Description of the attraction
The Benedictine monastery stands in a mountain valley at the foot of Mount Titlis and is considered the possession of the city of Engelberg. It was founded in 1120 by Count Zellenburen of Zurich. In the same year, it was settled by monks from the Muri monastery. The first school of scribes was soon opened.
For some time the monastery was intended for both women and men. The female part outlived its usefulness by 1615 - then the last nuns moved to St. Andreas.
The location of the monastery is very successful - after all, it stands clearly in the center of the valley. The abbey had both spiritual and political significance, indestructible by nothing - neither fires and epidemics, nor military clashes. Having overcome three fires, the monastery survived. The last time a fire was in 1729, after which most of the buildings were reconstructed under the direction of the Austrian architect Johannes Ruf. The pride of the monastery is the wood paneling in the interior of the monastery rooms. Each panel measures 50x20 cm and consists of 300 or more pieces. This is the fruit of the creativity of one of the monks.
In the 19th century, a school was built at the monastery, because the monks of the monastery paid much attention to education. The school gradually expanded and today it consists of a gymnasium, a secondary classical school, a boarding school for children of both sexes and a public school (for adults).
The monastery has a library, which is usual for monasteries. It contains about a thousand manuscripts (both modern and medieval), several hundred printed editions and thousands of books of the 16-19 centuries.
There is a museum at the monastery, where you can see exhibits telling about the life of Benedictine monks. The most valuable exhibits of the museum are the Alpnach crucifix of the 12th century, the royal regalia of King Otto IV (1208), as well as a model of the monastery until the last fire in 1729.
The monastery's factory makes cheeses, which can be purchased in a small shop, along with local meats, jam and honey.
