Alpirsbach Abbey

The foundation of Alpirsbach Abbey occurred in 1095, when monks from St. Blasien settled the area. This was based on a former estate, endowed by Counts Alwik von Sulz, Adalbert von Zollern, and the noble free lord Ruodman von Hausen. The consecration by Bishop Gebhard III of Constance on January 16, 1095, marked its official beginning. A stone oratory was consecrated as early as 1099, and in 1101, Pope Paschal II placed the complex under papal protection. The large monastery church was consecrated in 1128. In the 14th century, the monastery experienced a period of prosperity under Abbots Walter and Brun von Schenkenberg, despite declining revenues. In the 15th century, a dispute between reformers and anti-reformers led to the dissolution of the convent by 1455.