Tänikon Abbey, Former Cistercian monastery in Aadorf, Switzerland.
Tänikon Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near Aadorf featuring the church of St. Bernhard and several conventual buildings from different periods. The complex remains architecturally intact and is now home to Agroscope, Switzerland's agricultural research center.
The site first appeared in records around 789 before becoming a convent for women in 1249, receiving substantial land grants from local nobility. These early gifts formed the foundation of the abbey's growth and economic influence in the region.
The abbey's name Tänikon comes from Tanninchova, recorded in 789. From about 1614 it was also called "Lilienthal", and its coat of arms shows a three-part white lily on blue. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux as patron, celebrated on 20 August or the following Sunday.
The former abbey church and conventual buildings, now Agrotechnorama Tänikon, are Swiss heritage sites of national significance. The Agrotechnorama museum, in the former abbey barn, is open by appointment only. The site lies in Ettenhausen, part of Aadorf municipality, and parts of the grounds are used by Agroscope.
Emperor Louis the Pious assigned the lands of Tänikon to the Abbey of St. Gall in 817, creating a lasting connection between these two religious institutions. This imperial confirmation had long-term effects on the place's importance and prosperity.
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