Schönau Abbey
Encyclopedia
Schönau Abbey in Schönau
in the Odenwald
, in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
in Baden-Württemberg
, was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1142 from Eberbach Abbey
. The present settlement of Schönau grew up round the monastery.
By the end of the 12th century Schönau was already in use as a burial place of the Staufen
family: in 1195 Conrad of Hohenstaufen
, Count Palatine of the Rhine, was buried here, as were his son of the same name, probably in 1186, and both his wives. Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine
(d. 1327), Rupert II, Elector Palatine (d. 1398) and other members of the family were also buried here. Conrad II, Bishop of Hildesheim
, died here and was presumably also buried here.
In the 14th century Schönau was also the burial place of the Counts of Erbach
.
During the Reformation
the abbey was dissolved, in 1558. The empty buildings were occupied in 1562 by Huguenot
refugees from Wallonia, to whom Schönau gave rights of residence.
, and the "Walloon forge" (the former abbey forge, renovated by the Huguenot refugees from Wallonia after 1558).
Schönau (Odenwald)
Schönau is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated in the Odenwald hills, 10 km northeast of Heidelberg. Schönau Abbey is located here....
in the Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
, in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis is a district in the northwest of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bergstraße, Odenwaldkreis, Neckar-Odenwald, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, district-free Speyer, the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, and district-free Mannheim and Heidelberg.-History:The district was created in...
in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1142 from Eberbach Abbey
Eberbach Abbey
Eberbach Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near Eltville am Rhein in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its impressive Romanesque and early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the most significant architectural heritage sites in Hesse, Germany...
. The present settlement of Schönau grew up round the monastery.
By the end of the 12th century Schönau was already in use as a burial place of the Staufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
family: in 1195 Conrad of Hohenstaufen
Conrad of Hohenstaufen
Conrad of Hohenstaufen was the first hereditary Count Palatine of the Rhine.His parents were Frederick II of Swabia , Duke of Swabia, and his second wife Agnes of Saarbrücken...
, Count Palatine of the Rhine, was buried here, as were his son of the same name, probably in 1186, and both his wives. Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine
Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine
Adolf of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach was formally Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1319–1327.He was the second son of Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Mechtild of Nassau...
(d. 1327), Rupert II, Elector Palatine (d. 1398) and other members of the family were also buried here. Conrad II, Bishop of Hildesheim
Conrad II, Bishop of Hildesheim
Conrad II was Bishop of Hildesheim from 1221 to 1246.He studied at the University of Paris, and is said to have taught theology there as well, and to have preached against the Albigenses...
, died here and was presumably also buried here.
In the 14th century Schönau was also the burial place of the Counts of Erbach
Erbach im Odenwald
-Location:The town lies in the Odenwald at elevations between 200 and 560 m in the valley of the Mümling.-Neighbouring communities:Erbach borders in the north on the town of Michelstadt, in the east on the market town of Kirchzell , in the south on the community of Hesseneck and the town of...
.
During the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
the abbey was dissolved, in 1558. The empty buildings were occupied in 1562 by Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugees from Wallonia, to whom Schönau gave rights of residence.
Buildings
Physical remains of the abbey include the abbey church of c. 1230, and also the abbey gateway (c. 1200), the former refectoryRefectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
, and the "Walloon forge" (the former abbey forge, renovated by the Huguenot refugees from Wallonia after 1558).