Kollegiatstift Zeil

The Collegiate Foundation of Zeil was established in 1608 by Froben von Waldburg-Zeil, serving as a private monastery for regular canons. Initially situated north of St. Mary's Collegiate Church, the building was dismantled after the Thirty Years' War and rebuilt on the south side in 1680. A covered walkway connects it to the adjacent castle. Froben von Waldburg-Zeil stipulated the foundation's personnel in his founding letter of 1608, comprising a provost, six priests, an organist, a schoolmaster, and four choirboys. Emperor Rudolf II confirmed this arrangement in 1609. The primary duties of the canons included the daily celebration of Holy Mass, choral prayer, and pastoral care in the parishes of Zeil and Seibranz. The foundation was endowed with a capital of 10,000 gulden and received additional income from several parishes and pensions. After a decline during the Thirty Years' War, the foundation gradually recovered. It experienced a revival following an episcopal investigation commission in 1743 and the subsequent foundation recess, which marked a re-establishment and led to a flourishing of rosary confraternities, pilgrimages, and church music. As part of the secularization, the Collegiate Foundation of Zeil was dissolved on December 17, 1805.

The former Collegiate Foundation of Zeil is situated in a district of Leutkirch im Allgäu, within the Ravensburg district in Upper Swabia, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Today, the former buildings of the foundation house the archive of Zeil Castle. The former Collegiate Church of St. Mary continues to serve as the Roman Catholic parish church of Zeil.

• Unterzeil Castle (Castle, approx. 1042 m away)
• Marienau Monastery (Sacred building, approx. 4489 m away)
• Altmannshofen Castle (Castle, approx. 4690 m away)
• Hummelsberg Castle (Castle, approx. 5290 m away)