Gorheim Abbey

The origins of Gorheim Monastery date back to before 1347. Initially, it housed a community of sisters who joined the Franciscan Tertiaries in the 15th century. This community existed until the monastery's dissolution in 1782, which occurred as part of Habsburg policy under Emperor Joseph II. The property was subsequently confiscated, and its revenues were allocated to the Austrian religious fund. After secularization, Gorheim served as a refuge for nuns from other dissolved monasteries and temporarily housed a girls' educational institution, an armory, and a barracks. In 1852, the Jesuits took over the buildings, followed by the Franciscan Recollects in 1892. The latter established a theological college in 1894 for the training of new recruits and built a new monastery church in 1911. The Franciscans left the monastery in 2000.