Bebenhausen Monastery
Cloister of Bebenhausen Monastery. Photo
Patty. 
Abbey church. Photo © Architecture Religieuse en Occident.
Detail of a colorful stained glass window. Photo
Rebecca Davies.
Star vault of the summer refectory. Photo
Rebecca Davies.
Gallery with lierne vaulting. Photo
Patty. 
Hall that was used by the regional parliament. Photo
Patty. Bebenhausen Monastery is a well-preserved, 12th-century Cistercian monastery near Tübingen in Baden-Würtemberg.
History
The monastery of Bebenhausen was founded around 1183 by Count Rudolf of Tubingen. Its first occupants were Premonstrian monks, but the monastery became Cistercian in 1190. Soon after, construction began on the abbey church, which was consecrated in 1228.
The rest of the monastery was completed throughout the 13th century. Between 1320 and 1359, the Romanesque bays of the choir were replaced by one large Gothic bay. A summer refectory was built around 1335, and at the end of the 14th century an elegant tower was constructed.
The monastery that stands today was reconstructed at the end of the 15th century. The monastic dormitory was divided into austere individual cells at that time.
The Reformation brought the demise of Bebenhausen Monastery. The monastery institution was dissolved in 1535 and the nave of the abbey church was demolished in 1537.
The church was later reconstructed by Christopher von Württemberg, who transformed Bebenhausen into a Protestant school. That school closed in 1806.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the ancient abbey was transformed into a royal hunting pavilion for the kings of Würtemberg. After restoration, the church was newly consecrated in 1885. A few decades later, a former royal couple of Würtemberg, who abdicated in 1918, sought asylum at Bebenhausen.
From 1946 to 1952, the regional parliament of Hohenzollern Würtemberg met in the monastery. In 1975, Bebenhausen Monastery was designated a historical monument and it is now open to visitors.
What to See
Most of the 12th-century Bebenhausen Monastery is superbly preserved. The exterior of the abbey church (St. Mary's Church) features a large window accented with stone tracery. The church's small Flamboyant Gothic tower is uniquely supported by mini flying buttresses.
The abbey cloister, its archways topped by half-timbered facades, is quite remarkable. In the center of the cloister garden is a lovely Neo-Gothic fountain. The cloister galleries are Flamboyant Gothic, with intricate star vaulting on their ceilings. The north gallery of the cloister features stone benches built into the wall on which monks could sit and read.
In the west gallery is the winter refectory, which was warmed from the cellar. The refectory was originally used by lay brothers and later by the monks (the lay brothers then used the cellar). The framework, lightly curved, is supported by three sculpted beams. On a pillar that supports one of the beams, one can see the coat of arms of the Cistercians and Abbot John Friedingen, and the date of the building of the refectory.
The south gallery includes the summer refectory, which features ceiling frescoes restored in the 19th century, three thin columns and star vaulting. The room is lit by 11 large windows.
The upper floor of the east gallery contains the monastic cells, as well as the monastic library and a room built for Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, who performed penance here in 1526.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Kloster Bebenhausen; Bebenhausen Monastery |
| Type of site: | Christian monastery |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic (Cistercian order) |
| Status: | National monument |
| Date: | 1183 |
| Architecture: | Gothic with some Romanesque |
| Location: | A few miles north of Tübingen and about 40 miles south of Stuttgart. Follow the road signs. |
| Address: | Im Schloss 1, 72074 Tübingen, Germany |
| Phone: | 07071 / 602802 |
| Website: | http://www.tuebingen.de/en/1564_1734.html |
| Hours: | Apr-Oct: Mon 9-12, 1-5; Tue-Fri 9-6; Sun 10-6 Nov-Mar: Tue-Sun 9-12, 1-5 Closed Dec 24, 25, 31, Jan 1 |
| Cost: | Entrance 2.50 €; tours 3.50 € |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Bebenhausen Monastery. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Germany Map or get our free Google Earth download.
