Abbot Martin Rifflinck

Despite the brevity of his time in office, Rifflinck made many contributions to Eberbach. For example, he had the holdings of the monastery library cataloged and compiled a comprehensive inventory of the relics. He carried out extensive renovations to the church, chapter house and cloisters. In addition, the famous “Great Barrel” of Eberbach with a volume of more than 70 barrels (equivalent to 70,000 liters today) was filled with wine for the first time during his tenure. A business diary provides detailed information on how conscientiously he fulfilled his duties as abbot: his spiritual supervision of the nunneries under his care is documented, as is the annual organization of the grain harvest and grape harvest. It is no coincidence that he is considered an “abbot at the turn of an era”. Personally, he was still characterized by late medieval piety, but the harbingers of a new era are already clearly audible in his records. Despite his interest in art and literature, he never lost sight of the economic and financial situation of his monastery. He died on October 4, 1506, and the frugal second use of his tombstone would certainly have met with the approval of the abbot, who was so concerned about the monastery's finances.

This tomb slab only recently revealed a secret that it had kept for centuries, lying flat in the ground. In November 2000, the grave slab of the married couple Kraft from Allendorf and Elisabeth Wolf from Sponheim, which had been lying in the floor of the monastery church, was lifted. What came to light was initially hard to believe. Another figurative representation, an abbot, was found on the back of the slab. A close examination revealed that it was the tomb slab of Eberbach abbot Martin Rifflinck, which had been thought lost.

It is reasonable to assume that the people who commissioned the tomb slab were not satisfied with the stonemason's work for some reason and rejected the first version. They arranged for a new one to be made. The stone with the old version was given to Eberbach Monastery and reused by the monks for the tomb slab of Abbot Martin Rifflinck, who died in 1506. The tomb slab ultimately used for Kraft from Allendorf and Elisabeth Wolf from Sponheim has not survived, which is why the failed attempt was thought to be their tomb slab.

From 1936/37, the Allendorf-Rifflinck double tomb slab was placed in the floor of the southernmost transept chapel near the wall. It is not known why it was decided to place the side with Allendorf and his wife at the top and thus display it. During this relocation, the page with Rifflinck's slab disappeared into the ground and was henceforth considered lost.

Source: German Inscriptions Online (43, no. 339), Academy of Sciences Mainz

Image of the tomb: Michael Leukel