Murbach Abbey, whose church dates back to the 12th century, is one of the oldest monuments of Romanesque architecture in Alsace. Today, the church serves as the parish church of the municipality of Murbach and impresses with its historical architecture and artistic details.
The gallery of towers is particularly worth seeing. Binoculars help you to take a close look at the stone faces, geometric shapes and animal depictions high up. The south portal of the church is decorated with two lions, one of which sticks out its tongue.
The former nave now houses the parish cemetery. The abbey was founded in 727 by Abbot Pirmin, an Irish-Scottish wandering monk who had previously founded a monastery on the island of Reichenau in Lake Constance. In its heyday, the abbey owned three towns and 50 villages as far as Switzerland. Only nobles were accepted in Murbach.
Peasant uprisings and the Thirty Years' War took their toll on the monastery, and in 1764 parts of the complex were demolished. The monastery was later converted into a secular knight's foundation. It was finally dissolved with the French Revolution in 1789. The last abbot died as a canon in Eichstätt.
The history of Murbach Abbey reflects the eventful history of Europe. It testifies to the deep roots of religious life and cultural development in Alsace and remains an impressive example of Romanesque architecture.
by Hans-Jürgen van Akkeren