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Timeline

Timeline of the Abbey

1043: Gift
Saint Hemma gives the Salzburg Archbishop Balduin large parts of her possessions with the express wish to found a monastery by the river Enns.

1074: Founding
On 29 September 1074, Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg consecrates Admont Abbey as the first monastery on Styrian soil. The first monks come to the abbey from the Benedictine abbey of St Peter/Salzburg.

1103: First election of an abbot
The first time the monks at Admont Abbey choose an abbot themselves, namely Henry I (from Kremsmünster). He dies during the flooding of the Enns in 1112.

1120: Frauenkloster
In that year, a nunnery is added to the Abbey according to the Rule of St Benedict. These nuns gain an important reputation because of their good education and literary work. The nunnery is discontinued during the Reformation.

1137: Attel Abbey
Abbot Wolfold has the Benedictines of Admont Abbey resettled to Attel Abbey in the Upper Bavarian district of Rosenheim. It is disbanded in 1803.

1152: Fire
In the night of 10-11 March, there is a fire in the heating plant right in the middle of Admont Abbey. An eyewitness account by Father Irimbert is available in Code 16 of the Abbey Archive between the commentary on the Books of Kings. The newly erected buildings are consecrated in autumn.

1165: First "own" abbot
With Abbot Liutold, the Admont conventuals for the first time elect a confrère from among their own ranks as abbot.

1189: Parishes
This year, Rudolf II is elected Abbot of Admont. In his time, many parishes become part of Admont Abbey. Many of them are still in the care of Admont Abbey Fathers. Here is a list of the parishes.

1230: Mitre
Pope Gregory IX allows the abbots of Admont to wear a mitre in solemn masses. The first abbot to wear a mitre is Berthold I.

1261: Famine
In this year, a great famine breaks out and the monks flee to the Salzburg Mother Monastery of St Peter and stay there for two years.

1275: Abbot Henry II.
This year, Henry II is elected Abbot. Due to his economic skills, he is also called the "second founder". Later he also serves as Governor of Styria. He is the only Admont abbot who was murdered. This was carried out in 1297 by his nephew at the Kaiserau.

1297: Abbot Engelbert Poetsch
Abbot Engelbert Poetsch is voted as one of the most universal minds of medieval Austria. His memory has always been held in high esteem in the house: from time to time he has even been tacitly regarded as a saint. For centuries, there has always been one member in the monastery who has taken on his name.

1399: Other parishes
Other parishes fall within the remit of the monastery.

1410: Frauenberg an der Enns
This year, the pilgrimage church Frauenberg an der Enns is mentioned for the first time in a document. At that time, antipope John XXIII granted various indulgences.

1451: Salzburg Reformation
By a resolution of the Salzburg Synod, all Benedictine monasteries in the archdiocese and in the suffragan dioceses are reformed. This so-called "Melker Reform" was intended to procure a way of living according to the Rule of St Benedict through a more stringent lifestyle and more discipline.

1483: Abbot Antonius
In this year, Emperor Frederick III appoints a Minorite, namely Abbot Antonius Gottesgnad from Venice in Admont. He is considered an excellent representative of humanism. In addition to acquiring numerous precious manuscripts for the library, he also laid the foundations for the pilgrimage church Frauenberg Maria Rehkogel in today's Bruck/Mur.

1581: Reformations
The Reformation falls on fertile ground in Admont; Only two fathers live in the monastery. The women's monastery is closed down completely. In this year, John IV takes over. Hofmann, from St Lambrecht, becomes Abbot. Under him, the monastery experiences a revival: 24 monks place their vows into his hands. He is regarded as the driving force behind the Counter-Reformation of the Enns Valley.

1628: Urban Weber;Urban Weber is elected 47th Abbot. He is called the "third founder" because of his huge construction work. In his time, 15 confrères made their profession.
Urban Weber is elected the 47th abbot. He is called the "third founder" due to his great building activity. During his time, 15 confreres take their vows.

1644: Founding of the Secondary School (Gymnasium)
Abbot Urban founds the Secondary School and builds a Baroque parish house in Frauenberg an der Enns. In the same century, an embroidery school flourishes under Brother Benno Haan from Copenhagen, from which a collection of magnificent Baroque-style liturgical textiles follows. In the course of the vigorous building activity during the Baroque period, the architect Johann Gotthard Hayberger begins a huge reconstruction of the monastery complex around 1735, which is continued by Graz architect Josef Hueber.

1675: Abbot Adalbert Heufler
This year, Adalbert Heufler zu Rasen und Höhenbühel, a great patron of the pilgrimage church Frauenberg an der Enns, is elected Abbot.

1680: Fire in the armoury
A fire destroys the Abbey's armoury.

1726: Joseph Stammel
This year, Joseph Stammel, an important artist for Admont, begins his work.

1786: Leoben Secondary School
Admont Secondary School is relocated to Leoben.

1865: Abbey fire
A large fire destroys large parts of the monastery in 1865, with the exception of the library. In the following years, the monastery buildings are largely rebuilt. Admont Abbey Church is rebuilt on the old foundations and is the first large Neo-Gothic sacral building in Austria.

1869: Consecration of the church
After the devastating fire, the new abbey church is consecrated.

1883, Kastner & Öhler
In Graz, the first Kastner & Öhler store is opened in the Admonterhof.

1898: Museum of Natural History
Father Gabriel Strobl builds the Museum of Natural History.

1906: Emperor Franz Joseph
Emperor Franz Joseph visits Admont Abbey.

1911: First electrical power station
The Abbey's first electrical power station is put into operation in Mühlau.

1939, World War II
The entire fortune of Admont Abbey is confiscated by the Nazi regime, and the fathers have to leave the monastery.

1945: Return
After the end of World War II, the monks are allowed to return back to the monastery on 17 October.

1974: 900th anniversary
On the occasion of its 900th birthday, the monastery erects a new school building in Admont. Since that year, girls have also been admitted.

1996: Abbot Bruno Hubl
Bruno Hubl is elected Abbot. In the monastery, he is appointed Prior in 1978 by Abbot Benedikt Schlömicher, and is also a novice master and member of various liturgical commissions. After the sudden resignation of Abbot Benedikt Schlömicher, Father Prior Bruno Hubl is elected Abbot by the monks of Admont Abbey on 1 August 1996. He receives the benediction on 1 September 1996 in the Abbey Church by Bishop Johann Weber.
He is a member of the Presidium of the Austrian Benedictine Congregation until 2009 and has a seat in various diocesan and supraregional bodies. His tenure includes the restoration of large parts of the monastery complex and the world-famous monastery library, as well as construction of the new museum and the meeting house in Graz, which opens on 6 October 2002.
On 23 March 2009, Abbot Bruno announces his resignation. However, he is re-elected on 27 April. On 30 April, after three days of consideration time, he resumes his duties. In his acceptance speech, he emphasises that he was serious about resigning. However, his confrères' trust in him make him take up office again as Abbot.

2003: Opening of the museum
Admont Benedictine Abbey has housed a Late Baroque abbey library and a large museum since 2003, which extends to four floors in two sections of the building. The exhibits include medieval manuscripts and early prints, art from the Middle Ages to the present, and a collection of natural history artefacts. In addition, a multimedia presentation of the Abbey, special exhibitions and a panorama stairway are offered.

2008: Restoration of the library
Restoration of the library: This project of the century was successfully completed. Since the completion of the library hall in 1776, never before have such works been carried out: During three major phases of work from 2004 to 2008, all the stone and metal parts, the ceiling frescoes, the entire sculpture decoration and all the wooden components were restored. The entire inventory of books, about 70,000 of them, was cleaned and examined for possible damage. Over 5,000 books have been restored. During this restoration phase, the Abbey Library remained open to visitors.

2015: Cleaning books
The Abbey Library's entire Baroque collection of books was cleaned after necessary fumigation (pest infestation). 70,000 books were competently cleaned and rearranged. The project is expected to be completed by 2016.

The Abbey Archive also offers modern equipment, which makes it easier for users to do research on and study the valuable collections.