Ursberg Abbey, Ursberg, Germany

Ursberg Abbey is a former Premonstratensian monastery, now a convent of the Franciscan St. Joseph's Congregation. The monastery, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist, was founded between 1126 and 1128 by the nobleman Wernher of Schwabegg-Balzhausen. It was the first Premonstratensian foundation in southern Germany. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in 1143.

As was usual with early Premonstratensian foundations, this was originally a double monastery, with a separate nunnery, which lasted until at least 1320 or so. Ursberg was very active in its early years in settling other Premonstratensian houses. This was largely due to the energetic prior Grimo, who was later declared Blessed. In 1128 Osterhofen near Passau was established, followed in about 1130 by Roggenburg Abbey and in 1135 by Kaisheim Abbey. In 1140 Premonstratensians from Ursberg took over Schäftlarn Abbey and in 1142 Bishop Otto of Freising used them for the foundation of Neustift.

The church was built in about 1230. Originally a Romanesque structure, it was refurbished in the Baroque style by the master builder of Wettenhausen Abbey, Josef Dossenberger the younger. The ceiling frescoes by Jakob Fröschle and Konrad Huber also stem from this period.

The Romanesque cross with the attendant figures of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist is of especial note. The high altar is by J. Pflaum. The organ was built by Johann Nepomuk Holzhey.

The abbey was dissolved in 1803 in the course of the secularisation of Bavaria. The church became the parish church, and the priest's house and the regional court (Landgericht) of Krumbach were accommodated in the former monastic premises. In 1884 Father Dominikus Ringeisen managed to acquire the buildings, which were by then empty, where he set up a community of sisters for the care of the physically and mentally handicapped, now known as the Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk. This endeavour developed into the St. Joseph's Congregation of Ursberg, a Franciscan community of about 270 sisters. In Ursberg, along with branches in Maria Bildhausen, the former Holzen Abbey, Pfaffenhausen and Breitbrunn am Ammersee, about 2,500 handicapped people are provided with accommodation and work, care and home.

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User Reviews

Denise Müller (2 years ago)
We made our communion trip here. It was very nice. The complex is very spacious and very well maintained. The tour of the host bakery was very informative and entertaining, even though it lasted an hour. In between, a coffee with a souvenir shop invited you to linger. In the brewery restaurant you can get good home cooking as well as smaller dishes and ice cream. The riding stable also gave us a tour behind the scenes.

brabaduck (3 years ago)
Beautiful complex with well-kept green areas. Particularly poignant is a memorial that tells the stories of people who were murdered as part of the euthanasia program. There is a portrait for each person. As terrible as it is that these stories happened, it is also beautiful and important that they are told and not forgotten.

Sylvie Klügl (5 years ago)
Very nice place

Gaby Kilian (6 years ago)
The biography of the writer Lena Christ has led me to Ursberg. I am impressed by an imposing monastery complex with all possible facilities and school. Lena Christ was there as a student, but not for long. It was not enough for a degree. What the students of today are offered there, you can not say in a few sentences. Going - looking - marveling

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