It was the bare walls of the Engelberg Abbey School swimming pool, which was completed in 1974, that inspired the Benedictine monk Karl Stadler (1921-2012) and the glass painter José de Nève (1933-2013) to give the room a special atmosphere with colorful paintings. Both artists had visited Greece and its islands several times. And so they combined the personal impressions of their Odysseus journeys with mythological lore and condensed all this into pictures with a playful love of storytelling (see also “Titlisgrüsse 67” [1980/81], pp. 91-100, and “Titlisgrüsse 107” [2021], pp. 32-37).

These works disappeared with the demolition of the swimming pool. But not the colored glass panes created by Father Karl Stadler, which adorned the southern window front. The three large-format glass panes were removed and carefully stored before demolition. When the Remax triple sports hall opened in December 2023, the three panes of glass shone anew as art on the building right by the entrance and have delighted visitors ever since.

Beat Christen
Engelberg Monastery