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34-646: The town grew around the Abbey of Echternach , which was founded in 698 by St Willibrord , an English monk from Ripon , Northumbria (in present-day North Yorkshire , England ), who became the first bishop of Utrecht and worked to Christianize the Frisians . As bishop, he was the Echternach monastery 's abbot until his death in 739. It is in his honour that the notable Dancing procession of Echternach takes place annually on Whit Tuesday . The river Sauer that flows past

68-484: A European reputation. As it flourished, the town of Echternach grew around the abbey's outer walls and was granted a city charter in 1236. The abbey was rebuilt in a handsome Baroque style in 1737. In 1794 the church was sacked and the abbey used as a porcelain factory. In 1797, in the wake of the French Revolution , the monks were dispersed and the abbey's contents and its famous library were auctioned off. Some of

102-767: A marginal note in the Calendar of Echternach giving some chronological data. The Echternach Gospels , a copy of the Gospels ( Bibliothèque nationale , Paris, 9389) under the name of Willibrord is an Irish codex no doubt brought by Willibrord from Ireland. In 752/753 Boniface wrote a letter to Pope Stephen II , in which he says that Willibrord destroyed the Frisian pagan sanctuaries and temples. In Alcuin's Life of Willibrord there are two texts about Willibrord and pagan places of worship. In one he arrived with his companions in Walcheren in

136-484: 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

170-456: Is a 13th-century chapel dedicated to Willibrord at Weissenburg Abbey, Alsace , where Willibrord's benefactress Irmina of Oeren was also venerated. A Life was written by Alcuin and dedicated to the Abbot of Echternach. Alcuin probably made use of an older one written by a British monk, which is now lost. Bede also makes mention of Willibrord. Nothing written by Willibrord can be found save

204-483: 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

238-497: Is now surrounded by the eighteenth-century abbey (today a high school) and is located in the heart of the town's historical centre. The other is the parish church of St Peter and Paul, under whose altar lie the remains of St Willibrord. The nearby Prehistory Museum traces mankind's history over the past one million years. Abbey of Echternach 49°48′50″N 06°25′21″E  /  49.81389°N 6.42250°E  / 49.81389; 6.42250 The Abbey of Echternach

272-518: 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

306-589: The Episcopal Church (US) on 7 November. Numerous miracles and relics have been attributed to him. On one occasion, the transport of his relics was celebrated thus: "the five bishops in full pontificals assisted; engaged in the dance were 2 Swiss guards, 16 standard-bearers, 3,045 singers, 136 priests, 426 musicians, 15,085 dancers, and 2,032 players". A dancing procession continues to be held in Echternach every year on Whit Tuesday, and attracts thousands of participants and an equal number of spectators, to honour

340-496: 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

374-530: 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

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408-617: The Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere , Pope Sergius I gave him a pallium and consecrated him as bishop of the Frisians. He returned to Frisia to preach and establish churches, among them a monastery at Utrecht , where he built his cathedral . Willibrord is counted the first bishop of Utrecht . In 698 he established the Abbey of Echternach on the site of a Roman villa in Echternach , which

442-770: The Franks. Other parts of the Merovingians' Roman inheritance were presented to the Abbey by king of the Franks Pepin the Short . Echternach continued to have royal patronage from the house of Charlemagne . Though the monks were displaced by the canons of the bishop of Trier between 859 and 971, and although Willibrord's buildings burned down in 1017, the Romanesque basilica , with its symmetrical towers, to this day houses Willibrord's tomb in its crypt. The abbey's library and scriptorium had

476-577: 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

510-467: 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

544-575: The influence of Wilfrid , Bishop of York. Later he joined the Benedictines . He spent the years between the ages of 20 and 32 in the Abbey of Rath Melsigi , in County Carlow in southern Ireland, which was a centre of European learning in the 7th century. During this time he studied under Ecgberht of Ripon , who sent him and eleven companions to Christianise the pagan Frisians of the North Sea coast at

578-486: The intellectual and religious life of his dominions, including Echternach. In 971, he restored the Benedictines to Echternach with forty monks of that order from Trier. The abbey entered a second Golden Age, as it once again became one of northern Europe 's most influential abbeys. In 1031, a new Romanesque church was consecrated. The Codex Aureus of Echternach , an important surviving codex written entirely in gold ink

612-559: The library's early manuscripts, such as the famous Echternach Gospels , are now in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris . In the 19th century, a porcelain factory was established in the abbey and the town declined, until the advent of the railroad brought renewed life and an influx of tourists. During the concluding months of World War II in Europe, on 16 December 1944, Echternach served as

646-597: The manuscripts in the library on behalf of the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg . Willibrord Willibrord ( Latin : Villibrordus ; c. 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop, and missionary. He became the first Bishop of Utrecht in what is now the Netherlands , dying at Echternach in Luxembourg , and is known as the "Apostle to the Frisians ". His father, named Wilgils or Hilgis,

680-572: The memory of a saint who is often called the apostle of the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg). At Gravelines in northern France, where Willibrord is said to have landed after crossing the Channel on his mission to the Frisians, the church in the old town is dedicated to him. Gravelines grew up after c.  800 around the chapel commemorating Willibrord's mission. There

714-406: 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. There have been six churches built on the site at Echternach: Despite the long history of the abbey and the city , Echternach is best known today for its traditional dancing procession, held around

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748-427: The pagan Radbod, king of the Frisians , retook possession of Frisia, burning churches and killing many missionaries. Willibrord and his monks were forced to flee. After the death of Radbod in 719, Willibrord returned to resume his work, under the protection of Charles Martel . He repaired the damage done there, ably assisted by Boniface . Willibrord died on 7 November 739 at the age of 81, and according to his wish,

782-489: 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 abbey, as it enjoyed power, both spiritual and temporal. However, this

816-399: The request of Pepin of Herstal , Austrasian mayor of the palace , who had nominal suzerainty over that region. Willibrord travelled to Rome twice. Both of these trips to Rome have historical significance. According to Bede , Willibrord was not the only Anglo-Saxon to travel to Rome. The way in which he described the visit and its purpose is important; unlike all the others, Willibrord

850-703: The southernmost point on the battlefront for the attempt of the German Wehrmacht forces attacking the Allies to retake Antwerp , during the Battle of the Bulge . The town was badly damaged in World War II but was thoroughly restored. There are two main churches in Echternach. The larger is the Abbey's Basilica of St Willibrord , which survives from the original abbey and is a fair monument of Romano-Gothic architecture. The basilica

884-678: The town now forms the border between Luxembourg and Germany; in the later Roman Empire and under the Merovingians by contrast, the Sauer did not form a border or march in this area. The Roman villa at Echternach (traces of which were rediscovered in 1975) was reputed to be the largest north of the Alps. Echternach was later part of the Electorate of Trier (present-day Germany) and was presented to Willibrord by Irmina (Irmine), daughter of Dagobert II , king of

918-467: 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

952-739: Was all guaranteed only by the Carolingians. When the authority of the centralised Frankish state collapsed during the civil wars under Louis the Pious , so too did the power of the abbey. In 847, the Benedictine monks were ejected and replaced by lay -abbots. The fortunes of the abbey continued to vary with the fortunes of the Holy Roman Empire . When Otto the Great reunited the Empire, he sought to rejuvenate

986-581: Was buried in Echternach. He was quickly judged to be a saint. Willibrord wells, which skirted his missionary routes, were visited by the people, to solicit the healing of various nervous diseases, especially of children. In the Catholic Church his feast day is celebrated on 7 November outside England, but on 29 November in England, by order of Pope Leo XIII . Willibrord is honoured in the Church of England and in

1020-401: 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

1054-467: Was donated to him by Pepin's mother-in-law, Irmina of Oeren , the wife of seneschal and Count Palatine Hugobert . After Hugobert died, Irmina founded a Benedictine convent at Horren in Trier . When a plague threatened her community, she gained the help of Willibrord; and when the pestilence passed by the convent, she gave Willibrord the lands for his abbey in Echternach. Pepin of Heristal died in 714. In 716

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1088-536: Was not on the usual pilgrimage to the graves of the apostles Peter and Paul and the martyrs. Rather, "he made haste to Rome, where Pope Sergius then presided over the apostolical see, that he might undertake the desired work of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, with his licence and blessing". As such he came to the pope not as a pilgrim but specifically as a missionary. The second time he went to Rome, on 21 November 695, in

1122-464: Was produced here in the 11th century. 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

1156-487: Was styled by Alcuin as a Saxon of Northumbria . Newly converted to Christianity, Wilgils entrusted his son as an oblate to Ripon Abbey , and withdrew from the world, constructing a small oratory, near the mouth of the Humber , dedicated to Saint Andrew . The king and nobles of the district endowed him with estates until he was at last able to build a church, over which Alcuin afterwards ruled. Willibrord grew up under

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