Lecture: Ursulines and Lioba Sisters – Schools in Meßkirch Castle between 1947-1984

"I am reminded of the image of a nun with a large Great Dane walking in the courtyard garden..." Lecture as part of the cultural focus 2026 on the topic of "Education" by the Cultural Forum of the Sigmaringen District e.V. This and other memories connect many residents of Meßkirch with the school run by the Lioba Sisters from the Wald Monastery in Schloss Meßkirch until the early 1980s. Few know that even earlier, after World War II, it was the Ursuline Order that attempted to establish a rural women's school. Over 1,100 students attended one of the two schools during this time. You are invited to learn who these nuns were, why they came here, what types of schools were established, and what their goals were. The talk will address the challenges of operating a school in a historic building and why there was a dispute with the Heidegger family over "piglets, geese, ducks, and chickens." You will find out what Liobatag was and why it might be necessary to place a guard at the flower carpets on Corpus Christi. Of course, the mystery of the Great Dane's name and its purpose will be revealed.