Franziskaner Abbey

The monastery was founded in 1596 by Landgrave Georg Ludwig von Leuchtenberg. This initiative was part of efforts to strengthen the Catholic presence in a region surrounded by Protestant territories. As early as 1594, the future monastery church was consecrated to alleviate the shortage of priests. After the monastery's completion in 1599, the first Franciscans moved in. In 1601, the monastery was incorporated into the Bavarian Custody of the Upper German Franciscan Province. During this period, the Franciscans also took over pastoral care in Pfreimd and received preaching rights for pilgrimages. The monastery was destroyed in 1621 during the Thirty Years' War by Mansfeld's troops, but with the support of Maximilian I, it was rebuilt. In the 18th century, the monastery experienced a flourishing period through the teaching of casuistry and philosophy. In the course of secularization, the monastery was dissolved in 1802, with the buildings subsequently serving various secular purposes. In 1831, it was re-established as a hospice, and in 1870, Pfreimd once again became a convent. The activities of the Franciscans finally ceased on September 1, 1995, with the dissolution of the establishment.

The former monastery is situated in the town of Schwandorf in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, at an elevation of approximately 364 meters above sea level.

Following the final dissolution of the Franciscan establishment in 1995, a kindergarten was set up in the former brewery of the monastery in 1996. Since 2000, the other monastery buildings have been undergoing extensive renovation.

• Stein Castle (castle, approx. 3430 m away)
• Neusath Castle (castle, approx. 3878 m away)
• Nabburg Manor House (fortified manor, approx. 4354 m away)