Roggenburg Abbey Museum
A fascinating museum within a fine baroque abbey

Opened in 1991, the abbey museum in Roggenburg - close to Ulm in southern Germany - documents the history of the imperial abbey and its minor territories from the foundation of the complex in 1126 to its secularisation in 1802.

The former Imperial Abbey of the Norbertine Order in Roggenburg is situated on a hill overlooking the valley of the Biber river. It was founded in 1126 by Count Bertold of Bibereck, his wife and his two brothers Konrad and Siegfried, and inhabited by Premonstratensian monks from nearby Ursberg Abbey. The entrance to the museum can be found next to the door of the handsome abbey church, which is one of the most important rococo buildings in Germany.

A great number of the art treasures inside originate from the estate of the last imperial prelate, Abbot Thaddeus Aigler, who donated them to the Roggenburg parish fund for the poor upon his death in 1822. The museum benefits greatly from its location in the abbey with exhibits on display beneath vaulted ceilings and heavy stone slabs covering much of the floor.

The museum charts the history of the imperial abbey in Roggenburg with an emphasis on the Norbertine Order down the ages and the monastic life led by its members. Central to the exhibition are religious artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries with themes including the baroque, faith among the commonfolk and the history of the order. There are also works of goldsmithery, beautifully embroidered paraments and frescos to be admired. The exhibition also focuses on artists who were heavily involved in decorating the abbey and its churches, including the sculptor Christoph Rodt (1575-1634), the painter and frescoist Franz Martin Kuen (1719-1771), and the latter's apprentice Konrad Huber (1752-1830). Open Thursdays to Sundays and on public holidays, guided tours on request.



Contact:
E-Mail: konvent@kloster-roggenburg.de
Internet: http://www.kloster-roggenburg.de/