Landesmuseum
The big thing I want to talk about for this post is the temporary exhibit at the Landesmuseum, or Swiss National Museum. This museum is one of the most important art museums of cultural history in Europe, and on the day of my visit the special exhibit featured the history of Einsiedeln Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Switzerland that is one of the most significant places of pilgrimage around the world.
Back in the 9th century, a Benedictine monk by the name of St. Meinrad lived as a hermit in the hills to the south of Lake Zurich. The story goes that in the year 861 CE, two robbers murdered St. Meinrad, and in 934 CE the first abbey was built at the site where Meinrad had lived. In 1039 CE St. Meinrad was canonized, and his remains were taken from the abbey on island Reichenau back to Einsiedeln.
Decimation of the abbey
The French Revolution of 1789 and the establishment of the Helvetic Republic in 1798-1803 led to the most significant break in the abbey’s history. In May 1798, 6,000 French troops moved into Einsiedeln and for 14 days rampaged and plundered the abbey. Though the Holy Chapel was dismantled stone by stone, the monks had fled to Vorarlberg prior to the assault and had taken the stature of Our Lady with them (more on the statue latter).
In 1799, a few monks returned, and in 1802 an abbot and several other members returned as well. On 29 September 1803, the statue of Our Lady was ceremoniously returned and put on a provisional altar erected on the site of the demolished Holy Chapel. The reconstruction of the place did not start until 1816, but reopened the next year. | The monks carried the Black Madonna back to Einsiedeln on 29 September 1803. |
There are black goddesses in all the pre-Christian religions. In particular, Hinduism includes the black mother goddess Kali, who embodies good and evil, creation and destruction. Numerous Hindu pilgrims travel to Einsiedeln to see the Black Madonna.
In 1799, the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln was restored by a painter. The statue had experienced significant damage when it was taken away to be safeguarded from the French soldiers, and the restorer ascertained that the statue actually featured pale flesh tones but the dark color was the result of a layer of soot and dirt. While the statue had already been darkened somewhat from being permanently surrounded by burning candles in the Holy Chapel, in deference to the statue’s historical condition, the restorer ensured that not only the hands and faces of Mary and baby Jesus exhibited a consistently dark color, but also the eyes and lips. Since that time, the Madonna of Einsiedeln has truly been a Black Madonna. | Reproduction of a Black Madonna on display at Landesmuseum. |
Pilgrimages of today
Einsiedeln is located on one of the major pilgrimage routes to Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela.
These three places—together with the sites where Christ performed his works and the tombs of the Apostles—are the main destinations for Christian pilgrims. For some, the pilgrimage represents a profession of faith, while for others it is a time for relaxation or personal reflection. The pilgrimage from Einsiedeln to Santiago takes around 94 days by foot. |
In 1852, at the request of the vicar general of the Diocese of Vincennes in Indiana (USA), two monks from Einsiedeln were sent to the US to help with the spiritual care of the growing population of German-speaking Catholics. In 1854, these monks founded the Priory of St. Meinrad. In 1870, the priory was elevated to the status of abbey, and the Saint Meinrad Archabbey is now home to 85 monks.
Besides the museum, what else happened in Switzerland? Enjoy these slideshows with some of the highlights!
Exploring Zürich
The reason we came here was to see the grave of James Joyce, an Irish novelist who coined the term "quark," which was later chosen as the name for a group of elementary particles. James Joyce: 2 Feb. 1882 – 13 Jan. 1941 Yet we discovered the whole cemetery was quite beautiful, so I took a lot of photos around the place as well. |