Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Abtei Steingaden

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. The sculpture (a noble couple (?) and a bearded stonemason) dates to the 12th century. After the secularisation most buildings of the monsatery got demolished and many stone were reused, when buildings were built at that time. This sculpture was found in 1892, when a neighbouring house got renovated.

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. Only one wing of the medieval cloister and the chapel in its centre survived the times. The chapel is dedicated to St. Silvester. The interior is adorned by late Gothic murals.

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. Only one wing of the medieval cloister and its capitals survived the deconstruction.

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. Only one wing of the medieval cloister survived the deconstruction.

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. The interior has the structure of Romanesque basilica and the splendour of the Baroque and Rococo periods.

The Johanneskapelle ("St. John´s chapel") on the edge of the Welfenmünster´s little graveyard is a round building, built around 1200. Probably another (small) copy of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It was moved to this place within the 15th century - and got a new roof, but there is still a small tympanum - and left and right from the entrance are two lions. Welf VI (1115 - 1191), founder of the abbey, Duke of Spoleto, margrave of Tuscany and (thanks to Bernard of Clairvaux preaching at Speyer) combattant in the Second Crusade, and his son Welf VII (1140 -1167), who fought in Italy against the pope with Friedrich I (aka "Barbarossa") and died from malaria in Siena, have their graves here.

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden.