Kreuztal Marburghausen Abbey

The monastery was founded in the 13th century by Abbess Jutta von Heiligental, who initially established a daughter monastery of the Cistercian convent of Heiligenthal in Kreuzthal. However, due to its remote location, the convent was relocated to Mariaburghausen, then called Marcburghusa, as early as 1243. As a noble women's convent, it exclusively admitted noble women and girls, which led to significant support from the aristocracy. Additional income from indulgences enabled the acquisition of relics, transforming the monastery into a pilgrimage site. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, monastic discipline loosened, resulting in episcopal visitations in 1492 and 1498. The Peasants' War from 1524 brought great losses to the monastery; relics and valuables intended for safekeeping in Würzburg never arrived there.