Room 10 – Part 1

To Glorify God in Everything

In the chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict about the monastery’s manual workers (RB 57) the following sentence can be read: Everything in the monastery should happen in such a way that it is all for the glorification of God, even the worldly concerns.

On March 21,1089 Benedictine life in prayer and work (ora et labora) began in Melk. The Babenbergers had established a monastery in the castle, the burial site of their ancestors, and given it an economic basis: Land and property, feudal rule.

In the ups and downs of history there have been high points in the monastery’s economy, but there have also been stark declines. It is conspicuous that in times of active spiritual life the economy flourished, whereas in times of a decline in monastic life the economy stagnated as well.

Initially the monastery lived from the proceeds of feudalism and only in a limited way from their own land. After the reforms ending feudalism in 1848 the economy had to be restructured: Interest from the buildings in Vienna and increased use of the monastery’s own property provided the necessary means. In the last decades the proceeds from forestry and agriculture have steadily decreased. Now the monastery lives primarily from the income from tourism.

Proceeds from the work on the monastery’s property are used to maintain the secondary school, but also to maintain the building itself, carry out necessary restoration work in the 23 parishes, and enable the fulfillment of other duties. Jobs are provided for many workers in the various areas.

Room 10 – Part 2

The City on the Mountain

Benedict of Nursia built a monastery in Monte Cassino in 529 – on a mountain: the city on the mountain, which cannot remain hidden. He states in his rule that the monastic community should live in a fixed place, clearly defined and fenced off. The Benedictines have their own vow, that of „stabilitas loci“, constancy of location.

These monasteries with churches, libraries, guest wings, and working and living quarters for the monks soon became artistically highly valuable buildings through the monks’ work.

Instead of the castle there was soon a Romanesque building, which was then replaced by a Gothic monastery. Then Abbot Berthold Dietmayr (1700-1739) began with the current Baroque building. The abbot worked towards his goal with great cleverness. In this way he was able to build the entire monastery in a uniform style. All earlier buildings were brutally destroyed, in exchange for which the new uniformly Baroque building came into being.

Work began with a plan to alter the church in Baroque style, but soon the decision was made to completely rebuild (reconstruction plan). When the frame of the church was finished they began to rebuild the entire monastery step by step (from 1711) following a new monastery sketch plan. As the crowning final touch the interior design of the church was carried out.

Jakob Prandtauer and, after his death, Joseph Munggenast were the leading architects, but for the interior design of the church Antonio Beduzzi definitely was involved in the planning.

The total concept monastery – park as artistic and natural counterparts was not possible until the construction of the monastery had been completed, but today creates a wonderful unity.