Heiligenbronn Abbey

The origins of the present monastery date back to the 13th century, when a hamlet and Lichtenau Castle existed at this location. The latter was abandoned around 1353, but the hamlet continued to exist until the 15th century. A spring believed to have healing powers became known in the 14th century and attracted pilgrims. A Franciscan monk acquired the land around the spring in 1385, and a wayside shrine was erected in 1442. In the mid-15th century, a Marian chapel was built, followed by a residential and pilgrim house, donated in 1463/64 by Elisabeth von Rechberg. Franciscans from Villingen operated a hospice here and built a larger church. After plague epidemics and declining revenues, the Franciscans withdrew around 1532. Rochus Merz von Staffelfelden acquired the pilgrimage site in 1547/51, and Heiligenbronn developed into a center of the Counter-Reformation. During the Thirty Years' War, the miraculous image was temporarily moved but returned in 1637. Around 1700, the number of pilgrims increased again, and a new chapel was built.