Lorsch Abbey

In 764, the Robertian family began establishing a small monastery between two arms of the Weschnitz River, which was later known as Altenmünster. Just three years afterwards, the establishment was moved to its new location. It became a royal abbey in 772 and was consecrated in 774 in the presence of King Charlemagne. Over the course of eight centuries, monks and clergymen came to gather here around the bones of St. Nazarius, which helped the abbey achieve great prosperity. Around 800, the abbey’s possessions and estates stretched over the area of six modern-day European states. The Lorsch Codex, one of Europe’s most important economic and historical source documents, contains the first mention of hundreds of cities and towns.

Probably only from the middle of the 10th century as a Benedictine abbey, it was granted imperial immediacy from 772 until it lost this status in 1232. Under the regiment of the Archbishop of Mainz and Prince-elector, Premonstratensian canons ran the abbey until the dissolution of the Lorsch provostship, which began in 1556. From its dissolution through to the mid-18th century, the complex almost completely disappeared. This led to the site being dominated by agriculture, and thereafter it became the grand residence of a master forestry warden.

The Lorsch Abbey is not only linked to the famous ‘Königshalle’ (King’s Hall), but also to a library that is largely preserved – albeit scattered worldwide. The library brought together all available knowledge about God and the world, and the contents of the library reflect the rich cosmos of medieval scholarship. The library is now accessible online at any time for those who are interested. The monastic archives, which are much more difficult to reconstruct, will become accessible to the general public in the near future. As thoroughly eloquent witnesses of the past centuries, the Schaudepot Zehntscheune (Exhibition Depot Tithe Barn) includes findings from more than 200 years of archaeological activity on the site. Today, our aim is to give this abandoned site a piece of its aura back, to present the relics of its past, to make the site’s meaning come alive, and to explore the site’s history. The World Heritage Site Lorsch Abbey is property of the State Administration for Palaces and Gardens of Hesse (Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen).

FLORIAN HARTMANN