Wald Abbey

The founding of Kloster Wald took place in 1212 by Burkard von Weckenstein, an imperial ministerialis of the Staufer dynasty. He acquired the property, which already had a small church, and handed it over to his sisters Judintha and Ita von Weckenstein, who were already Cistercian nuns. Judintha became the first abbess, Ita the prioress. From its inception, the monastery was subordinated to the Imperial Abbey of Salem and was elevated to an abbey as early as 1217. The monastery significantly expanded its possessions through donations and purchases, establishing itself as a landlord and lower jurisdiction. During the Thirty Years' War, the complex was almost completely destroyed.