Monastic Island of Reicheneau - UNESCO: World Heritage

Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler / Reichenau - English Summary Add. 3
the famous Reichenau school of monumental
painting. They are dated between1104 and
1134; the central window was opened during
the 15th century, and the painted base was
added around 1900. The entire composition
is framed by a meander band. The huge
central figure of Christ in a mandorla
dominates the apse. The maiestas domini is
framed by evangelist’s symbols and flanked
by two adoring saints, possibly the patron
saints St. Peter and St. Paul, and cherubs
riding winged wheels. The walls of the conch
are divided into two registers; apostles
holding books and surmounted by arches
take up the upper register while prophets
holding banners and wearing Jewish hats are
depicted in the lower. The motif originally
taking up the center is unknown. Attempts at
individual characterization are evident from
the figures’ lively gestures while the rigid
architectural frame and the restrained and
sophisticated color scheme are typical of their
time. In the Egino chapel (southern annex)
there are the remains of a cycle depicting the
Passion of Christ dating from the late 12th
century. Further murals on the eastern wall of
the northern aisle (around 1300) and those of
the bay closest to the chancel (17th century).
The antechurch features another Passion
cycle. Of uncommon interest is the slab
discovered in 1976 on the 12th century high
altar. It dates from the time of the church’s
foundation, and features almost 400 names,
both of clerics and laymen, some written in
ink, some carved into the sandstone. One
Description. The simple exterior of the threeaisled
basilica retains its 10th/11th century
character. The transepts and aisles are
aligned; the nave and chancel ceilings are of
equal height. The massive tower is crowned
by a late Gothic tetrahedron roof. The width
of the antechurch is slightly less than that of
“Meginwardus abbas” has been identified as
the abbot appointed to the office in 1069.
OBERZELL
Collegiate church of St. Georg. History.
Contemporary documents name Abbot Heito
III (888-913) as the founder of the original
building. According to a St. Gall monk,
Notker Balbulus (died 912), the abbot traveled
to Rome in 896 to attend the coronation of the
new emperor, Arnulf of Kärnten. He brought
back a number of relics including some of St.
George, and deposited them in his “novum
Monasterium”. Although much of the original
structure has been preserved the exact history
of the building remains somewhat obscure. It
is certain that the transepts, crossing and
chancel were altered significantly during the
11th century, and again during the late Gothic
period. The original northern and southern
conchs, originally opening onto the crossing,
were replaced by rectangular transepts, and in
the 17th century became side rooms. The
crossing acquired a ribbed dome supporting
the tower. The aisles were given apses. During
the first half of the 11th century the large
western apse with its portal and the biforium
windows was built to replace what had
probably been a flat wall in Heito’s day. At
the same time the antechurch was added,
which acquired a first floor and a separate
place of worship, the St. Michael’s Chapel, in
the 14th century.
the western apse. The St. Michael’s Chapel on
the first floor of the antechurch is accessible
from the outside only. The somewhat squat
near-square ground plan of the nave and
aisles is offset by the soaring height of the
nave. Its walls are supported by four pairs of
columns, the arches resting on cushion
5