Tegernsee Abbey

The founding of Tegernsee Abbey took place around the mid-8th century, either in 746 or 765, by the brothers Oatkar and Adalbert from the noble Huosi family. After the overthrow of Bavarian Duke Tassilo III, it became a Carolingian royal monastery. In the 10th century, the monastery experienced a decline but was re-established as an imperial abbey in 978 under Emperor Otto II. This renewal led to a period of prosperity, during which Tegernsee rose to become a center for literature, book art, and scholarship, shaping the “Tegernsee Reform.” In the 13th and 14th centuries, it evolved into a noble monastery, before the Melk Reform in the 15th century brought about a renewed spiritual revival. Despite a fire in 1410 and the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, the monastery continued to flourish and was baroque-styled from 1684/1688. The secularization in 1803 marked the end of the monastic era.