joseph von To ensure his salvation, Podal donated Rudolphi had new wooden evacuation to the Church of St Gall the three villag- boxes made, equipped with carrying es of Habsheim, Kembs and Rueschwill- handles. These boxes not only allowed er in Alsace, together with forests, fields, the valuable legal documents to be neat- waterways and vineyards, as well as two ly stored away, but they could also be of his serfs. To mark this occasion, Podal quickly transferred to a safe place in the assembled a group of six men in Kembs event of danger. on the left bank of the Rhine. Despite the great distance, the Scribe Arnulf, Wooden chest with drawers who lived there, located the Church of and iron mountings St Gall “beyond the Steinach stream”. St Gall Abbey Archives The Rhine was also mentioned for the first time in this document. Parchment, original St Gall Abbey Archives, I 13 8 9 I 2 The Church of St Magnus I 3 Books of Life on the Ira brook Abbey of St Gall, c. 815 and 850 Regensburg, 13 October 898 Those whose names were entered in Abbot Salomo founded a church at his this book could hope to enter the King- former place of residence on the other dom of Heaven. side of the Ira brook and endowed it In the Early Middle Ages, many mon- with extensive property. asteries kept commemorative books, in Before becoming a monk and Abbot of which were listed the names of living St Gall, Salomo lived in a house on a hill and deceased persons who were regular- overlooking the Ira brook. This brook, ly remembered in prayer during Mass. which has meanwhile disappeared, The two commemorative books from formed a natural boundary of the Abbey the Abbey of St Gall contain the names District on the north side. By founding a of 15,000 people. Among them are mem- church, Salomo created a new sacred point bers of many convents and monasteries of reference for the monks and pilgrims. throughout Europe, ruling families Emperor Arnulf confirmed this donation, and benefactors from the region of Lake and the administrator of the cell had to Constance. provide for three monks and three clerics Despite the importance of these memo- as well as servants, out of the proceeds rial books for the religious communi- from the property. ties, only seven of them have survived. Parchment, original Parchment, 15 and 29 sheets St Gall Abbey Archives, FF3 L37 St Gall Abbey Archives, C3 B55 I 4 A book as a relic St Gall, c. 803 – 11th century At the Abbey of St Gall, monks who were literate wrote their vows in the profession book themselves when they were accepted into the monastic community. After a period of preparation as novices, the monks would make a solemn pro- fession, whereby they promised never to leave the monastery, to turn their backs on the world and to obey their abbot. The profession book contains the vows of the monks of St Gall since the foun- dation of their monastery by Otmar. It is the only surviving book of this kind dating from the Early Middle Ages. For its contemporary entry on the mar- tyrdom of Wiborada on 1 May 926 the book became a relic. Parchment, 12 sheets St Gall Abbey Archives, C3 B56 10 11 II The abbey’s memory Writing preserves the memory. In its archives, the abbey keeps the documents that secured its legal position and economic existence. Records dealing with the administration of the abbey reveal the variety of its secular and spiritual duties. These sources have survived in various forms such as books, scrolls and single sheet documents, both with and without seals. II 1 Necrology (record of The necrology of the parish church of death anniversaries) Our Lady of Berneck is the oldest in the Rhine Valley. It contains over Berneck, 1424 700 commemorative entries and records Register entries arranged according to of donations, as well as diverse infor- the calendar facilitated the organisa- mation about the history of the church tion of information that needed to be construction and parish life in general. recalled at regular intervals. On 1st November (top right), there is an entry recording a charitable donation by Necrologies have existed since the the nobleman Ulrich von Höchst. How- Middle Ages. In calendar form, they ever, according to an annotation above recorded the names of deceased persons the record of the donation, the property who had made donations to a monastery donated (a house near the St Margrethen or church. In return, prayers for the cemetery) was washed away when the donors’ salvation would be offered in the Rhine overflowed its banks. church every year. In medieval parishes, the necrology was Parchment, 26 sheets not only the most important, but often St Gall Abbey Archives, Bd. 2045 the only manuscript available for use. For this reason, other noteworthy infor- mation was often entered in addition to the entry recording the donation. 12 13 II 2 Joint sealing of In 1471, due to a constant shortage of documents by the abbot and drinking water, the abbey and the city the monastic community decided to tap into some of the springs in the surrounding area. The water was St Gall, 15 January 1471 channelled into a well house and then From the 13th century onwards, particu- distributed equally between the abbey larly important contracts of the mon- and the city.