Denkendorf Monastery

On the monastery hill above the Körschtal, a church was built between 1050 and 1100, dedicated to St. Pelagius was consecrated.
The lord of Denkendorf, who was the owner of this church, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1128 to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There he donated his church to the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulcher, who was under the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The patriarch then sent a canons to Denkendorf. He is to establish a branch of the Order of the Brothers of the Holy Sepulcher there.That's how the monastery came to be. The first document about the new foundation dates back to 1129.
By the year 1200, the Order had become wealthy enough through donations. So the old church was demolished except for the tower. He is today the oldest preserved part. Over the next 50 years, the new monastery church was built.
Now, in the new church, a space was to be created in which the bond between the canons and their mother church, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, could be expressed.
That's how the crypt came about.
At the empty tomb, the friars celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus, as at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Impressive old monastery complex with a very beautiful monastery church.

Since recently (spring 2017) the monastery is freshly prepared. It's worth a short stop!