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Benedictine Monastery of Seligenstadt

Germany, Seligenstadt in the state of Hesse

Benedictine Monastery of Seligenstadt

per person

The monastery, founded in 828, is surrounded by a huge garden, which has been originally designed by the founder himself. In the middle ages this garden was used to produce plants for the population arround the monastery. The monastery consists of a main buildiung, which is divided into two parallel sections surrounding an inner court. In the main building you can find a library, a kitchen-floor and furthermore old guestrooms and the livingroom of the abbot. The building includes also a medical station and has a huge cellar below, which was originally a storage for wine.

The founder of the monastery intended to create a self-sufficient institution, within a well and a mill. Due to the fact that the monastery is located near the river Main it was easily accessible for visitors and travellers.

In the Thirty Years’ War parts of the building had been destroyed and were rebuilt in a baroque architecture. The monastery had its best time through the 11th century, when important characters from this time meet at the monastery in Seligenstadt and in the 17th century, when the building had been rebuilt.  The monastery is not inhabited by monks since 1803. Today the location functions for different occasions for example weddings or conferences.

FORMAL ANALYSIS

The monastery Seligenstadt in the state of Hesse was founded by Einhard, one of the consultors of Carolus Magnus/ Charles the great, in 828. Einhard managed to organize important relics from Marcellinus and Petrus, which were an important reason for the success of the institution.

As already mentioned the monestrary has been partly destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, but most of the building from the 11th century is perserved and just converted into a baroque architecture during the 17th century. In addition to the garden, parts of the church and the cloister are perserved. The construction of the monastery of Seligenstadt is similiar to the construction of St. Gallen.

Henry II. handed the monastery to Bishop Henry I. as a fief. Later on the monastery was controlled by the archbishop of Mainz. Due to the fact that the monastery got several donations and it had a flourishing production it achieved high economical success. In 1802 the monastery was dissolved by Ludwig X. and the rooms of the monastery were prospectivly used differently.

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Tour Location

Benedictine Monastery of Seligenstadt
Other monuments and places to visitThe Old Town of Seligenstadt
Natural Heritage
Historical Recreations
Festivals of Tourist InterestChristmas Market
Fairs
Tourist OfficeNo
Specialized GuidesYes
Guided visitsYes
AccommodationsIn Seligenstadt you can find several opportunities to spend the night
RestaurantsThere are different kinds of restaurants in the surrounding area
Craft
Bibliography
Videos
Websiteseligenstadt.de
Monument or place to visitMonastery of Seligenstadt
StyleBaroque
TypeBaroque architecture
Epoch9th / 17th centuries
State of conservationGood condition
Mailing addressEhemalige Benediktinerabtei, 63500 Seligenstadt
Coordinates GPSLängengrad: 8°58′26″ Breitengrad: 50°02′36″
Property, dependencyState of Hesse
Possibility of visits by the general public or only specialists
General public visits
Conservation needs
Visiting hours and conditions
February and November to the middle of December: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm; March to October: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm; Closed from 22nd December to 31st January.

The garden can be visited everytime until the sun goes down.
Ticket amount
4 euros
Research work in progress
AccessibilityGood
Signaling if it is registered on the route
Bibliography
Becker, Hortst, Zur geschichte der Säkularisation der Abtei Seligenstadt, in: Archiv für hessische Geschichte und Altertumskund NF 49 (19919), S. 147-182.
Dehio, Georg, Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler – Hessen II. Regierungsbezirk Darmstad, (bearb. V. Folkhard Cremer u. A.), 3. Auflage, München 2008.
Endemann, Traute, Die Säkulatisation Hessen-Darmstadt am Beispiel der Abtei Seligenstadt, in: Archiv für hessische Geschichte und Altertumskunde NF 62 (2004), S. 95-126.
Kalinowski, Anja: Die ehemalige Benediktinerabtei Seligenstadt. Führer durch die Klosteranlage und Schauräume = Edition der Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen. Broschüre 30. Schnell + Steiner, 2. Auflage, Regensburg 2008.
Mayer, Johannes Gottfried, Klostermedizin. Die Kräutergärten in den ehmaligen Klosteranlagen von Lorsch und Seligenstadt, Regensburg 2002.
Post, Hubert: Die Geschichte der Benediktiner-Abtei Seligenstadt. Die Äbte des Klosters Seligenstadt. Münsterschwarzach o. J. [2002].
Schopp, Manfred, Die weltliche Herrschaft der Abtei Seligenstadt 1478-1803, in: Archiv für hessische Geschichte und Altertumskunde N. F. 29 (1965/66), S. 187-401.
Videos
Information websitesschloesser-hessen.de
wikipedia.org
kultur-in-hessen.de
kultur-in-hessen.de
LocationSeligenstadt in the state of Hesse, Germany