Photo: architectural monuments, museums and exhibitions, Maulbronn Monastery, Baden-Wuerttemberg

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Maulbronn Monastery - the Pearl of the Black Forest

Architectural Monuments • Museums and Exhibitions

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Maulbronn Monastery is one of the most popular in the northern BlackForest. It was founded in 1147. According to legend, the monastery was built atthe place where a mule hit its hoof to the ground and a healing water springflew out of the ground. Historians suggest that the Cistercian monks foundedthe monastery, led by the local bishop Eugenius III. They were called whitemonks who took part in missionary work. They have done a lot to spread cultureand education in Europe.

The first three-nave church of Maulbronn Monastery was built in theRomanesque style. However, the following numerous buildings were erected in theGothic style. According to critics, we owe to Maulbronn Monastery for theemergence of Gothic churches in Central and Northern Europe. The structures onthe territory of the abbey have survived unchanged since the XIII century. Forits architectural originality and high degree of safety, the monastery wasincluded in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. The large number ofoutbuildings and a well-preserved irrigation system that gives an idea of thescope of the monastery economy are its distinctive feature.The monastery has been the center of religious and cultural life ofGermany for a long time. The Evangelical School was located in it, where the greatastronomer Johannes Kepler and the famous German poet Friedrich Hölderlin studied.Writer, Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse also studied at this school. One of Hesse’snovels titled "Beneath the Wheel" covers the time of study inMaulbronn. Today, there is a prestigious classical gymnasium in the premises ofthe monastery with about a hundred teenagers study in it.

Today Maulbronn is a hugeopen-air museum, which is open throughout the year. Visitors can see theconditions in which the monks and schoolboys lived in ancient times, how theabbey’s model farm functioned. The monastery has several thematic expositions -amedieval heritage museum, and a literature heritage museum. There is also acafé on its territory, where you can taste local wine and more.

Maulbronn Monastery - the Pearl of the Black Forest

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