Photo: architectural monuments, museums and exhibitions, Bebenhausen, Baden-Wuerttemberg

6 photos

Bebenhausen: Dwelling of Monks and Kings

Architectural Monuments • Museums and Exhibitions

Directions

To the north of Tübingen, in the depths of Schönbuch reserve there is a former Cistercian Bebenhausen monastery. It was founded in 1183-1184 by Palatine Rudolf I of Tübingen. Initially, the monastery was inhabited by Premonstratensians - novices of the Augustinian Order. In 1190 Bebenhausen was seized by a group of Cistercian monks, who turned it into the richest monastery in the region. During the Reformation in 1535 the monastery was dissolved and the building was used as a Protestant monastery school.

The idyllic atmosphere of Bebenhausen also appealed to the rulers of Württemberg, who used the building as their hunting residence in the XIX century. The last king of Württemberg Wilhelm II lived here with his wife Charlotte after his abdication. Meetings of Landtag of the land Württemberg-Hohenzollern were held in the monastery from 1947 to 1952.

Most of the buildings that make up the monastery complex, are perfectly preserved. Tourists are offered various tours, during which one can get an idea about the everyday life of medieval monks and scholars, get acquainted with the traditions of the royal hunt and learn about the architectural peculiarities of the monastery.

Bebenhausen: Dwelling of Monks and Kings

Restaurants