Imperial Abbey of Marchtal Reichsstift Marchtal | |||||||||
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| 1500–1803 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms | |||||||||
 Minster church, Marchtal Abbey | |||||||||
| Status | Imperial Abbey | ||||||||
| Capital | Marchtal Abbey | ||||||||
| Government | Elective principality | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages; early modern period | ||||||||
before 776 | |||||||||
• Dedicated byHerman II, Duke of Swabia | 993 1500 | ||||||||
• Refounded byHugo II, Count Palatine of Tübingen | 1171 | ||||||||
• Rededicated byHenry I, Bishop of Constance | 2 May 1239 | ||||||||
• Raised to abbey | 1440 | ||||||||
• Raised to Imperial abbey | 1500 | ||||||||
| 1803 | |||||||||
• Mediatised toWürttemberg | 1806 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Germany | ||||||||
Marchtal Abbey (German:Kloster Marchtal orReichsstift Marchtal) is a formerPremonstratensian monastery inObermarchtal in theAlb-Donau-Kreis,Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The minster church of Saints Peter and Paul, the former abbey church, located on a prominent elevation, still dominates the landscape for miles around.
In 776 the noble clan of theAhalolfinger made a gift of the monastery founded by their ancestor Halaholf and his wife toSt Gall's Abbey. By 993 the monastery had become a collegiate foundation ofcanons dedicated byHerman II, Duke of Swabia, and his wife Gerberga to the apostlesPeter andPaul.
During the 12th century the monastery passed through the possession of a series ofSwabian nobles, including theStaufen and particularlyFrederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. These constant changes of proprietor caused a severe decline in the monastery.
In 1171 the monastery was refounded byPfalzgraf Hugo II ofTübingen as aPremonstratensian double abbey for men and women and given an adequate endowment. The canons were brought fromMönchsrot Abbey inRot an der Rot. The existing premises were extensive and large-scale construction was not immediately necessary.
The first prior of the new foundation was Eberhard von Wolfegg from Mönchsrot Abbey. Between 1204-1208 Prior Meinhardt had the walls rebuilt. Prior Walther II had the old church extended to a three-aisledbasilica, which was dedicated on 2 May 1239 by Henry I,Bishop of Constance.
In 1273 Prior Konrad (1226–75) forbade any more admissions to women, and the double monastery soon became one for men only.
Under Prior Heinrich Mörstetter (1436–61) Marchtal was raised to the status of an abbey, in 1440. In 1500 it was made anImperial abbey, with a place and vote in theReichstag. In 1609 the abbot received the right to bear thepontificalia (mitre, ring and pectoral cross). At this period more than 20 places and estates belonged to the territory of the abbey, besides houses in the towns ofReutlingen,Ehingen,Munderkingen andRiedlingen.
TheThirty Years' War caused much distress in the southwest of Germany. In 1632 the canons had to flee from the Swedes. The buildings survived the war, but in a very dilapidated state. It was left to the 15th abbot, the young Nikolaus Magnus Wierith, to undertake the restorations. Planning for the construction of the new church began in 1674; the first stone was laid in 1686, and the dedication took place in 1701. During this period the monkIsfrid Kayser (1712-1771) became known for his compositions.
The abbey was dissolved in 1803 during thesecularisation following upon theReichsdeputationshauptschluss, and with its territories became the possession of the Princes ofThurn und Taxis, who administered it as part of thePrincipality of Buchau.
In 1806 the former abbey wasmediatised by theKingdom of Württemberg. The abbey church became the parish church and the monastery became a "castle" (Schloss) or country house.
In 1919 a group of sisters of theOrder of the Visitation of Holy Mary, also sometimes known as "Salesian sisters", from Chotieschau Abbey inBohemia (nowChotěšov Abbey,Czech Republic) were given accommodation in the north wing. The sisters ran a secondary school for girls here until 1992, when it was taken over by the"Stiftung Katholische Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart". The convent moved in 1997 toUntermarchtal.
In 1973 thediocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart bought the entire monastic complex from the Princes Thurn und Taxis, and converted it into a teacher training academy, opened on 8 September 1978. On 16 September 2001, to mark the 300th anniversary of the dedication of the church, Bishop Gebhard Fürst raised the abbey church to the rank of a minster church.
| Imperial abbeys and colleges (Reichsabteien, Reichsklöster und Reichsstifte) |
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| Imperial charterhouse (Reichskartause) | ||
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48°14′11″N9°34′15″E / 48.23639°N 9.57083°E /48.23639; 9.57083
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