A Feminine Version in Middle High German
in the series
See Bibliography for studies, edition and manuscript.
The Altenburg version of the Rule of St. Benedict was translated from the Latin into Middle High German for the nuns of the double Benedictine monastery of Gottweich, Austria, under Abbot Matthias Schachtaur; it is dated 1505. The manuscript later found its way to the library of Altenburg Abbey.
The German translation is consistently feminized, except for chapter 60 and 61, which have to do with priests. The translation is straightforward, with no omissions and relatively few expansions of the text. A table of contents is added at the end.
The text presented here is that published by John E. Crean, Jr.: The Altenburg Rule of St. Benedict. (Regulae Benedicti Studia Supplementa, 9). Erzabtei St. Ottilien: EOS Verlag, 1992. It has been edited slightly for this series and for publication on the World Wide Web.
It has not been able to present two characters accurately. V umlaut is written here as u umlaut with a note. The character esstset (ß) is represented by ss.
See the home page for further information regarding principles of transcription and presentation.
Each verse is identified by number and begins on a new line.
Notes are numbered consecutively throughout and are placed at the end of the relevant chapter.
Individual chapters of the Altenburg Version of the Rule of St. Benedict are linked to the chapters of the following Table of Contents. (These chapter headings are taken from the translation, RB1980.)
Table of Contents
Prologue to Chapter 5
Chapters 6-20
Chapters 21-41
Chapters 42-58
Chapters 59-73
[Table of Contents]
Chapter 1. The Kinds of Monks
Chapter 2. Qualities of the Abbot
Chapter 3. Summoning the Brothers for Counsel
Chapter 4. The Tools for Good Works
Chapter 5. Obedience
Chapters 6-20
Chapter 6. Restraint of Speech
Chapter 7. Humility
Chapter 8. The Divine Office at Night
Chapter 9. The Number of Psalms at the Night Office
Chapter 10. The Arrangement of the Night Office in Summer
Chapter 11. The Celebration of Vigils on Sunday
Chapter 12. The Celebration of the Solemnity of Lauds
Chapter 13. The Celebration of Lauds on Ordinary Days
Chapter 14. The Celebration of Vigils on the Anniversaries of Saints
Chapter 15. The Times for Saying Alleluia
Chapter 16. The Celebration of the Divine Office during the Day
Chapter 17. The Number of Psalms to be Sung at These Hours
Chapter 18. The Order of the Psalmody
Chapter 19. The Discipline of Psalmody
Chapter 20. Reverence in Prayer
Chapters 21-58
Chapter 21. The Deans of the Monastery
Chapter 22. The Sleeping Arrangements of the Monks
Chapter 23. Excommunication for Faults
Chapter 24. Degrees of Excommunication
Chapter 25. Serious Faults
Chapter 26. Unauthorized Association with the Excommunicated
Chapter 27. The Abbot's Concern for the Excommunicated
Chapter 28. Those Who Refuse to Amend after Frequent Reproofs
Chapter 29. Readmission of Brothers Who Leave the Monastery
Chapter 30. The Manner of Reproving Boys
Chapter 31. Qualifications of the Monastery Cellarer
Chapter 32. The Tools and Goods of the Monastery
Chapter 33. Monks and Private Ownership
Chapter 34. Distribution of Goods According to Need
Chapter 35. Kitchen Servers of the Week
Chapter 36. The Sick Brothers
Chapter 37. The Elderly and Children
Chapter 38. The Reader for the Week
Chapter 39. The Proper Amount of Food
Chapter 40. The Proper Amount of Drink
Chapter 41. The Times for the Brothers' Meals
Chapters 42-58
Chapter 42. Silence after Compline
Chapter 43. Tardiness at the Work of God or at Table
Chapter 44. Satisfaction by the Excommunicated
Chapter 45. Mistakes in the Oratory
Chapter 46. Faults Committed in Other Matters
Chapter 47. Announcing the Hours for the Work of God
Chapter 48. The Daily Manual Labor
Chapter 49. The Observance of Lent
Chapter 50. Brothers Working at a Distance or Traveling
Chapter 51. Brothers on a Short Journey
Chapter 52. The Oratory of the Monastery
Chapter 53. The Reception of Guests
Chapter 54. Letters or Gifts for Monks
Chapter 55. The Clothing and Footwear of the Brothers
Chapter 56. The Abbot's Table
Chapter 57. The Artisans of the Monastery
Chapter 58. The Procedure of Receiving Brothers
Chapters 59-73
Chapter 59. The Offering of Sons by Nobles or by the Poor
Chapter 60. The Admission of Priests to the Monastery
Chapter 61. The Reception of Visiting Monks
Chapter 62. The Priests of the Monastery
Chapter 63. Community Rank
Chapter 64. The Election of an Abbot
Chapter 65. The Prior of the Monastery
Chapter 66. The Porter of the Monastery
Chapter 67. Brothers Sent on a Journey
Chapter 68. Assignment of Impossible Tasks to a Brother
Chapter 69. The Presumption of Defending Another in the Monastery
Chapter 70. The Presumption of Striking Another Monk at Will
Chapter 71. Mutual Obedience
Chapter 72. The Good Zeal of Monks
Chapter 73. This Rule Only a Beginning of Perfection