Herzogenburg Monastery

Herzogenburg, Austria

Herzogenburg is an Augustinian monastery founded in 1112 by Ulrich I, Bishop of Passau, at St. Georgen an der Traisen. In 1244 because of frequent flooding it was moved up-river towards Herzogenburg. From 1714 the buildings were refurbished in the Baroque style by Jakob Prandtauer, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Josef Munggenast. The monastery was able to survive the dissolutions enforced by Emperor Joseph II in the late 18th century. Until 1783 the monastery was in the Diocese of Passau, afterwards in the Diocese of St. Pölten.

The monastery church was established in about 1014 by Emperor Henry II and is dedicated to Saint Stephen the Protomartyr (after the patron of Passau Cathedral). In 1112 bishop Ulrich I gave the benefice of Herzogenburg to his newly founded monastery at St. Georgen, which moved to Herzogenburg in 1244.

There are few remains of the Gothic church (the portal and the second storey of the tower). The architect of the present church building was Franz Munggenast. The rebuilt church was dedicated on 2 October 1785 and was the last significant Baroque church built in Austria.

The emphasis of the collection is on late Gothic works such as panel paintings, sculptures and stained glass windows. The great banqueting hall, the treasury and the monastic library, as well as the coin cabinet, underline the art-historical importance of the priory in Lower Austria. The Baroque picture gallery is also notable, and does not only contain religious works. A particular curiosity is a well-preserved Roman helmet, dating from about 150 A.D., which was found in a gravel pit in the vicinity.

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Founded: 1112
Category: Religious sites in Austria

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Oliver Finker (9 months ago)
This monastery can be only visited with a guided tour. There are a few different time slots per day and a tour takes about 1h15m. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable and we enjoyed the tour a lot. The monastery offers beautiful galleries, hallways, artworks and a stunning library - and as the area is mostly private, we've really felt like we're properly exploring the place instead of being mass-tourists pushed through some crowded corridors. This is a big contrast to the experience in Melk, for example, so depending on your personal preference, this may be a very good alternative. As an added highlight, we took part in a roughly 20 minute long prayer/meditation with the monks, which we really appreciated as a relaxing and interesting experience. Overall, this monastery was the one we preferred compared to Melk and Göttweig - it may be the more modest (if you can say so, as it is still stunning) of the three but we found it most charming and authentic and are still delighted that we put it on our itinerary. Thank you for the tour and for the experiences!
Linda S. (3 years ago)
The guided tour was very interesting and informative. Without the tour you can see the monastery only from the outside. We've arrived by train, the walk from the station was about 25 minutes. For tourists arriving by car, there is a big parking lot available.
Djohan Sutanto (6 years ago)
A wonderful baroque styled monarchy serving a variety of great white wines to tourists. Its church is still active and well maintained.
Greg Martin (6 years ago)
Magnificent. Stop at the winery for a taste.
Michael Dittrich (6 years ago)
Ein wunderschönes Stift zwischen Sankt Pölten und Krems. Die Besichtigung von außen ist kostenlos. Die Kirche ist innen sehr schön und prunkvoll.
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