Pater

When a Monastery Falls Silent After 300 Years / January 15, 2020 Project Description
“In the Midst of Life – A Year with Father Matthäus at Reisach Monastery” For nearly 300 years, the Carmelite Monastery Reisach in Oberaudorf was a place of prayer, silence, and encounter. Since 1728, monks shaped this special place in the Inn Valley – until it became clear that an era was coming to an end. High renovation costs, a canceled purchase by the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising, and a long-standing, noticeable lack of new recruits in the orders led to the gradual cessation of monastic life in Reisach. The last three Carmelite fathers, Father Paul, Father Slawek, and Father Matthäus, became part of the history of this house.

In 2019, I had the unique opportunity to photographically accompany the very last resident of the monastery, Father Matthäus, for an entire year. I was able to observe him in his daily life: in prayer, in liturgical service, in pastoral care, and in the many quiet, in-between moments where humanity, doubt, humor, and hope reveal themselves. This resulted in a long-term photographic documentation of a man who represents a disappearing chapter of ecclesiastical life – and simultaneously shows how vibrant faith can be.

The project serves as a visual farewell to a place that was a spiritual home for centuries – and as a portrait of an extraordinary person who demonstrates that lived faith doesn't mean withdrawal, but rather presence, connection, and openness. The photographs not only capture a piece of monastic history but also tell the story of a father who grounds his calling in the midst of life: with humor, passion, and a genuine connection to people. Thus, the documentation of a dying monastery transforms into a universal story about change, farewell, and the question of what remains: The walls may fall – but the encounters, the attitudes, and the lived charity live on.