Rheinau Abbey

The origins of Rheinau Abbey date back to 778, when it was founded on an island in the Rhine. Its first documented mention occurred in 844, and by 850, Anwarth is recorded as the first abbot. In 858, Abbot Wolven handed the monastery over to King Louis the German and received it back as a lifelong possession. A monastic school already existed here in the 13th century. The monastery experienced periods of patronage by kings and emperors, but also oppression by its protectors. In the 12th century, a Romanesque basilica was consecrated, and a collection of documents was compiled. In the 15th century, the monastery concluded a protection treaty with the Swiss Confederation to safeguard itself from attacks. The Reformation led to a temporary dissolution in 1529, but the monastery was restored in 1532 and developed into a center of the Counter-Reformation.