Guests of honour, Cisterscapes project partners and well-wishers celebrated, among other things, the opening of the renovated Abbey Courtyard at Zwettl Abbey.Guests of honour, Cisterscapes project partners and well-wishers celebrated, among other things, the opening of the renovated Abbey Courtyard at Zwettl Abbey.At the end of June, the Zwettl Abbey Landscape took centre stage during a festive weekend. As part of the European cultural heritage project Cisterscapes, the Municipality of Zwettl and Zwettl Abbey invited visitors to enjoy a varied programme combining history, nature, spirituality and community. A special highlight took place on Sunday with the festive Mass celebrating the 70th birthday of Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski OCist., during which he received several prestigious honours. All photos can be found in our photo gallery.
Despite the midsummer temperatures, numerous visitors accepted the invitation. Particularly encouraging was the international participation: guests from the Czech partner region of Žďár nad Sázavou, from Vyšší Brod Abbey, representatives of the former Cistercian Abbey of Ebrach in Bavaria, as well as delegates from the European Cisterscapes network, all reflected the cross-border spirit of the project.
Discovering the Abbey Landscape with All the Senses
Saturday already offered visitors a wide range of opportunities to experience the Zwettl Abbey Landscape. The programme began with a guided hike along the Bernhardi Trail from Rosenau Castle to Zwettl Abbey. Numerous interactive activity stations awaited visitors of all ages in the Lindenhof courtyard. Guests were able to discover more about carp ponds, the monastery herb garden, the abbey forest and the life of the Cistercian monks in an entertaining and hands-on way. Children's guided tours such as Hidden Residents of the Monastery and The Diary of Little Monk Ebro introduced local history in an engaging and enjoyable manner. The afternoon was accompanied by music from the group Waldviertel Anklang, while regional culinary specialities invited visitors to relax and linger.
The opening of the new special exhibition "The Santini Scandal" also attracted considerable interest, offering fascinating insights into the work of the extraordinary Baroque architect Giovanni Battista Santini.
Another highlight was the ceremonial opening of the restored English Garden. Prior Fr Paulus Nüss OCist. officially inaugurated the historic garden. During a guided walk, Abbey Archivist Dr Andreas Gamerith explained its history and presented selected entries from the friendship album of Abbot Julius Hörweg. The garden is intended to serve as a place of peace and reflection, inviting visitors to pause and appreciate the value of genuine friendship.
The Bernhardi Trail is another important element of the Cisterscapes project. With the blessing of the first newly erected wayside shrine at Gschwendtmühle, the first of ten artistically designed trail stations has recently been inaugurated. In future, these stations will serve both pilgrims and hikers as places of orientation and quiet reflection along the route.
Golden Badge of Honour Awarded
Deputy Mayor Alexander Leutgeb, Mayor Franz Mold and Municipal Director Hermann Neumeister presented Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski OCist. with the Municipality of Zwettl's Golden Badge of Honour.Guests of honour, Cisterscapes project partners and well-wishers celebrated, among other things, the opening of the renovated Abbey Courtyard at Zwettl Abbey.
Deputy Mayor Alexander Leutgeb, Mayor Franz Mold and Municipal Director Hermann Neumeister presented Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski OCist. with the Golden Badge of Honour, one of the Municipality of Zwettl's highest distinctions.
Sunday began with a festive Mass celebrating the 70th birthday of Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski OCist. Following the service, several distinguished honours were presented to him. In his ceremonial address, Mayor Franz Mold emphasised the excellent cooperation between Zwettl Abbey, the Municipality of Zwettl and its citizens: "You have always succeeded in building bridges: between the Church and society, tradition and modernity, and above all between people."
He reflected on the life and achievements of Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski before surprising him with the Golden Badge of Honour, one of the Municipality's highest awards. The honour had been unanimously approved by the Municipal Council.
Members of the Order of Saint Lazarus also congratulated Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski and presented him with the Emperor Charles Cross, the Order's second-highest decoration, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to its charitable and chivalric mission.
District Governor Dr Markus Peham referred to the theme of pilgrimage in his address and congratulated the Abbot on his birthday: "May many more paths still lie ahead of you. May curiosity, confidence and your sense of humour always accompany you."
The Parish Council presented him with a statue of the Virgin Mary from Međugorje and wished him strength, good health and God's blessing for his continued service to both parish and monastery.
Cisterscapes Presented
Due to the exceptionally high temperatures, the official ceremony following the Mass was moved at short notice from the outdoor grounds to the pleasantly cool Abbey Church.
Accompanied by a trumpet ensemble conducted by Alexander Kastner, the speeches by Abbey Archivist Dr Andreas Gamerith, Alexandra Bayer from Cisterscapes Bamberg and Abbot Johannes Maria Szypulski OCist. highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation within the European cultural heritage project Cisterscapes. They also introduced the current Interreg project and emphasised its significance for the sustainable preservation, development and interpretation of the Cistercian monastic landscapes.
The celebrations concluded with the ceremonial opening and blessing of the newly redesigned Abbey Courtyard and the Cloister Garden. These two projects represent further important milestones in enhancing the historic abbey grounds and making them accessible to the public.
The project ‘ATCZ00007 CISTERSCAPES VB-Zw-ZnS’ is co-funded by the programme Interreg Austria-Czechia.
