Wittichen Abbey (german: Kloster Wittichen) is a former Poor Clares abbey in

Wittichen Wittichen is a village that belongs to Kaltbrunn in the municipality of Schenkenzell in the district of Rottweil in the southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg. History In 1291, Luitgard, later the founder of the convent of Wittichen Ab ...

in a narrow side valley of the

Kleine Kinzig Kleine Kinzig is a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It flows into the Kinzig in Schenkenzell Schenkenzell is a village in the district of Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The town is twinned with Schenkon Schenkon is a munic ...

stream near

Schenkenzell Schenkenzell is a village in the district of Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The town is twinned with Schenkon Schenkon is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. Geography Schenkon has an ...

in the upper Kinzig valley in the Black Forest.

History

The abbey was founded by Saint

Luitgard of Wittichen Luitgard of Wittichen (german: Luitgard von Wittichen, 1291–1348) was a German nun, Christian mystic, mystic and founder of a convent. Life and works Luitgard (also Lutgard) of Wittichen was born in 1291 in Schenkenzell in the Black Forest and ...

in 1324. According to Luitgard, who came from the Schenkenzell village of Kaltbrunn-Vortal, God said to her on the site of the monastery: "Here you are to build me a house!" So she searched for other co-sisters and founded her abbey in the outback of Wittichen with 33 sisters. The abbey found support from the dukes of Teck and the counts of Geroldseck as well as Queen

Agnes of Hungary Agnes or Agness may refer to: People *Agnes (name), the given name, and a list of people named Agnes or Agness * Wilfrid Marcel Agnès (1920–2008), Canadian diplomat Places *Agnes, Georgia, United States, a ghost town *Agnes, Missouri, United ...

. Through her intervention the retreat was recognised as an abbey by John XXII.

Literature

* ''Der Landkreis Rottweil'', published by the Landesarchivdirektion Baden-Württemberg, Vo,.2, Ostfildern, 2003, pp. 156f

External links

*
Wittichen Abbey on the Schenkenzell website

{{Coord, 48.33481, N, 8.34690, E, type:landmark_region:DE-BW, display=title Monasteries in Baden-Württemberg Poor Clare monasteries 1320s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1324 establishments in Europe