Mildenfurth Abbey

The foundation of Mildenfurth Monastery took place in 1193 by Vogt Heinrich II of Weida. Around 1200, the Romanesque monastery church was built, a three-aisled basilica with a staggered choir and a bay system. South of the church was the cloister, whose south wing and the adjacent refectory still exist in parts today. A high, defensible wall with loopholes and a Romanesque entrance gate still partially surrounds the grounds. Between 1436 and 1440, Sigismund of Saxony sought the proximity of a beloved nun here. The Reformation in 1526 led to the dissolution of the monastery in 1543. In 1544, Matthes von Wallenrod from Coburg acquired the property and had it converted into a Renaissance castle by 1556, integrating parts of the former monastery church, such as the transept, main choir, and nave. The original west tower complex was removed, with only the ground floor and the main portal remaining.