Hirsau (formerly ''Hirschau'') is a district of the town of

Calw Calw (; previously pronounced and sometimes spelled ''Kalb'' accordingly) is a town in the middle of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany, capital and largest town of the district Calw. It is located in the Northern Black Forest and is a ...

in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

state of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

, located in the south-west portion of the country, about two miles north of

and about twenty-four miles west of Stuttgart.

Town

Hirsau's economy includes small retail establishments, tourism, and light industry. There is a saw mill on the ''Ernstmuhlerweg'', the road that runs along the railroad in the post card pasted above. The saw mill is a long building at the upper edge (in the picture) of town. The town has been called a "Luftkurort" ("air spa") for the purity of its air. The town's bridge over the Nagold River dates to the Carolingian period.

Hirsau Abbey

The town grew round the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery that is its main historical significance and was once among the most famous in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. It was founded in about 830 by Count Erlafried of Calw and re-founded, after a period of collapse, in 1059.

William of Hirsau William of Hirsau (or Wilhelm von Hirschau) ( 1030 – 5 July 1091) was a Benedictine abbot and monastic reformer. He was abbot of Hirsau Abbey, for whom he created the ''Constitutiones Hirsaugienses'', based on the uses of Cluny, and was the fat ...

, abbot from 1069 to 1091, brought it to international prominence as the origin of the

Hirsau Reforms William of Hirsau (or Wilhelm von Hirschau) ( 1030 – 5 July 1091) was a Benedictine abbot and monastic reformer. He was abbot of Hirsau Abbey, for whom he created the ''Constitutiones Hirsaugienses'', based on the uses of Cluny, and was the fath ...

. It was secularised in 1558, and the buildings destroyed by the French in 1692. Image:Hirsau jagdschloss1.JPG Image:Hirsau kloster 1.JPG Image:Hirsau marienkapelle2.JPG Image:Hirsau marienkapelle3.JPG Image:Hirsau marienkapelle.jpg Image:Germany Hirsau Tower.jpg, Ruins of Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul

References

*Baer, 1897. ''Die Hirsauer Bauschule''. Freiburg. *Giseke, 1883. ''Die Hirschauer während des Investiturstreits''. Gotha. *Helmsdorfer, 1874. ''Forschungen zur Geschichte des Abts Wilhelm von Hirschau''. Göttingen *Klaiber, C.H., 1886. ''Das Kloster Hirschau''. Tübingen. *Steck, 1844. ''Das Kloster Hirschau'' *Süssmann, 1903. ''Forschungen zur Geschichte des Klosters Hirschau''. Halle. *Weizsäcker, 1898. ''Führer durch die Geschichte des Klosters Hirschau''. Stuttgart

External links

Hirsau im Nagoldtal
{{Authority control Towns in Baden-Württemberg