Monday, June 28, 2010

Four Centuries of Precious Vestments from Niedermünster Abbey, Germany

A reader in Germany sends in the news of this story about an important vestment collection which was part of Niedermünster Abbey, historically a house of canonesses in Regensburg, Germany.

Here is the story in an English translation:

The Vestment Treasury of Niedermünster

The findings' worth is in the millions of Euros, yet priceless: 500 pieces of liturgical vestments from four centuries!

By HELMUT WANNER, MZ

REGENSBURG. To the glory of God, generations of women from Stift Niedermünster embroidered the most precious chasubles of Lyonnaise silk with threads of silver and gold. After the liturgical reforms these precious garments fell into oblivion. They were stored away in cabinets and forgotten. Now the new pastor of the cathedral parish, Fr. Harald Scharf, called an aspiring art historian for an inventory. The findings from Niedermünster caused the raising of heads among the specialists. The German "silk papess" Barbara Beaucamp and art historians of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg showed interest in these findings. Now an inventory is made of them together with exact descriptions. On high feasts the pastor may use them again at the altar. There are planned a little exposition and a publication.

Photo: Art Historian Dr. Matthias Mayerhofer with historic vestments of Niedermünster church. Foto: altrofoto.de

Source: Der Paramentenschatz vom Stift Niedermünster

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