St. Joseph, Baroque monastery in Landshut, Germany.
St. Joseph is a Baroque monastery in Landshut with multiple buildings arranged around a central courtyard. Its exterior features symmetrical windows and decorative stone elements that define the complex's architectural style.
The monastery was founded in 1668 by Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria to host Ursuline nuns from Messkirch. It was created to establish a school for girls in the region.
The monastery's name comes from its church, consecrated to Saint Joseph in 1679. In the 18th century St. Joseph was Landshut's largest pilgrimage site, centred on the image 'Unsere Liebe Frau mit dem geneigten Haupte', donated in 1680 and placed on the high altar in 1699. Copper engravings of the image made in the monastery were popular souvenirs; around 100 printing plates survive.
The complex now houses educational facilities and remains in active use today. Visitors should check in advance whether parts of the grounds are accessible or if tours need to be arranged beforehand.
The monastery was dissolved in 2016, ending almost 350 years of Ursuline presence in Landshut. Its girls' school tradition lives on in the Ursuline Realschule, whose sponsorship passed to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising in 1992.
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