Franziskaner Abbay Schwaz

The Franciscan Monastery in Schwaz was founded around 1500, with the official laying of the foundation stone on August 30, 1507. The initiative for its construction came from the Schwaz mine owners, miners, and citizens, who valued the presence of the Franciscans, who had been regularly assisting in the then not yet independent parish since 1471. Emperor Maximilian I significantly supported the project. Initially, the monastery construction met with resistance from ecclesiastical authorities, as the necessary permits had not been obtained. Following interventions by the Emperor and the withdrawal of objections, ecclesiastical approval was granted on September 26, 1507. Hans Fieger von Melans zu Friedberg the Elder donated the land and his adjacent property, today known as the “Fiegerhof,” which was integrated into the monastery complex, to the Franciscans.