Wilhering Abbey
| Wilhering Abbey | |
|---|---|
Wilhering Abbey Church in Wilhering, Austria
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Wilhering, Austria |
| Geographic coordinates | 48°19′26″N 14°11′25″E / 48.323889°N 14.190278°ECoordinates: 48°19′26″N 14°11′25″E / 48.323889°N 14.190278°E |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| State | Upper Austria |
| Year consecrated | 1146 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Monastery |
| Status | Active |
| Website | www |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Abbey |
| Architectural style | Baroque, Rococo |
Wilhering Abbey (German: Stift Wilhering) is a Cistercian monastery in Wilhering in Upper Austria, about 8 km (5 mi) from Linz. The buildings, re-constructed in the 18th century, are known for their spectacular Rococo decoration.
The monastery was founded by Ulrich and Kolo of Wilhering, who donated their family's old castle for the purpose, in accordance with the wish of their deceased father, after the family had moved to their new castle at Waxenberg. It was settled initially by Augustinian Canons, but in the first years the new foundation was beset with problems. On 30 September 1146, Ulrich replaced the canons with Cistercian monks from Rein Abbey in Styria, but after less than forty years only two monks remained. In 1185, Heinrich, the fourth abbot, transferred the abbey to Burkhard, abbot of Ebrach Abbey, the mother house of Rein, and the monastery was soon re-settled by monks from Ebrach, and the community was established for the future on a secure footing.
Wilhering later founded Hohenfurth Abbey, today known as Vyšší Brod Abbey, in the Czech Republic (1258), Engelszell Abbey in Upper Austria (1295), and Säusenstein Abbey in Lower Austria (1334). In 1928, the monastery founded a daughter house at Apolo, La Paz in Bolivia as part of a mission drive.
The abbey almost came to an end during the Protestant Reformation, when Abbot Erasmus Mayer absconded with its funds to Nuremberg, where he married. By 1585, there were no monks left at the abbey, which was only saved by the efforts of Abbot Alexander a Lacu, who was installed by the Emperor during the Counter-Reformation.
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