Anhausen Abbey (Ruin)

The origins of the monastery date back to the 14th century, with the first mention of a chapel dedicated to Mary in Anhausen in 1344. Lupold von Bebenburg had it expanded in 1357, and from 1359, a hermit settled near the chapel. In 1403, a monastery was founded by Hermann von Hornburg, his mother Barbara von Merkingen, and Konrad von Bebenburg, and entrusted to the Pauline Hermits. This foundation was confirmed in 1404 by the Bishop of Würzburg and in 1418 by Pope Martin V. The Hornburg family served as patrons, ensuring the monastery's existence through numerous donations, a role later taken over by the Bebenburgers. In 1445, the monastery burned down but was immediately rebuilt. With the introduction of the Reformation by the Margraves of Ansbach, who assumed patronage in 1504, the decline began. In 1528, the admission of novices was prohibited, and after the death of the last prior in 1557, the monastery was dissolved.