Monastery was founded by bishop Henrik I. in 1170, and was confirmed in 1173
(or 1174) by pope Alexander III. Because the primary monastery was disbanded
because of unsettled material matters, on the grounds of gift document by
then provincial prince Leopold of Babenberg, probably around 1127, when the
monastery church of St.Martin was censecrated, a new one was built.
Monastery church is is still standing. In the 16th century the monastery
slowly fell into ruins, so it was handed in 1591 to jesuit collegiate from Graz
by archduke Ernest. Jesuits handed the dominion in 1600 to barons Moscon to rent,
but they later managed it by themselves. In 1635 the monastery was raided and
ravaged by rebelled peasants, and it is shown as totally in ruins on Vischer's
image from 1681. After abolition of jesuit order the dominion was taken over by
academical fund in 1773 and gave it to lease. In 1780, after the ruins of monastery
were removed, a mansion was build. A mansion was also headquarters for a district
court. In 1870 a chamber manager at the time C.K. sold the dominion together with
mansion to company E.M Zündl et. Comp. from Trieste, and after it became the property
of Henrik Ritter noble Draže. Before the last world war the owner was Henrik Falter.
During WWII the mansion was burned down and totally destroyed. About how mansion was
like before devastation many photos from before war time are witnesses.
The mansion was built at the end of 18th century on foundations of
former monastery in typical baroque-classic style.
Building, which was leaning with its west wing on the church, had L-shaped
ground surface, and was opening towards east all the way to the defence wall.
It was one floor high and had half-storey, but no cellar. On the courtyard side
both wings were surrounded by arcade corridor.
Excellent medi-eval writers were living in the monastery, Odo from Novara
(prior 1189 - 1190), Sigrif of Schwab (mid 13th century), Michael
from Prague (1401) and Nikolaj Kempf (prior 1447 - 1451 and 1467 - 1490).
We can also learn the following from the preserved documents:
In 1468 the monastery obligates to its lord Herman of Celje, his heirs and
descendants, to perform anniversary mass to the complacence of all his
ancestors and by the name his father Count Friderik and Countess Dimota,
his brother Count Ulrik and himself, when God calls him by his side. Count
Herman gave two tithes for this: one on their estates in Jurklošter and the other
in parish Šentrupreht. Both tithes belonged under Planina dominion, which was
property of the count.
In 1373 the monastery promises to have daily mass for which it gets tithe on
Bodrež (Bodruss) and 30 marks in Graz dinars. Liturgy will be held for alive and
for the souls of deceased counts, because Herman and his wife Katarina have done
"grozz lieb vnd fuerdrung" to monastery and - if its God's will - they will
do it again.
Also known is a legend which tells that Veronika of Desenice, who was
murdered on Ojstrica, is burried in Jurklošter.
Rarely a car drives through the flat land of Gračnica valley, but if it does,
it usually doesn't stop here. People, who know at least some history or are
intrigued by it, will probably be attracted by a brief view of ruins and
convinced to stop for a short time and look around.
A few meters to the west a primary school is now standing. At the road not far
from monastery we can see an old chapel.
A lot more about monastery Jurklošter (and Žiče) can be found in a book:
Mlinarič, Kože: "Kartuziji Žiče in Jurklošter", Založba Obzorja Maribor, 1991, ISBN 86-377-05-87-1
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Literature: |
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: "Grajske stavbe v vzhodni Sloveniji - Spodnja
Savinjska dolina", Založna Park, Ljubljana, 1992
Dolinar, France M. [Publikacija ARS]: "Samostani v srednjeveških
listinah na Slovenskem", Ljubljana, 1993
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Contact details: |
TURISTIčNO DRUŠTVO JURKLOŠTER
MRZLO POLJE 6/A
3273 JURKLOŠTER
Slovenia
Contact person: JANKO CESAR
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Shows and entertainment: |
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Entrance to the church, above the entrance
a statue of knight in armour
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Close-up of inscription plate
at the entrance, which very briefly describes history of monastery
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Fish pond, located
in front of entrance to the monastery
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Apartment in the western
preserved part of the mansion
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Monastery church with its
modest defence wall
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Remains of ruins of once
formidable mansion
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Arcades between preserved
ruins of west part of the mansion
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Eastern tower, in which
a tourist point is located nowadays
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Eastern tower from south-east direction
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Cemetery at the eastern walls;
built in the 20th century, because it is not visible
on Reichert's image from around 1860
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Monastery church, view from
east side
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Around 5 meters high
still preserved western defence wall
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Northern defence wall, which is now
lowered
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Still visible remains
of southern wall in the distance
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Tower of monastery church
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Courtyard at the monastery
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Preserved gothic window, probably
at the chapel, where Veronika of Desenice was burried
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Jurklošter is also accessible
through this bridge south; a stone path leads to the stream underneath it
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Mansion; photo from before the war
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Baroque arcades on courtyard of the
mansion; photo from before the war
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C. Reichert,
Jurklošter with church and mansion; collored lithography, from around 1860
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Seal of convent of the monastery
in Jurklošter from the first half of the 14th century
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Jurklošter, G. M.
Vischer (1681)
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Jurklošter monastery ("Stara Kaiserjeva Suita", 1825)
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