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Kremsmünster

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Kremsmünster is a town in Kirchdorf an der Krems District , in the Austrian state of Upper Austria . Settled in 777, it is home to the Kremsmünster Abbey .

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44-415: The Abbey was founded 777 by Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria and is one of the oldest abbeys of central Europe. On a striking ice-age terrace above the town, it dominates the whole Krems valley. The monks ( Order of Saint Benedict ), lead a famous gymnasium which has existed since 1549, and an astronomical and geophysical observatory ("Mathematical tower"). The First Slovak Republic ceased to exist here when

88-481: A complete copy, though McKitterick points out that the derivatives are often not complete themselves. These also contain insertions not found in the other classes, including mention of Pepin the Hunchback. The revised texts are based on a Class D manuscript. Class E comprises the revised editions of the annals, and are by far the most numerous. These are often found paired with Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni , and it

132-581: A diet in the Imperial Palace Ingelheim in 788, when Tassilo was finally deposed and then entered a monastery. In 794, Tassilo was again compelled, at the Synod of Frankfurt , to renounce his and his family's claims to Bavaria . He formally handed over to the king all of the rights that he had held. Tassilo died reportedly on 11 December 796 at Lorsch Abbey, to which he had been banished by Charlemagne. A lost chronicle of Tassilo's reign

176-524: A group of clerics associated with the Carolingian court is likely. Between the years 741 and 768, the annals overlap with the continuations of the Chronicle of Fredegar . On account of this, scholars such as Scholz have suggested that the annals are based on the continuation of Fredegar up to 768, and then on minor annals up to some point between 787 and 793. McKitterick, however, contends that

220-456: A reflection of a belief in a divine will and control of history. Many of the worse omens also parallel growing dissatisfaction with Louis the Pious, which immediately after the end of the annals spilled into civil war between him and his sons. Divine intervention through the relics of saints play an important role as well, with mention of Hilduin's translation of the relics of St. Sebastian to

264-407: Is founded on Hilduin's involvement in the first civil war between Louis and his sons in 830. In that year, he left the emperor's service to join the sons’ uprising and was subsequently banished, which would account for the termination of the annals. His increasing distaste for Louis would also correspond with the veiled negativity towards the emperor which surfaces in the later entries of the annal, in

308-548: Is partially from this that they are sometimes believed to have been written by him as well, and thus called the Annales qui dicuntur Einhardi (English: Annals which are said to be of Einhard ). The revised editions correct the Latin of the originals and elaborate on many of the earlier entries, which were written by a terse hand in their unedited states. The major edits go up to 801, with minor stylistic changes through 812. Though

352-492: Is portrayed in the annals as a victory, as opposed to a crushing Frankish defeat at the hands of the Saxons. The 792 conspiracy of Pepin the Hunchback against Charlemagne is also omitted, along with any reference to potential misconduct on Charlemagne's part. The revised text, however, incorporates these events while maintaining a positive tone towards the emperor, presented as a peerless leader in battle. Charlemagne's son, Louis

396-460: Is warm and wet during summers and cold and snowy during winters. Kremsmünster's climate in the 1991-2020 period has been warmer and wetter than the 1961-1990 period. Kremsmünster is also a place of modern technology with about 3,000 employees (62% of them in production), e.g. in Tassilo III of Bavaria Tassilo III ( c. 741 – c. 796) was the duke of Bavaria from 748 to 788, the last of

440-458: The Abbey of St. Medard , and Einhard's transport of the relics of SS. Marcellinus and Peter into Francia. A more detailed account of Einhard's procurement of the relics exists in his Translation and Miracles of Marcellinus and Peter . Additionally, the annals provide the only attestation to the existence of Charlemagne's personal elephant Abul-Abbas , aside from a mention by Einhard drawn from

484-594: The Carolingian Francia , recording year-by-year the state of the monarchy from 741 (the death of Charles Martel ) to 829 (the beginning of the crisis of Louis the Pious ). Their authorship is unknown, though Wilhelm von Giesebrecht suggested that Arno of Salzburg was the author of an early section surviving in the copy at Lorsch Abbey . The Annals are believed to have been composed in successive sections by different authors, and then compiled. The depth of knowledge regarding court affairs suggests that

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528-641: The Merovingian king Childeric III . The annalists pay particular attention to the military campaigns of the Carolingian kings, justifying their actions in terms of a grand narrative of Carolingian peacekeeping and conquest in the name of expanding the Christian faith. The overthrow of the Merovingians is also portrayed in such a way as to legitimize the transfer of royal power between dynasties, emphasizing Carolingian adherence to Frankish traditions and

572-802: The 1,700 manuscripts is the Codex Millenarius , a Gospel Book written around 800 in Mondsee Abbey . The showpiece of the monastery's treasury is the Tassilo Chalice of about 770, created in copper and silver and holding 1.8 litres. It is still used in religious services, e.g. at Easter . Architecture outside the monastery: The Climate of Kremsmünster is continental, classified as Dfb in Köppen climate classification and Dc in Trewartha climate classification . The weather

616-602: The Aquitanians in light of an earlier alliance, made between Tassilo's father and the Aquitanian duke Hunoald I during his conflict with Pepin in 743. Whatever the motivations behind Tassilo's abandonment of the campaign, the Royal Frankish Annals for that year are particularly scathing of him, saying that he "brushed aside his oaths and all his promises and sneaked away on a wicked pretext". Working on

660-406: The Latin up to a similar level as the new entries and adding lengthy passages where detail was lacking, again in the style of the later years. For this reason, the editor is believed to have belonged to or been affiliated with this third group of authors. This section ends abruptly after the events of 829, and for this reason has been associated with Hilduin of St. Denis. The case for his authorship

704-413: The Pious, is rarely shown engaging in battle by the annalists, but rather directs others to do so, or negotiates for peace. The contrast between Louis and his father and grandfather is clear. While the past kings were unshakeable figures, depicted as the better of their foes even in defeat by the revised edition, the annalists’ Louis is a smaller man who invests the power of the military in others, not unlike

748-508: The Saxons at the time. Its destruction is a major point in the annals, written to continue a jingoistic theme of Frankish triumphs against the “un-Frankish” and unchristian barbarian. The unrevised text neglects to mention defeats suffered by Charlemagne, such as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 (later dramatized in the Song of Roland ) and the Battle of Süntel in 782. The Battle of Süntel

792-449: The annal entries for the 9th century. In addition to astronomical oddities, such as eclipses , the supernatural begins to enter the account, set against almost ritualistic yearly notices of the regular passages of Christmas and Easter . Nearly two-dozen villages are reported to have been destroyed by heavenly fire in 823, while at the same time an unnamed girl is said to have begun a three-year fast . Scholz regards this preoccupation as

836-536: The annals were written by persons close to the king, and their initial reluctance to comment on Frankish defeats betrays an official design for use as Carolingian propaganda. Though the information contained within is heavily influenced by authorial intent in favor of the Franks, the annals remain a crucial source on the political and military history of the reign of Charlemagne . Copies of the annals can be categorized into five classes, based on additions and revisions to

880-444: The annals. The author of this section is unknown. Scholz posits the work of multiple authors in the royal chapel. The year 795 is not definitive as the date of authorial change, but it is the latest of those suggested. Unlike the first section, these entries were written contemporaneously and with greater depth. Considering this and the fact that the subject matter remains fixed on the actions of Charlemagne, composition by members of

924-551: The annals. The gift of the elephant to Charlemagne, amongst other treasures, by Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid is evidence of the attempts to form an Abbasid-Carolingian alliance at the time, which the annals document loosely. The annals survive in multiple versions, widely distributed across the Frankish empire, though none of these are original copies. Each version is marked with distinguishing features, and based on these features, Friedrich Kurze formulated five classes for

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968-505: The annals’ earlier depiction of the Merovingian kings. Miracles aid Charlemagne and his men, and the grace of God leads him to victory; mostly ill portents surround Louis, such as an omen in the stars supposedly foretelling his army's defeat at the hands of Count Aizo , and the sudden collapse of a wooden arcade atop him in 817. Such references to striking natural phenomena, strange happenings, and miracles become increasingly common in

1012-596: The approval of Pope Zacharias in the matter. Of the three kings—Pepin, Charlemagne , and Louis —Charlemagne's military chronicles are the most detailed, covering his victories against the Saxons , Bretons , and other peoples. The account of Charlemagne's campaign against the Saxons is also notable as one of the few extant references to the Irminsul , an important if enigmatic part of the Germanic paganism practiced by

1056-478: The categorization of these texts. This system still remains in use. The five classes of texts are lettered A through D, with an additional E class for the revised text. They are as follows: Class A texts end at the year 788, and are reflected in one of the earliest modern printings of the annals, that of Heinrich Canisius's Francicorum Annalium fragmentum . Canisius also includes the years up to 793 in his printing, however, and Rosamond McKitterick speculates that

1100-405: The continuation of Fredegar and the minor annals are more likely based upon the Annales regni Francorum , which is the most ordered and precise of them. Neither argument considers these entries to be contemporaneous with the events described. The manner of reporting for these years is typically terse, though they include the convention of mentioning Easter and Christmas, which continues throughout

1144-613: The court of his grandfather, Desiderius, and to be baptised by Pope Adrian I in Rome on 19 May. In 773, Tassilo sent an embassy to the pope, but it was blocked by Charles, who was suspicious of the duke's alliances with Saxons , Wends , and Avars . In 788 Tassilo was accused by the Franks of defaulting on his military obligations to Pepin, leaving the Frankish campaign in Aquitaine on grounds of ill health way back in 763. Roper Pearson suggests that he left because he felt an obligation to

1188-542: The duchy for himself. Pepin removed Grifo and installed the young Tassilo as duke, but under Frankish overlordship in 749. In 757, according to the Royal Frankish Annals , Tassilo became Pepin's vassal and the lord for his lands at an assembly held at Compiegne . There, he is reported to have sworn numerous oaths to Pepin and, according to reports that may have been written much later, promised fealty to him and his sons, Charles and Carloman . However,

1232-482: The duchy of Bavaria and the greater independency he displayed, Airlie compares the duchy of Bavaria was similar to Aquitaine in the independent nature and threat to Carolingian rule. The incident was the linchpin in Charlemagne and Pope Adrian's argument that Tassilo was not an independent prince but a rebellious vassal, deserving punishment. The punishment was carried out, after much political maneuvering, during

1276-524: The exiled Slovak government capitulated to General Walton Walker leading the XX Corps of the 3rd US Army on 8 May 1945. Kremsmünster is a traditional place of culture, astronomy and natural science. For instance, Placidus Fixlmillner (1721–1791), the first astronomer to compute the orbit of Uranus, was born and lived in Kremsmünster. The observation tower itself (built 1749–1756) represents

1320-541: The first high-rise of Europe. In this vicinity the eldest geomagnetism station of the world was established, and also the first weather station of Austria-Hungary . The nearby Gusterberg (450 m) is the fundamental point of the former national survey of Upper Austria. An observation tower at the summit marks the geoscientific importance of the mountain. It is also crossed by the Meridian arc Großenhain -Kremsmünster- Pola , an 800 km triangulation which

1364-476: The form of faint praise and the recording of omens and disasters. Additionally, the entry for 826 mentions Hilduin's translation of relics, and is followed in 827 by Einhard's translation. The inclusion of these somewhat obscure events, both of which Hilduin was involved with, would be explained by his authorship of the section. The revised text is believed to have been edited after Charlemagne's death in 814 but prior to Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni , which references

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1408-600: The highly legalistic account is quite out of character for the period. K. L. Roper Pearson has suggested that it probably represents a reworking of the original document by the annalist to emphasise Charlemagne's overlordship over Tassilo during the period of hostilities between the two rulers. Around 760, Tassilo married Liutperga , daughter of the Lombard king, Desiderius , continuing a tradition of Lombardo-Bavarian connections. He made several journeys to Italy to visit his father-in-law and to establish political relations with

1452-648: The house of the Agilolfings . He was the son of Duke Odilo of Bavaria and Hitrud , daughter of Charles Martel . Tassilo, then still a child, began his rule as a Frankish ward under the tutelage of his uncle, the Carolingian Mayor of the Palace Pepin the Short (later king ) after Tassilo's father, Duke Odilo of Bavaria , had died in 748 and Pepin's half-brother Grifo had tried to seize

1496-515: The manuscript originally ran to that date. These manuscripts are now lost. Class B texts go to, at the latest, 813. Kurze notes that one of these was used by Regino of Prüm in his Chronicon . Class C texts are complete through 829. These contain various additions not found in the previous two classes, and Kurze divides them based on what other texts are found in their codices, such as the Liber historiae Francorum . Class D texts are derived from

1540-408: The number of sections into which the annals should be divided is debated, they undoubtedly were written in at least four stages, corresponding roughly to the entries for 741-795, 796-807, 808-819, and 820-829. Additionally, an unknown editor produced the revised text at some point during the third stage. The identities of any of the authors save that of the fourth section are unknown, but production by

1584-425: The pope against Lombard expansions, which has been seen as a reason for Rome's lack of support for him during his later conflict with Charlemagne. Still, there is a consensus among historians that Tassilo, despite acting as a kingly sovereign, did not intend to become king himself. Tassilo nevertheless undertook such kingly duties as founding Kremsmünster Abbey . In 772, Tassilo sent his son Theodo to Italy to visit

1628-580: The pope. It is reported that Tassilo had gained such a reputation that he was regarded as a kingly ruler when his cousins Charles and Carloman assumed power in the Frankish realm in 768. That year, he founded Gars Abbey on the Inn River , in southern Bavaria. In the following year, 769, Tassilo issued in Bolzano the foundation charter of the Innichen Abbey . He was, however, not able to protect

1672-416: The premise that the annals may have been revised to emphasise Tassilo as a vassal, Roper Pearson suggests that to be the beginning of a campaign to depict Tassilo as an oath-breaker and someone unprepared to carry out the main function of his office, to fight, which would make him unfit for rule. Stuart Airlie has argued that the reason why Charlemagne removed Tassilo from power was the greater power he had in

1716-448: The revisions, written in 833 at the latest. It covers the years 741 through 812, variously adding detail and modifying style. Leopold von Ranke put forth Einhard as the editor, an association which has carried with the revised annals in references to the Annales qui dicuntur Einhardi . However, while no other names have been suggested for the editor, the case for Einhard cannot be argued definitively either. Three major annals take up

1760-417: The royal chapel again seems likely, as few other groups would have had access to the same information. However, the identities of these authors remains unknown. This section, as well as the fourth, are also both contemporaneous accounts. Scholz notes an increased eloquence in the language employed from here on. At this time, the editor of the revised edition also began his work on the earlier entries, bringing

1804-587: The text. The chronicles were continued and incorporated in the West Frankish Annales Bertiniani and in the East Frankish Annales Fuldenses and Annales Xantenses . The annals give a brief individual description of events for each year (a few omitted), with a focus on the actions of the Carolingian monarchy, beginning with the account of Pepin the Short's ascension through the dethronement of

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1848-728: The work of the Annales regni Francorum after 829: the Annales Bertiniani , the Annales Fuldenses , and the Annales Xantenses . The Annales Bertiniani concern the West Frankish Kingdom from 830 to 882, serving as a direct unofficial continuation. The Annales Fuldenses use the Annales regni Francorum as a basis up to the year 829, and then continue on their own until 901, documenting

1892-524: Was kept by his chancellor, Creontius . It was partially preserved in the 16th century, when Johannes Aventinus incorporated some of its material into his Bavarian history. Royal Frankish Annals The Royal Frankish Annals ( Latin : Annales regni Francorum ), also called the Annales Laurissenses maiores ('Greater Lorsch Annals'), are a series of annals composed in Latin in

1936-416: Was measured in the 19th century to determine the alpine curvature of the geoid . Besides schools and the baroque library, Kremsmünster also has some institutions of adult education , e.g. Subiaco for Spiritual Exercises and a Vocational school . The castle Kremsegg houses a special museum of music instruments. The monastery library (built 1680–1689 by Carlone) contains about 160,000 volumes. Among

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