Sonnefeld Abbey

The foundation of Sonnefeld Monastery took place in 1260 and was dedicated to the Holy Mary. It was established by Heinrich II von Sonneberg and his wife Kunigunde. Initially located in Ebersdorf, the monastery relocated to Hofstädten around 1287 after a fire. Nuns from Maidbronn Monastery settled the new site. Over the centuries, the monastery grew to become one of the largest landowners in the Coburg region. Following a period of prosperity in the 15th century under Abbess Margaretha von Brandenstein, who cleared the monastery's debts and initiated construction projects, internal conflicts arose in 1524 when the nuns appointed a Lutheran preacher. The official dissolution of the monastery occurred in 1525.