The Benediktiner Abtei Metten

Founded in 766, the Benediktiner Abtei Metten (Benedictine Metten Abbey) is one of the oldest abbeys in Bavaria. Monks have been living here following Christ according to the Rule of Saint Benedict and dedicating themselves to the various tasks of faith, education, science and economy for more than 1,250 years. The monastery church, the baroque library as well as the baroque ceremonial hall and the new library are art monuments of exceptional distinction.

Geographically, the Benedictine Metten Abbey is located in the Danube valley, near Deggendorf in the foothills of the Bavarian Forest. Legend has it that the hermit Utto was commissioned by Charlemagne (died 814) to build a monastery. The foundation by the minister and landlord Gamelbert is historically documented in the 8th century. Destruction and reconstruction shaped the abbey's eventful history through the centuries.

Secularisation in 1803 meant the dissolution of the Benedictine abbey in Metten. In 1830, King Ludwig I (1786-1868) arranged for it to be rebuilt as the first Benedictine monastery in Bavaria. Abbot Corbinian Hofmeister OSB (1891-1966) belonged to the German resistance during the Nazi period. The Benedictine Abbey Metten produced a cardinal in the 20th century with Paul Augustin Mayer OSB (1911-2010).

St. Michael's monastery and parish church

The spiritual centre of the convent and parish is St. Michael's baroque monastery and parish church. The altarpiece by the important fresco artist Cosmas Damian Asman (1668-1739) from 1715 shows the battle of the fallen angels with archangel Michael. The legendary founder of the monastery Charlemagne and the founder of the Benedictine order are depicted as figures on the high altar.

Baroque library

The famous Metten monastery library from 1724 is considered to be one of the most beautiful baroque libraries in Europe. Ceiling frescoes and stucco work date back to the fresco artist Innozenz Waräthi (1694-1758) and the stucco sculptor Franz Josef Ignaz Holzinger (1691-1775). A magnificent portal frame made of differently coloured stucco marble and the allegories of wisdom and religion already stand out in the entrance to the monastery library. A cycle of 14 frescoes depicts the individual disciplines of theology in pairs: revelation, dogmatic theology, apologetics, patrology and mysticism. Some of the diverse historical documents are on display in the library. Early manuscripts such as the "Mettener Regelhandschrift" from 1414 can now be found in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich.

The ceremonial hall

The ceremonial hall, richly decorated with stucco and ornaments, also dates from the 18th century. The ceiling fresco was created in 1755 by the Regensburg painter Martin Speer (1701-1765) and depicts the Lord's coming to court.

In addition to cultural events and concerts, the ceremonial hall, integrated in the school building, is used as an assembly hall to welcome new pupils and say farewell to graduates.

The new library

The approximately 270,000 volumes in the collection at the Benedictine Metten Abbey have been housed in the new monastery library since 2009. The art of glass painting is impressive here. An indirectly illuminated, 96-metre long strip of light glass by Robert M. Weber and Peter Hinz-Rosin crowns the shelves. The religious texts from the Holy Scriptures as well as the Rule of Saint Benedict and the encyclical "Deus caritas est" by Pope Benedict XVI also combine faith and science here. The library is part of the Bavarian Union Catalogue (BVB) and is also open to the public as a reference library.

• The objects of the Benedictine Metten Abbey available in bavarikon

Collections owned by the Benedictine Metten Abbey available in bavarikon

• The St. Emmeram Science Center in Regensburg around 1800