Manager of the Monastery is Dr. Johannes Eckert, the abbot of the Benedictine Abbey Staint Bonifaz in Munich and Andechs. The Chapter of all the monks who have taken solemn vows for life, makes joint decisions on all spiritual and business related matters at the monastery. At this time eight monks live in Andechs and twelve other monks reside in the Convent of St. Bonifaz in Munich. Andechs Monastery is a place where the monastic life and modern economic thinking go hand-in-hand. Even today Andechs continues to serve as an economic resource for St. Bonifaz Abbey which is in keeping with its original purpose. In the field of contention between monastery life and that of the profit-orientated business world outside the monastery, positive competitive forces evolve. These contend with one another with due respect and a high level of motivation in the monastery’s businesses is one of the results of this positive confrontation. It must be noted that Andechs Monastery is responsible for all of its own income, which it generates for itself with its business activities. Andechs receives no monies from the tax-payers’ German Federal Church-tax revenues.
Aside from its pastoral duties and the charge of being a revenue-producing economic entity, Andechs Monastery is deeply engaged in cultural activities. Lectures are given on a variety of topics, meditations, concerts, literary offerings take place in the Fürstentrakt, as well as various presentations and the annual “Orff Festival” which are held in the “Florianstadl”. |
