FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92  
93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   >>   >|  
ench in the seventeenth century. The synagogue, recently restored, dates, as to its foundation, from the eleventh century, and is one of the most ancient in all Germany. According to tradition, a Jewish colony was established at Worms 550 years B.C. This may or may not be well authenticated,--the writer does not know,--but no city in Germany in the middle ages had a colony of Jews more numerous, more venerated, or more ancient. The Jews of Germany had three grand Rabbis, one at Prague, one at Frankfort, and the other at Worms. By the privilege of the Emperor Ferdinand, the Rabbi of Worms had precedence over the two others. They believed, according to a traditionary legend, that Worms was a part of the promised land, and it was said that the Jews' cemetery at Worms was made of soil brought from Jerusalem. The wine-growers of Worms have given the name _Liebfraumilch_ to the wine of the neighbourhood, particularly that which is gathered on the hillside gardens of the Church of Our Lady, and within the grounds of the ancient convent. Near Worms is the ancient abbey of Lorsch, known in the middle ages as Lauresham and Lorse. The abbey was founded and dedicated (767-74) in the presence of Charlemagne, his wife Hildegarde, and his two sons, Charles and Pepin. The churches of Treves, of Metz, and of Cologne have, as we know, existed from very early times, and Maternus, an early Bishop of Cologne, is said to have been summoned to Rome in 313 to give his aid in deciding the Donatist controversy. The oldest of all these Rhenish church foundations is thought to be that of Lorsch, whose bishop, Maximilian, died a martyr's death in the year 285. The abbey became very wealthy, as was but natural under the patronage of such celebrated benefactors; but it fell a prey to the flames in 1090, and, in spite of immediate restoration, Lorsch never recovered its ancient splendour. In 1232 it was incorporated with the archbishopric of Mayence, and the former imperial abbey became first, a priory of the monks of the order of Citeaux, and later of the Premonstentrationists. The fine old twelfth-century church, rebuilt from that of 1100, has to-day become a grange, though only the ancient choir can be really said to exist. The valuable library of Lorsch was fortunately saved at the Thirty Years' War, and, when the church was devastated by the Spaniards, was transported to Heidelberg. The monastery at Lorsch is importan
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92  
93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

ancient

 

Lorsch

 

century

 
church
 
Germany
 

middle

 
Cologne
 

colony

 

Bishop

 

natural


wealthy
 

patronage

 

flames

 

Maternus

 

benefactors

 
celebrated
 

foundations

 

thought

 

deciding

 
Donatist

Rhenish

 
oldest
 

controversy

 

Maximilian

 

martyr

 

bishop

 

summoned

 
valuable
 

library

 

fortunately


grange

 

Thirty

 

transported

 

Heidelberg

 

monastery

 

importan

 

Spaniards

 

devastated

 

archbishopric

 

Mayence


imperial

 

incorporated

 

recovered

 

splendour

 

priory

 

twelfth

 
rebuilt
 

Premonstentrationists

 

Citeaux

 

restoration