Weltenburg Abbey
Encyclopedia
Weltenburg Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Weltenburg in Kelheim
Kelheim (district)
Kelheim is a district in Bavaria, Germany, bound by the regions Regensburg, Landshut, Freising, Pfaffenhofen, Eichstätt and Neumarkt.-Geography:...

 on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

 in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

First foundation

The abbey is situated on a peninsula in the Danube, on the so-called "Weltenburg Narrows" or the "Danube Gorge". The monastery, founded by Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 or Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 monks in about 620, is held to be the oldest monastery in Bavaria.

The monastery courtyard is surrounded by Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 buildings, the highlight of which is the abbey church, dedicated to Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...

, which was built by the Asam Brothers
Asam brothers
The Asam Brothers were sculptors, workers in stucco, painters, and architects, who worked mostly together and in southern Germany...

 between 1716 and 1739. The chapel underwent extensive restoration from 2003-2005.

The abbey was dissolved in 1803 during the secularization of Bavaria.

Second foundation

On 25 August 1842 Weltenburg was re-founded as a priory of Metten Abbey
Metten Abbey
Metten Abbey, or St. Michael's Abbey at Metten is a house of the Benedictine Order in Metten near Deggendorf, situated between the fringes of the Bavarian Forest and the valley of the Danube, in Bavaria in Germany.The abbey was founded in 766 by Gamelbert of Michaelsbuch...

. It has been a member of the Bavarian Congregation
Bavarian Congregation
The Bavarian Congregation is a congregation of the Benedictine Confederation consisting of monasteries in Bavaria, Germany.It was founded on 26 August 1684 by the Blessed Pope Innocent XI .-First Congregation:...

 of the Benedictine Confederation
Benedictine Confederation
The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict.-Origin:...

 since 1858 and was raised to the status of an independent abbey in 1913.

Besides the traditional duties of hospitality, the abbey has pastoral responsibility for four parishes.

Abbey brewery

Weltenburg Abbey brewery (Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei) is by some reckonings the oldest monastery brewery in the world, having been in operation since 1050, although the title is disputed by Weihenstephan Abbey
Weihenstephan Abbey
Weihenstephan Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Weihenstephan, now part of Freising district, in Bavaria, Germany.-Monastery:...

. Their Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel was given the World Beer Cup award
World Beer Cup
The World Beer Cup, known as "The Olympics of Beer Competition", is one of several major international beer competitions. It was founded by Association of Brewers President Charlie Papazian....

 in 2004 as the best Dunkel
Dunkel
Dunkel, or Dunkles, is a dark German beer. Dunkel is the German word meaning dark, and dunkel beers typically range in colour from amber to dark reddish brown. They are characterized by their smooth malty flavour....

 beer in the world. The wing of the monastery that faces the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

 River houses a large restaurant on the ground floor operated by a tenant. The traditional Bavarian
Bavarian
Bavarian is the adjective form of the German state of Bavaria, and refers to people of ancestry from Bavaria. Bavarian may also refer to:* Austro-Bavarian, a group of closely related dialects of German, spoken in parts of Bavaria, most of Austria and the Alto Adige/Südtirol* Bavarian cream, a...

 menu includes the monastery's cheese and beer, and guests are also served in the monastery courtyard, which houses a large open-air biergarten during the warmer months.

External links

Weltenburg Abbey website Klöster in Bayern: Kloster Weltenburg Photos Kloster Weltenburg Weltenburger Kloster Brewery website

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