Schönau Abbey, Cistercian monastery in Schönau, Germany
Schönau Abbey is a Cistercian monastery with Gothic-style buildings, including a church from 1230 and a gateway from 1200 that survive today. The complex also contains a refectory and the former forge building, along with other structures spanning several centuries.
The monastery was founded in 1142 as an offshoot of Eberbach Abbey and served as a burial site for the Staufen family and Counts of Erbach until 1558. Its dissolution marked a turning point after which the site found new purposes and inhabitants.
The name Schönau refers to the beautiful meadow where the monastery was built along the river. Today, visitors can see how the complex shaped the town's layout and remains central to the community's identity.
The monastery complex is located at Rathausstraße 13 in Schönau and is easily reached on foot from the town center. The preserved buildings allow visitors to explore the grounds independently and understand how the structures were organized.
After the monastery closed in 1558, Huguenot refugees from Wallonia found shelter here and settled on the grounds starting in 1562. This community of French Protestants left their own mark on the site and influenced the area's later development.
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