Weltenburg Abbey

The Abbey’s History

45 AD
Along the south bank of the Danube near Weltenburg is the starting point of a Roman border
and military road leading to Fort Hüfingen near Donaueschingen. This road –named „Donausüd“
by historians – is one of the two most important east-west connections north of the Alps. Near
Burghöfe it takes over oncoming traffic from the “Via Claudia”.



Ca 617
Weltenburg Abbey is founded by the Hiberno-Scottish monks Eustasius and Agilus of Luxeuil
following the rules of St. Columba.



Ca 800
The Abbey adopts the Rule of St. Benedict.



Ca 899
At the end of the 9th century a nomadic people of Finno-Ugrian descent appears at the eastern borders
of the occident – the Hungarians. They lay waste to Italy, Bavaria, Saxony, the Bavarian Eastern March
and Swabia. Out of fear the monks leave the Abbey at the beginning of the 10th century.



932
Weltenburg becomes a proprietary monastery of the Bishopric of Regensburg and is repopulated by
St. Emmeram’s Abbey.



1050
The Abbey Brewery is founded.



1191
The newly built church is consecrated.



1441 to 1450
During the 14th and 15th century the Abbey suffers under the administration of abbots and  adminis-
trators, which eventually leads to the introduction of the reforms led by Kastl Abbey.



1546 to 1547
Emperor Carl V. is at war with an alliance of Protestant sovereigns and cities under the leadership of
Electoral Saxony and Hesse. War initially breaks out in the south of Germany and Weltenburg Abbey
is sacked.



1553 to 1556
Abbot Michael II. Häusler is forced to sell valuable inventory of the Abbey library due to severe eco-
nomic problems.



1626 to 1659
Abbot Matthias Abelin directs Weltenburg Abbey through the Thirty Years‘ War. Although the Abbey
is sacked several times, he leaves it in good order.

 

1686
The Abbey is one of the founders of the Bavarian Benedictine Congregation, an association of indepen-
dent Bavarian Benedictine monasteries, which is founded by Pope Innocent XI in 1684.



1713 to 1743
Frauenberg Church, churches in the incorporated parishes and the new Abbey buildings are built under
the supervision of Abbot Maurus I. Bächl. Between 1716 and 1739 the Asam Brothers, who are the most
important exponents of German late Baroque, build the baroque Monastery Church of St. George.



1803
The Abbey is dissolved during secularization.



1858
Weltenburg, together with Metten Abbey, St. Bonifaz Abbey (Munich) and Andechs Abbey, is reopened
by Pope Pius IX.



1913
Weltenburg becomes an abbey again. Main functions of the Abbey are the parish pastoral care (of four
parishes) and the accommodation of guests in St. George’s guesthouse.



Today
Weltenburg Abbey houses 14 monks; since 1998 Thomas Maria Freihart is abbot.

The Abbey buildings are highly flood-prone due to their immediate riverside location. Between January
and October 2006 measures to protect the Abbey from flooding were taken and barriers were erected.