Eberbach Abbey – Refuge or in the midst of political turmoil?

Famous films have been shot here “The name of the rose” or “Game of Thrones”.  Eberbach Abby is a popular backdrop thanks to its medieval atmosphere. It offers impressive dormitories and colonnades. Today you can marry here, go to a wine tasting or spent a night at the abbey. But what part did it play in the Middle Ages? Was it a remote place for contemplation? Not quite. Because like most abbeys in this period it had a lot of duties.  Abbeys offered places for burials of noble families, they cultivated the land and collected knowledge. And they argued about what the most important duty should be. Because different orders had different opinions. Eberbach Abbey is the right place to learn more about them. 

Foundation by Adalbert Archbishop of Mainz

Everything started in Eberbach with the Augustinian monks. Archbishop Adalbert of Mainz founded a Monastery here in 1116 (Hear more about him Marktportal Mainz Cathedral).

In 1131 the Benedictines took over, but just five years later the order of the Cistercians moved in. One of their most famous monks was Bernhard of Clairvaux. In 1146 he persuaded king Conrad II. to start the second Crusade in Speyer Cathedral.

Bernhard of Clairvaux gathered a lot of followers with his passionate speeches. It had an effect on Eberbach Abbey. The Cistercians in Eberbach suddenly needed more space. And built the magnificient abbey you can visit today. Despite many conversions you can still see numerous rooms in their original style, almost untouched since the Middle Ages.