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The islandFrauenchiemsee, often calledFraueninsel (German pronunciation:[ˈfʁaʊ̯ənˌʔɪnzl̩]ⓘ), is the second largest of the three islands inChiemsee,Germany. It belongs to the municipality of Chiemsee in theUpper Bavariandistrict of Rosenheim, which is the smallest municipality in all ofBavaria. The 15.5-hectare (38-acre) large and car-free Fraueninsel houses aconvent ofBenedictine nuns, which is usually calledFrauenwörth, as well as 300 permanent residents.
The monastery was founded in 782 byTassilo III, Duke of Bavaria, making Frauenwörth the eldest German speaking convent beyond the alps. It was calledSchönau in theNotitia de servitio monasteriorum. In 850, BlessedIrmengard was the first knownabbess. The minster is dedicated to thePurification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
After the destruction of theHungarian incursions, the monastery's heyday was between the 11th and 15th centuries. In 1254 the Bavarian dukes finally obtained the rights to Frauenwörth. As the remainder of the old imperial immediacy, the abbey retained the designationKönigliches Stift ("Royal Monastery") until thesecularization of 1803 and was reserved for the daughters of the nobility.
The monastery buildings were rebuilt between 1728 and 1732. In the course of theGerman Mediatisation the monastery was secularized between 1803 and 1835; only five nuns were allowed to stay due to their age. In 1837 KingLudwig I of Bavaria rebuilt the monastery for the Benedictine nuns and allowed them to receive new candidates on the condition that the nuns created their livelihood by opening schools. Henceforth, a grammar school, called Irmengard Gymnasium, existed on the site until 1995. Furthermore, the Benedictines ran a vocational school for nursery teachers, housekeepers et cetera. In 1901 the convent was declared an abbey again. As of 2016[update] the monastery has 21 sisters,[1] the abbess is Johanna MayerOSB.
Frauenchiemsee along with its sister islandHerreninsel is one of the main tourist attractions on the Chiemsee, and is famous for the monastery's liquor spirit, which is produced by the nuns. The island is accessible by ship year round, usually fromGstadt,Prien, andSeebruck. There are also several boats that can take passengers from Frauenchiemsee to Herreninsel and back.
As part of a family grave, acenotaph toAlfred Jodl, army general and executed war criminal, was located on the island, but was removed in 2018 after a decision of the local council.[2][3] His brotherFerdinand Jodl is buried in the family grave.[4]
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47°52′N12°26′E / 47.867°N 12.433°E /47.867; 12.433
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