Of Knights, Abbots, and Kings - Burial Sites in the Bronnbach Monastery -

Thematic tour with Kurt Lindner Being buried in a monastery was considered a desirable goal in the Middle Ages. The monastic community ensured the lasting memory of the deceased. The fear of being "forgotten" led to pious foundations. Through testamentary legacies (soul gifts) to the monastery, one ensured their own commemoration (Memoria) during their lifetime. According to strict monastic statutes, bishops and abbots were to be buried in the chapter house, highly respected monks in the cloister, and lay brothers in the monastery cemetery. The order only allowed the burial of founders and their wives within the monastery church starting in 1134. The burial sites, alongside foundations of money, land, and furnishings, represented important sources of income for the Bronnbach convent. Church burials for nobles from the surrounding area were therefore already permitted in the 12th century. The over one hundred preserved gravestones from the 13th to 18th centuries, found in the cloister and monastery church, express the intense desire of people not to fall into oblivion. In connection with the cultural history of the former Cistercian abbey, we will present to you the most interesting gravestones and memorials in their historical context.