Medieval Monasteries and Their Founders: Political Iconography of the Andechs and the Babenbergs in the Case of Foundation and Artistic Image of Jurklošter Charterhouse

The Carthusian monastery of Jurklošter (Gairach), once belonging to the Saunia District and now in the Commune of Laško, was founded by Henry I (1167–1174), Bishop of Gurk. As early as 1199 the monastery was disbanded because of the decline of monastic discipline. Its re-foundation was promoted by Nicholas, Prior of Žiče charterhouse, who won Duke Leopold VI Babenberg, Prince of the Province, to support the enterprise. Leopold was highly motivated for the foundation of a monastery on the strategically essential location to reinforce his rule in the Duchy of Styria. The monastery church was consecrated by bishop Egbert of Bamberg of the Andechs-Meran family (1203–1237), brother of Bertold, patriarch of Aquileia (1218–1251).
Because the above-stated information has not been adequately taken into account in art historical literature before, the objective of the proposed research is to investigate in detail and determine the role and significance of both the Andechs-Merans and the Babenbergs in the second founding of the Jurklošter charterhouse. Publications of research results in renowned scholarly journals will expand the knowledge about the role of these two dynasties in the foundation and the promotion of the development of monasteries and their influence in the dissemination of artistic trends in (Central) Europe. New findings will also be of interest to foreign scholars, who are almost completely unacquainted with the significance of the Jurklošter charterhouse from the viewpoint of its close connectedness with the most important ecclesiastical-political as well as artistic demiurges of the (Central) European world in the High Middle Ages, i.e. the dynasties of the Andechs-Merans and the Babenbergs. Research results will not only be useful to art history but also to other humanities, tourism, education as well as evaluation and preservation of this art monument.
The new findings which will result from the research from the viewpoint of art history and cultural history as well as political iconography will be of extraordinary importance for a wider Central-European space. Of particular interest to the field of art history will be the answer to the questions concerning the artistic connection between the monasteries of Žiče (Seitz) and Jurklošter, the mutual influence of the Early Gothic architecture of the Babenbergs on the one hand and the Lower Styria charterhouses on the other, and the place of Jurklošter in the development of Early Gothic architecture in Central Europe. In a wider sense, the research will open a new insight not only into the artistic activities of the two central families in the High Middle Ages in Central Europe, but it will also answer the question about how decisive the role of secular lords was in the decision-making about the building scheme of a certain architectural monument, in our case of the two central monuments of monastic art in the 12th and 13th centuries in Central Europe.
The originality of results will be guaranteed by a new approach to the analysis of general and art history of the Jurklošter charterhouse, which will proceed from much broader aspects rendered possible by a thorough analysis of completely unresearched relationships between the Carthusians in Lower Styria, the Babenbergs as Princes of the Province and the two representatives of the Andechs-Meran family.
The post-doctoral project will be carried out at a research institute (the France Stele Institute of Art History), which will provide optimal circumstances for its successful implementation.