Stephansabbey

The St. Stephan's Monastery on Michaelsberg in Heidelberg is a monastery founded in the 11th century next to the Michaelskloster as the second branch of Lorsch Abbey, of which today only foundation remains are preserved. The Michaelsberg is located south of the Heiligenberg.

St. Stephan was, alongside the nearby Michaelskloster, the second monastery on the Heiligenberg and was founded around the year 1090 by the Benedictine Arnold. He had only recently joined the Benedictine order. He built a hermitage and a chapel on the front summit of the Aberinsberg.

Zundebold, provost at the Michaelskloster, took a liking to Arnold's cell and, four years later, with the permission of Lorsch Abbey, had buildings added to the church. From here, every movement in the Neckar valley could be observed from afar, as the hilltop was bare. A large part of the forest had been cleared for construction and heating. At the same time, the old cistern (the Heidenloch) was repaired.

St. Stephan was assigned its own district and was thus economically independent.

Of the complex, only foundation remains are preserved today.