Schöntal Abbey (german: link=no, Kloster Schöntal, Reichskloster Schöntal) is a former Cistercian abbey in

Schöntal Schöntal is a municipality in the district of Hohenlohe in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is principally known as the location of Schöntal Abbey. Subdivisions The munisipality consists of the following districts. * Aschhausen * Berlichin ...

in the district of Hohenlohe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is famous as one of the most impressive pieces of

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...

in northern Württemberg and is now used by the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart as a retreat and training centre.

History

The Cistercian monastery was founded in 1153 in Neusass by Wolfram von Bebenburg and was settled by monks from

Maulbronn Abbey Maulbronn Monastery (german: Kloster Maulbronn) is a former Cistercian abbey and ecclesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire located at Maulbronn, Baden-Württemberg. The monastery complex, one of the best-preserved in Europe, was named a UNESCO ...

. The original site proved unsuitable and the new community moved to the present location in Schöntal on the

Jagst The Jagst () is a right tributary of the Neckar in northern Baden-Württemberg. It is 190 km long. Its source is in the hills east of Ellwangen, close to the Bavarian border. It winds through the towns Ellwangen, Crailsheim, Kirchberg an der ...

between 1157 and 1163. The land for the new site was provided by the von Berlichingen family in exchange for rights of burial in the monastery. The monastery was under the protection of the Bishops of Würzburg. Despite a promising beginning, the abbey found itself in financial difficulties by the early 13th century. Maulbronn Abbey was also in financial trouble and gave Schöntal to

Kaisheim Abbey The Imperial Abbey of Kaisersheim (German:''Reichsstift Kaisersheim'' or ''Kloster Kaisersheim''), was a Cistercian monastery in Kaisersheim (now Kaisheim), Bavaria, Germany. As one of the 40-odd self-ruling imperial abbeys of the Holy Roman Emp ...

, which settled its debts in 1283. After this, Schöntal made a recovery, and in 1418 at the Council of Constance was granted the status of

Imperial abbey Princely abbeys (german: Fürstabtei, ''Fürststift'') and Imperial abbeys (german: Reichsabtei, ''Reichskloster'', ''Reichsstift'', ''Reichsgotthaus'') were religious establishments within the Holy Roman Empire which enjoyed the status of impe ...

, although it only retained this until 1495. It was plundered several times and suffered severe damage during the German Peasants' War in 1525. Although it survived the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

the buildings became uninhabitable and an emergency block had to be constructed in 1617–18, now known as the ''Alte Abtei'' ("the old abbey"). The monastery was besieged during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

and the monks were eventually forced to flee in 1631, abandoning what remained of the buildings to looting and plunder. In 1648 the premises were several times used as soldiers' billets. The abbey finally experienced a revival under abbot Benedikt Knittel (in office from 1683 to 1732). Under his leadership was built the Baroque abbey church, designed by Leonhard Dientzenhofer, in which

Götz von Berlichingen Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen (1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand, was a German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary, and poet. He was born around 1480 into the noble family of Berliching ...

is buried. Abbot Benedikt was also responsible for the palatial claustral buildings with the grand staircase by Balthasar Neumann. Some forty monks lived in the community, besides about thirty ''

conversi Lay brother is a largely extinct term referring to religious brothers, particularly in the Catholic Church, who focused upon manual service and secular matters, and were distinguished from choir monks or friars in that they did not pray in choir, ...

'' or lay brothers, who lived outside the monastery while following a monastic way of life. The abbey was

secularised In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...

in 1802, when it was taken over by the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which existe ...

. The furnishings and contents were removed to Stuttgart, and the buildings used initially for the accommodation of local government administration. From 1810 to 1975, Schöntal Abbey was one of the buildings used for the Evangelical Theological Seminary (''Evangelisch-theologisches Seminar'' or ''Seminar Maulbronn''), now the

Evangelical Seminaries of Maulbronn and Blaubeuren The Protestant (Evangelische, Gr.) Seminaries of Maulbronn and Blaubeuren (''Evangelische Seminare Maulbronn und Blaubeuren'') in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, are two '' Gymnasien'' (high schools) and Protestant boarding schools in the Württembe ...

. Today the buildings are used by the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart as a centre for conferences, retreats and training, as well as the town hall of the community of Schöntal. Most of the Baroque buildings and the monastery gardens have survived.

Sources and references

*
Schöntal Abbey website
*
Schöntal Abbey church website
*
Klöster in Baden-Württemberg: Zisterzienserabtei Schöntal
*''Württembergisches Klosterbuch'', p. 433 ff. Thorbecke Ostfildern 2003, *H. Hummel: ''Kloster Schöntal'', Schöntal 1991 *J. Brümmer: ''Kunst und Herrschaftsanspruch. Abt Benedikt Knittel (1650–1732) und sein Wirken im Zisterzienserkloster Schöntal'' (''Forschungen aus Württembergisch Franken 40''), Sigmaringen 1994 *M. M. Rückert: ''Von der frommen Adelsstiftung zur reichsunmittelbaren Abtei: Kloster Schöntal in den ersten 250 Jahren seines Bestehens'', in: D. R. Bauer (ed.): ''Unter Beobachtung der heiligen Regel. Zisterziensische Spiritualität und Kultur im baden-württembergischen Franken (Forschungen aus Württembergisch Franken 48).'', Stuttgart 2002, pp. 25–38

External links

Web page Schöntal Monastery
*
Schöntal Abbey website: Schools trips
*
Historisches Wuerttemberg website
*
Schloesser-magazin: Mehr über das Kloster Schöntal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schontal Abbey Imperial abbeys States and territories established in 1418 Monasteries in Baden-Württemberg Cistercian monasteries in Germany 1153 establishments in Europe Religious organizations established in the 1150s 1802 disestablishments Baroque architecture in Baden-Württemberg Christian monasteries established in the 12th century Buildings and structures in Hohenlohe (district)