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Weesen Abbey (Dominikanerinnenkloster Maria Zuflucht, ''ODSHLT'') is a monastery of Dominican nuns located in Weesen in the Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The Dominican convent is located at the foot of a terraced hillside in the middle of the town of Weesen on the effluence of the ''Maag'' respectively ''Linth'' from Walensee. Established in 1256, Weesen is the oldest Dominican monastery of nuns in Switzerland. The buildings and the library (about 8,400 works) respectively archives are listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance. == History == (詳細はKyburg and Rapperswil in the villages of ''Oberwesin'' and ''Niderwesin'' that were in the possession of Kyburg to 1264 respectively of Rapperwil to 1283, when Rudolf V, the underaged brother of Elisabeth von Rapperswil died, and the fiefs were acquired by Rudolf von Habsburg. But the nucleus of the monastic community "in den Wyden" was a so-called ''Clos'', a community of lay women or ''Beguines'' who lived in these ''woods'' (German: ''Wyden'') before the monastery was established. With the rapid spread of the Dominican order, brother convents emerged in Zürich and Chur. Weesen was in the middle of the road of the two brother convents, and the brothers in their migrations came in contact with the modest community of beguines. As the oldest document of the monastery testifies, the women in Weesen joined the Dominican Order on 7 October 1256, and ''Maria Zuflucht'' is the oldest monastery of its kind in Switzerland.〔 The sisterhood in Weesen was mentioned as "Sorores de congregacione in Wesen" in 1256 for the first time. From the Bishop of Chur, the community was given the right to free reception of novices, and even the authority to grant their benefactors an indulgence. Situated between the former villages of ''Oberwesin'' and ''Niderwesin'', in 1259 Count Rudolf IV von Rapperswil, Countess Elisabeth's father, donated certain duties and lands "in den Widen" for the construction of their monastery. Initially, the community was supported by Predigerkloster Zürich, because its close relationship to the House of Rapperswil. After the founding of the monastery, the Dominican monks in Chur took over the pastoral assistance in Weesen. Heinrich III, Bishop of Konstanz, in 1272 issued the authorization to build a chapel, and called a Dominican priest for the fair, the sacraments and the pastoral care of the nunnery. With episcopal permission, the convention was allowed to bury its deceased members in the monastic church. At Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, the nuns had to go to parish church of Weesen. In 1288 the Bishop granted an indulgence and consecrated the chapel. In the same year Weesen was mentioned as a walled city ''outside the convent in Widen''.〔 Among other donations, the nunnery was given land in the ''Durnachtal'' valley, sealed on 17 June 1353 in Glarus, when ''Judenta Wäzzi'' was mentioned as a nun in Weesen. Prior to 1319, the nuns were forced, apparently by the local priest, to comply with the Augustinian rule; the circumstances are unknown, but the congregation seems soon to be returned to the Dominican rule, as specifically mentioned in a document dated 13 March 1354: "Die gaistlich frouwe, die priorin der samenunge zu Wide bi Wesenne gelegen...gemeinlich ''prediger'' orden";〔 ''Prediger'' is the commonly used German name for the ''Dominican'' order. After the defeat of the House of Habsburg at Näfels on 9 April 1388, the city of Weesen was burned down. At the beginning of the 15th century, the town was rebuilt, again as a confederate of the Habsburg family, being then an open settlement at its present location at the Dominican convent which was called in the 15th century "St. Verena", and "Maria Zuflucht" (literally ''Mary refuge'') from 1699.〔 As one of the few monasteries in Switzerland, Weesen widely was spared from the repercussions of the 1520s Swiss Reformation, probably not least because the monastery still eked out a poor existence, so there was no reason for looting. Nevertheless, the iconoclasm lay lamed the monastic life briefly, and the sisters fled to a two-year exile. On their return, the nuns found their monastery desecrated and devastated. Only in the second half of the 17th century, the convent completely recovered. But also some pastors of the town of Weesen repeatedly tried to undermine the preferential rights of the monastery. Thanks to the episcopal safeguards, the monastic life, however, remained untouched. The life of the monastic community ever has been ruled by simplicity and poverty, and its history is closely connected to the small town of Weesen. To date there is a good relationship between the people of Weesen and the nunnery.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Weesen Abbey」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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