Religious sites in Germany
St. Vitus' Abbey
St. Vitus' Abbey on the Rott was a Benedictine monastery founded in 1121 by the nobleman Dietmar of Lungau, and dissolved during the secularisation of Bavaria in 1802. The premises were given at first to the Damenstift of St. Anna in Munich, but in 1829 came into the possession of the Saxon Baron Maximilian von Speck-Sternburg and then in 1858 were sold to Count Maximilian von Montgelas. Formerly in the diocese of Salzb ...
Founded: 1121 |
Location:
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit, Germany
Neuenkamp Abbey
Prince Wizlaw I granted the central parts of the woods covering the mainland section of his Principality of Rügen to Cistercian monks from Camp Abbey in Lower Saxony who build Neuenkamp Abbey on 8 November 1231. The monks erected a church that was then the largest church in all Pomerania. The possessions of the abbey rapidly increased, 50 years after its foundation the abbey"s territory reached the coast. The wo ...
Founded: 1231 |
Location:
Franzburg, Germany
Schönau Abbey
Schönau Abbey was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1142 from Eberbach Abbey. The present settlement of Schönau grew up round the monastery. By the end of the 12th century Schönau was already in use as a burial place of the Staufen family: in 1195 Conrad of Hohenstaufen, Count Palatine of the Rhine, was buried here, as were his son of the same name, probably in 1186, and both his wives. Adolf, Count Palatin ...
Founded: 1142 |
Location:
Schönau, Germany
Rinchnach Priory
Rinchnach Priory, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, was founded in 1011 by Saint Gunther, a Benedictine monk of Niederaltaich Abbey, as the first settlement in the central Bavarian Forest. In 1029 Emperor Conrad II endowed the monastery with land. It was made a priory of Niederaltaich in 1040, when Saint Gunther moved on to Gutwasser (the present Dobra Voda) in Bohemia. In 1488 the Hussites burnt the monastery down. I ...
Founded: 1011 |
Location:
Rinchnach, Germany
Bredelar Abbey
In the year 1196, the Archbishop of Cologne summoned monks from the Cistercian Abbey in Hardhausen to establish a new abbey in a former Premonstratensian convent nearby that had been founded in 1170 but disbanded shortly thereafter. As abbey and landholder, the Zisterze Breidelare would go on to spur the economic, intellectual and spiritual growth of the northeast Sauerland region. The Bredelar Abbey thrived for a go ...
Founded: 1196 |
Location:
Bredelar, Germany
St. George’s Church
St. George’s Church in Wiek was built in several phases from about 1400 onwards to the site of an early structure mentioned in 1318. Brick building on carefully hewn large boulders in the foundation and lower courses. Two choir bays and sacristy from the first building phase, with four cross-vaulted, three-aisle nave bays and narthex added a little later. At various places, late Medieval murals and crosses from abou ...
Founded: c. 1400 |
Location:
Wiek, Germany
Attel Abbey
Attel Abbey was a monastery, originally of the Benedictines, later of the Brothers Hospitallers. The monastery, dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Michael was founded as a Benedictine abbey by Count Arnold of Diessen-Andechs in around 1037. It was dissolved in 1803 in the secularisation of Bavaria. The abbey buildings were partly demolished, partly acquired by private owners. In 1874 the Bavarian government set ...
Founded: c. 1037 |
Location:
Attel, Germany
Geisenfeld Abbey
Count Eberhard II and his wife Adelheit founded Geisenfeld Abbey in 1030 after their three children had died leaving no descendants. It replaced a monastery in today"s Engelbrechtsmünster that had been destroyed around 955 AD by the Hungarians. The founders gave the abbey a lavish endowment. Instead of monks, as before, the Abbey was for use by nuns of the Order of Saint Benedict from noble families. It accommod ...
Founded: 1030 |
Location:
Geisenfeld, Germany
Oberalteich Abbey
Oberalteich Abbey, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was founded in c. 1100 by Count Frederick of Bogen, a lord protector of Regensburg cathedral. After a serious fire in 1245 the premises were re-constructed under abbots Heimo (1247 to 1252) and Purchard (1256 to 1260). Under abbot Friedrich II (1346 to 1358) the abbey was fortified. The church was extensively altered in the time of abbot Johann II Asperger (1438 to 14 ...
Founded: c. 1100 |
Location:
Oberalteich, Germany
Schlehdorf Abbey
Schlehdorf Abbey was originally a Benedictine monastery, later an Augustinian monastery, and is today a convent of the Missionary Dominican Sisters of King William's Town. The abbey, dedicated to Saints Dionysius and Tertullinus, was founded around perhaps 740 from the nearby Benediktbeuern Abbey. In 769 it was resettled by monks from the abandoned Scharnitz Abbey. The first abbot, Atto, brought with him the relics of Sa ...
Founded: 740-769 AD |
Location:
Schlehdorf, Germany
Thierhaupten Abbey
Thierhaupten Abbey, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was founded in the late 8th century by Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria - the last of the Agilolfings, who was deposed by Charlemagne in 788. Under the Carolingian dynasty, the abbey became a possession of the Augsburg bishops. Its name Thierhaupten, which means 'beasts' heads' in German, is supposed to refer to a heathen shrine formerly on the site, possibly the remnants ...
Founded: 8th century AD |
Location:
Thierhaupten, Germany
Ursberg Abbey
Ursberg Abbey is a former Premonstratensian monastery, now a convent of the Franciscan St. Joseph"s Congregation. The monastery, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist, was founded between 1126 and 1128 by the nobleman Wernher of Schwabegg-Balzhausen. It was the first Premonstratensian foundation in southern Germany. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in 1143. As was usual with early Premonstrate ...
Founded: 1126-1128 |
Location:
Ursberg, Germany
Hardehausen Abbey
In 1009 Herswithehusen (Hardehausen) became the property of Meinwerk, bishop of Paderborn. The abbey was founded in 1140 by bishop Bernhard I of Paderborn as a daughter house of Kamp Abbey on the Lower Rhine. Construction was completed with the dedication of the church in 1165. During the Thirty Years" War the abbey was looted and destroyed. During its reconstruction in the years 1680 to 1750 it received ...
Founded: 1140 |
Location:
Warburg, Germany
St. Andreas Church
St. Andreas brick Gothic church in Lancken Granitz dates back to the 15th century. Its oldest piece is a wooden cross affixed to a triumphal arch. The eight-sided pulpit with its star-shaped ceiling was built in 1598. The baptismal angel, created during the Baroque era, was recently restored. The altar screen (early 19th century) contains a copy of the Madonna painting by Correggio. The organ, which was manufactured in Sz ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Lancken-Granitz, Germany
Heidenheim Abbey
Heidenheim was first mentioned in the year 742. During that time the double monastery of Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm (housing monks and nuns), was founded by Saint Willibald and was later led by Saint Walpurga who became abbess after his death. The first stone church was inaugurated in 778 and the next one hundred years later. The remains of current church date from the Romanesque style build constructed in 1182-1188.
Founded: c. 752 |
Location:
Heidenheim, Germany
Kleeburg Castle
Kleeburg castle in Weidesheim is a jewel among the Erft castles, with its red-and-yellow window-shutters. This two-part castle, surrounded by a moat, has a large fortified fore-castle and massive brick towers. It was built probably in the 14th century and documented first time in 1393. Visitors are only able to see the fore-castle. One can only gain entrance over a little drawbridge. Today the main castle is small but un ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Euskirchen, Germany
St. Michael’s Church
St. Michael’s Church in Sagard is a single-nave, four-bay Romanesque church built in the early 13th century. Of the original late-Romanesque structure, the nave walls and the western part of the triumphal arch have survived to their full height. The structure of the Romanesque upper wall has been preserved almost completely inside and out. In about 1400 the choir was rebuilt in Gothic style (using demolition material fr ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Sagard, Germany
Aura Abbey
Aura Abbey was a house of the Benedictine Order located at Aura an der Saale. Built on the site of an earlier castle, and dedicated to Saints Laurence and Gregory, it was founded by Bishop Otto of Bamberg between about 1108 and 1113; the foundation charter is dated 1122. The new foundation was settled by monks from Hirsau Abbey. The first abbot was Ekkehard of Aura, a monk from Bamberg, famous as the continuer of the Welt ...
Founded: 1108-1122 |
Location:
Aura an der Saale, Germany
Sonnefeld Monastery
Sonnefeld Monastery, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was founded in 1260 by Henry II von Sonneberg and his wife Kunigunde. The Monastery was at the beginning in Ebersdorf bei Coburg but, after a great fire in 1267, it was moved to Hofstädten. But the Monastery and its surrounding settlement and district adopted Sonnefeld as their names and kept it until 1889, when Sonnefeld and Hofstädten merged to become Sonnefel ...
Founded: 1260 |
Location:
Sonnefeld, Germany
St. Peter's Church
Peterskirche was first mentioned in 1173. The current late-Gothic religious building was constructed in 1457 and contains a notable series of paintings from the 15th century. The paintings are Fresco-secco style.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Blansingen, Germany