Rottenburger Jahrbuch für Kirchengeschichte 2023

The 800-year spiritual tradition in Heggbach – first a Beguine collection, then a Cistercian convent, in the 19th century a care facility run by the Franciscan Sisters of Reute, and since 2000 a foundation – has prompted an exploration of its tumultuous history. Special focuses of the contributions lie on the Middle Ages, the transition from the 18th to the 19th century, the oppression caused by the murderous euthanasia program of National Socialism, and the past 50 years of restructuring. Based on this almost typical developmental history, the analysis of transformation questions the adaptation concepts and achievements of religious women's communities and their future shaping in the tension between innovation and continuity. The perspective broadens beyond the Swabian-Wuerttemberg region to France and Austria. A liturgical-historical investigation of holy graves in the Baroque period, an edition of letters from the Newman translator Maria Knöpfler during the Modernism crisis, and an edition of letters from Joseph Ratzinger to the philosopher Josef Pieper (1968–1997) complement the volume. As always, a comprehensive review section presents numerous (church) historical new publications.