Regensburg - Schottenkloster St. Jakob

A Benedictian monastery was founded by Hiberno-Scottish monks in Regensburg already around 1070. Soon after, the convent moved to a place just outside the city walls and in started to erect first buildings.

The first church, consecrated in 1120, was of such a poor workmanship, that the convent decided to tear it down (except one apse and the flanking towers) and restart the process. The church of today was completed before 1200. It is one of the most important Romanesque structures in Bavaria.

The abbey was a hub for the Irish/Scottish mission to central Europe. Daughter establishments of St. Jakob were founded in Vienna (1155), Erfurt (1136), Wuerzburg (1138), Nuremberg (1140), Constance (1142), Eichstaett (1148), Memmingen (1178), Kiev (!) (late 12th century) and Kelheim (13th century).

WHile the first monks and abbots were Irish, the Scottish period started after the Reformation with Scottish abbot Ninian Vincet (1577-1592). A century later Scottish priests were educated here to do missionary work back in Scotland.

Abbot Benedikt Aburthnot (1737-1820) could avoid the secularisation in 1802 by making clear, that the monastery was a Scottish (not at all Bavarian!) national treasure. It took upto 1814 to incorporate the Scottish monastery into the Bavarian sovereignty. Monastic life finally ended here in 1862, when the buildings were taken over by the bishop, who 10 years later founded a still existing seminary here.

The "Schottenkirche" is "classic" basilica with a central nave, two aisles and three apses. Most Romanesque churches in Bavaria got Baroque interiors during the 18th century. The scottish monks did not follow that fashion - and so the church is still very much like it was built around 1200.

I knew from the literature I had, that a Gothic cloister existed east to the church. I even found the door, that lead to it. The door was of course locked, as the cloister belongs to the seminary. Then I saw a nun, walking towards that door - and smiling at me. I asked her, if it would be possible, to ... She was very friendly and for two minutes, I was allowed here. Thank you very much!

The zigzag-style of the large archivolts differs clearly from the carving style of the capitals inside the church (or the western portal). Obviously the tympanum (and the lintel below) got lost over the centuries. The round medaillon in the center is clearly younger.