Community: Alpirsbach
Alternate Names: Alpirsbchum, Albersbach
Medieval Location: In the Black Forest near the large and small Kinzig rivers, with other property around the upper Neckar River
Modern Location: In the center of the town of Alpirsbach
Corporate Status: Double monastery
Dedication: Holy Cross; Blessed Virgin Mary; Saint Benedict
Foundation Information: On 16 January 1095 three noblemen gave their shared inheritance to Saint Benedict in an official ceremony. Count Alwig von Sulz, Count Adalbert von Zollern and Ruotmann von Neckarhausen donated the domain of Alpirsbach in the Black Forest together with large possessions of property and rights which lay on the upper Neckar River. A small wooden oratory was consecrated as the temporary monastery church.
First Members: Kuno von St. Blasien became the first Abbot of Alpirsbach.
Notable Heads: Abbott Georg Schwarz (1471-1479)
Abbot Hieronymus Hulzing (1479-1495)
Abbott Gebhard Münzer von Sinkingen (1495-1505)
Abbott Jakob Hochrütiner (1548-1555)
Population Counts: From 1548-1555 there was one abbot and twelve monks.
Other Ecclesiastical Relations: 1482 Alpirsbach Monastery changes to the "Bursfelder Reform"
Patrons/Benefactors: Count Alwig von Sulz, Count Adalbert von Zollern and Ruotmann von Neckarhausen donated land to found the monastery.
Social Characteristics: Low nobility
Relative Wealth: The monastery had an economic boom beginning in 1482.
Assets Property: The 11th century domain of Alpirsbach in the Black Forest together with large possessions of property and rights which lay on the upper Neckar River. Sawmills and fishponds.
Income: The monks operated sawmills and fish ponds, and the monastery held the rights to hunting, forestry, fishing and the rafting of timber
Architecture Archaeology: Romanesque and Gothic. The buildings include:
Monastery Church
Enclosure
Infirmary, later Parsonage
Chapel of St. Mary with Library Hall
Oratory/Leutkirche
Clerks Office of secular Monastery Office, later Treasury Office
"Upper Castle", Administration of secular Monastery Office, later Monastery Administrative Office
"Castle", medieval residential tower
Former, filled-in pond around the castle
Lower Gate House
Romanesque Residential Building, later Granary
Workshop, Outbuilding from secular monastery period
"Sohmhaus", western Pediment preserved
Barn, secular monastery period
Oberes Torhaus, weltl Klosteramtszeit
Market Hall and Meeting Place for court and later administrative meetings of the secular monastery office, later Town Hall
State of Medieval Structure: The enclosure is almsot completely preserved. The East Building was renovated in the 15th century. Little of the original South Building remains due to a fire in the 19th century. The West Building and the Cloister were expanded and altered in the Gothic conversion in the 15th century, but remain in good condition
Secondary Sources:
Alpirsbach: zur Geschichte von Kloster und Stadt
Mönche und Scholaren. Funde aus 900 Jahren Kloster Alpirsbach
Die bauten des klosters Alpirsbach
Kloster Alpirsbach
Kloster Alpirsbach
Alpirsbach, Berneuchen, Hochkirche
Kloster Alpirsbach
Geschichte des klosters Alpirsbach auf dem Schwarzwalde
Liturgie als Kunst und Spiel: die kirchliche Arbeit Alpirsbach 1933-2003
Die evangelische Kirchengemeinde Alpirsbach und ihre Kirchen in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart
Contributors: Alison Beach; http://www.alpirsbach.de/index.html; http://www.schloesser-magazin.de
