Abbey of Echternach

Benedictine monastery in Echternach, Luxembourg

The Abbey of Echternach is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg. The abbey was founded in the 7th century by St Willibrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg. For three hundred years, it benefited from the patronage of a succession of rulers, and was the most powerful institution in Luxembourg. The abbey is currently a popular tourist attraction mostly on account of an annual dancing procession that is held every Whit Tuesday. Tens of thousands of tourists, day trippers, pilgrims, and clergy visit Echternach to witness or participate in the traditional ceremony.

Located by the River Sauer, Echternach had originally been the site of a 1st century Roman villa. By the 6th century, the estate had been passed to the see of Trier, who constructed a small monastery on the estate. In 698, Irmina of Oeren granted the Northumbrian missionary Willibrord, Bishop of Utrecht, land at Echternach to build a larger monastery, appointing Willibrord as abbot. In part, the choice was due to Willibrord's reputation as a talented proselytiser (he is known as the Apostle to the Frisians). Willibrord opened the first church at Echternach in 700 with financial backing from Pepin of Herstal. Pepin's son, Charles Martel, founder of the Carolingian dynasty, had his son Pepin the Short baptised at Echternach in 714. In addition to Carolingian support, Willibrord's abbey at Echternach had the backing of Wilfrid, with whom he had served at Ripon. Willibrord secured the backing of many Irish monks, who would become part of the first settlement at Echternach. Willibrord spent much time at Echternach, and died there in 739. Willibrord was buried in the oratory, which soon became a place of pilgrimage, particularly after he was canonised. In 751, Pepin declared the Abbey of Echternach a 'royal abbey', and granted it immunity.

Beornrad, the third abbot of Echternach, was a great favourite of Charlemagne, and was promoted to Archbishop of Sens in 785. When Beornrad died, in 797, Charlemagne took direct control of the abbey for a year. The work of the monks at the abbey was heavily influenced by Willibrord's roots in Northumbria and Ireland, where a great emphasis was put on codices, and Echternach developed one of the most important scriptoria in the Frankish Empire. The abbey at Echternach produced four gospels (in order of production): the Augsburg Gospels, Maaseyck Gospels, Trier Gospels, and the Freiburg Gospel Book Fragment. Manuscripts produced at Echternach are known to have been in both insular and Roman half uncial script. As Echternach was so prolific, and enjoyed the patronage of Pepin the Short and Charlemagne, it played a crucial role in the development of the early Carolingian Renaissance. Seeing the work of the abbey at Echternach at taming the native German script, and eager to further the reform, Charlemagne sent for Alcuin, to establish a scriptorium at the court in Aachen. Alcuin synthesised the two styles into the standard Carolingian minuscule, which predominated for the next four centuries. At the start of the ninth century, a larger, Carolingian style church was constructed, but it was destroyed in a fire some 200 years later. The so called Emperor's Bible and the Golden Gospels of Henry III were also produced in Echternach at this time, when production of books at the scriptorium peaked.

Around the middle of the 19th century, the choir began to crumble and it was feared that it might collapse completely. For this reason, an association was founded in 1862 for the reconstruction of the church (the Kirchbauverein). The rebuilding in a neo roman style was completed in 1868, and the abbey was re consecrated. In recognition of its importance as a national centre of pilgrimage to St. Willibrord, Pope Pius XII granted the abbey the status of minor basilica in 1939. Part of the basilica was destroyed by shells in 1944, necessitating another reconstruction its sixth in 14 centuries in the original Roman style. The facade is a nod to the basilica of Paray le Monial. The building was again re consecrated in 1953, though the 8th century crypt has survived throughout with no major damage.

Despite the long history of the abbey and the city, Echternach is best known today for its traditional dancing procession, held around the town of Echternach. It is held every Whit Tuesday in honour of Saint Willibrord, and is the last such traditional dancing procession in Europe. The event draws to Echternach tens of thousands of visitors a year, be they pilgrims or tourists, who either participate or observe the quaint and distinctive procession.

On 9 February 2010 Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, published a two volume catalogue of the manuscripts in the library on behalf of the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg.