Wonnenstein Abbey

The origins of Wonnenstein Monastery date back to 1379, when it was founded as a Beguine convent. In 1596, it adopted the Capuchin reform, known as the Pfanneregger Reform. Following the Appenzell partition in 1597, the territorial affiliation of the monastery was long disputed, until a federal decree in 1870 stipulated that all territory within the monastery walls belonged to Appenzell Innerrhoden. A new construction of the monastery complex and the church was completed in 1687. The community of sisters dedicated themselves to a contemplative life, marked by prayer and manual labor. They produced ointments, tinctures, and schnapps to secure their livelihood. An extensive library attests to the importance of spiritual life, including a collection manuscript from around 1500, which contained a rule for novices and revelations from mystics. The monastery church houses a significant late Gothic Pietà from the late 15th century.

Wonnenstein Monastery is located in the Swiss Mittelland, nestled in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. It is situated at an altitude of approximately 775 meters above sea level and is an Innerrhoden exclave within the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, about two kilometers west of Teufen.

Until the end of 2025, Wonnenstein Monastery was inhabited by a single sister. From the end of 2026, it was planned to be occupied by a new community, the Sisters of Maria Stella Matutina, but this was re-evaluated by the Diocese of St. Gallen and ultimately not implemented. The future use of the monastery is currently being re-assessed.

• Haggen Castle (St. Gallen) (castle, approx. 2560 m away)
• Urstein Castle Ruin (castle, approx. 2892 m away)
• Waldegg Castle (Lachen) (castle, approx. 3295 m away)
• Schlössli Steinegg (castle, approx. 5637 m away)