Seven centuries ago the Basilica Sankt Emmeram stood tall. It was more than just a building. It was the heart of a thriving Benedictine monastery.
Founded around 739 at the grave of Saint Emmeram the Basilica Sankt Emmeram has a rich history. Bishops of Regensburg initially served as abbots. This changed in 975. Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg voluntarily relinquished the abbot position. This made the abbots of Sankt Emmeram independent of the bishopric. His action was copied across Germany. The first independent abbot was the Blessed Ramwold. Both he and Saint Wolfgang championed monastic reforms.
The Basilica Sankt Emmeram boasted a remarkable library. Saint Wolfgang established it. The library grew over centuries. It housed works by Saint Augustine Virgil and Seneca. Monks diligently copied texts. They preserved Carolingian era works. Other texts were acquired as gifts. The library was so renowned neighbouring libraries borrowed books for copying. The Basilica Sankt Emmeram’s scriptorium produced masterpieces such as the sacramentary of Emperor Henry II and the Uta Codex.
In 1295 the abbey gained Reichsfreiheit. It became an Imperial abbey. This elevated it to an independent sovereign power under the emperor. The Basilica Sankt Emmeram’s importance declined in the 16th century. It enjoyed a revival in the 17th and 18th centuries. Abbots like Frobenius Forster Coelestin Steiglehner and Placidus Heinrich were great scholars. They fostered the abbey’s academy. It rivaled the Munich Academy. The Basilica Sankt Emmeram had a long tradition of scientific enquiry. It preserved William of Hirsau’s astrolabe.
The abbots were elevated to Princes of the Empire in 1731. The abbey church underwent magnificent Baroque refurbishment. This was completed between 1731 and 1733 by the Asam brothers. The Basilica Sankt Emmeram’s independent status ended in 1803. It became part of the Principality of Regensburg. Its treasures were moved to Munich. This included the ciborium of Arnulf the Codex Aureus and the Muspilli.
The Basilica Sankt Emmeram’s abbey church became a parish church. Pope Paul VI granted it basilica minor status in 1964. The Romanesque basilica is based on an 8th-century church. It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. The ring crypt under the northern aisle is the oldest part. The north portal’s stone reliefs date from around 1052. They depict Christ Saint Emmeram and Saint Denis. They are the oldest of their kind in Germany. The Basilica Sankt Emmeram’s west transept houses a painted wooden ceiling. It depicts Saint Benedict of Nursia. The crypt of Saint Wolfgang lies beneath Saint Denis’ choir. The tomb of Emma Queen of the East Franks is in the northern aisle. The high altar dates from 1669. The tower holds six bells. The Basilica Sankt Emmeram is a testament to enduring faith resilience and remarkable history.