Restoration of the Choir Stalls

The project of the Restoration of the baroque choir stalls of the monastic church was carried out between 1998 to 2000 and was financially supported by the German Foundation for Environment (Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU), the German Home Office (Bundesministerium des Innern, BMI) and the European Commission.

Measures were taken for the preservation of the cultural heritage with materials and technologies which consider more deeply the health- and environmental protection. In addition, the choir stalls where partly restored and saved from the further destruction.
The choir stalls were built in 1650. With its inlaid work, the rich gilt ornaments and carved figures it is a unique work of art and still used for the common prayer.

The choir stalls have a length of 14.34 m (47.05 ft) and a hight of 6,50 m (21.33 ft), consisting of two opposite sides of stalls: the northern and southern side. In accordance to the rules of the order, the abbot and the monks had their places in two rows of seats.

Walking over little stairs, one can get to the platform with its stalls and the balustrade. The sides of the stalls show various rich carved angels and puttos with different styles. The moulding is decorated by cornices with partly gilt profiles as well as by decorative floral and figured elements.
In the records of the monastery it is written down that the choir stalls were produced by J.J. Profft in the monastic workshop.

Due to the infest of insect pest, the partly dismantling of the choir stalls and the following unfavourable storage, the choir stalls were destroyed in different degree and threatened by a final destruction.

Only with investigations of the air-condition and the determination of the nature and intensity of the destruction, effective measures for the pest control could be introduced.

Based on this analysis, the pest control was carried out by means of gassing with CO2. This gassing is a thermal regulated treatment against the infest of insect pest.

After the measures of air-conditioning, saving of certain parts and the gassing, the restoration itself started.
During this restoration the surface were cleaned, wooden parts completed, frames preserved and repaired as well as coloured mountings and gold-plates were touched up. Furthermore, the completion and a newly gluing of the inlaid work and the supporting material was necessary.

The whole work on the choir stalls was carried out by Czech and German restorers.

Another step for the long lasting saving of the restoration measures was the establishment of concepts regarding the stabilization of the climate and a preventive preserving of the wood. This included constructive measures as well a preventive chemical protection.

Because of the limited financial support, only the southern part of the choir stalls could completely renovated.Thus, a final restoration of the northern part in the future is very desirable.