Töss Monastery was a community of Dominican

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

s located in the former

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

city of Töss, now a part of

Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...

. Nothing of the original buildings exists today. Construction of the monastery began in 1233, near the bridge at the

Töss River Töss is a district in the Switzerland, Swiss city of Winterthur. It is district number 4. The district comprises the quarters Schlosstal, Dättnau, Eichliacker and Rossberg (Winterthur), Rossberg. It is named after the river Töss (river), Töss ...

by command of

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Hartmann IV of Kyburg. In December of the same year, the monastery was confirmed by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Heinrich von Tanne of Constance. In 1235

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX (; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decretales'' and instituting the Pa ...

placed it under the authority of the Predigerkloster in

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

. Initially the nuns followed the Rule of St. Augustine but in 1245 it became a Dominican monastery. Over the following centuries, the monastery grew until it owned properties or incomes in about 130 communities around the

Canton of Zürich The canton of Zurich is an administrative unit (Swiss canton, canton) of Switzerland, situated in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton of Switzerland. Zurich is the ''de facto'' Capi ...

. It was originally part of the Kyburg

Herrschaft The German term ''Herrschaft'' (plural: ''Herrschaften'') covers a broad semantic field and only the context will tell whether it means, "rule", "power", "dominion", "authority", "territory" or "lordship". In its most abstract sense, it refers ...

until 1264. It then passed to the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

until 1424, when the city of Zürich took over. Zürich held the monastery for less than two decades before it passed back to the Habsburgs in 1442. Finally, in 1452, the monastery returned to Zürich. The monastery residence hall was begun in 1238 and finished in 1271. The monastery church was dedicated in 1240 by the Bishop of Constance. A new main

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

and two side altars were dedicated in 1325, probably after the church was enlarged. The

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

was expanded and decorated with murals between 1468 and 1491. The 15th century paintings were redone in 1613 and were copied in 1851 before it was demolished. In the 14th century there were around 100 nuns at Töss. The Swiss mystic Elsbeth Stagel and the Blessed

Elizabeth of Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary (, , ; 7 July 120717 November 1231), also known as Elisabeth of Thuringia, was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary and the landgravine of Thuringia. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. After her hus ...

, the last member of the

House of Árpád A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

, were both nuns of the monastery. Stagel was the prioress of Töss and may have written parts of the ''Lives of the Nuns of Töss'', a sister-book containing biographies of 39 nuns and providing a comprehensive picture of mysticism at Töss. This monastic community had a significant influence on

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

during the Middle Ages but the influence diminished after the start of the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

Reformation in Switzerland The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate, Mark Reust, and the population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matte ...

about 1520. The monastery was closed soon thereafter, and the complex deteriorated as the centuries passed. The monastery's estates were nationalized and used to support the needy in the Canton and after 1606 a local school. After the French Revolution, there were not sufficient resources to conserve the complex and the site was sold to Johan Jacob Rieter, who started

Rieter Rieter is a producer of textile machinery based in Winterthur, Switzerland. History Founded in 1795 by Johann Jacob Rieter (1762–1826), the company initially produced textile products. In 1806, as Napoleon imposed the Continental Blockade t ...

Textile there. The former monastery church was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century. File:Kloster Töss Stagel.jpg, Elsbeth Stagel in the ''Lives of the Nuns of Töss'' File:Kloster Töss Kreuzgang3.jpg, Reproductions of murals from the cloister, by Johann Conrad Werdmüller File:Kloster Töss Vogelperspektive.jpg, Monastery buildings in 1838 File:Kloster Töss Pforte.jpg, Front gate of the monastery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toss Monastery Winterthur Christian monasteries established in the 1230s Dominican monasteries of nuns Christian monasteries in Switzerland 1525 disestablishments in Europe 16th-century disestablishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy 1233 establishments in Europe 13th-century establishments in Switzerland