Tracing the Cistercians
The nearly thousand-year history of the Cistercians traces back to Robert de Molesme, who founded a new monastery in Cîteaux, France, in an effort to return to the strict rules of Saint Benedict: pray for the world and live by the work of your own hands. From this arose the then-new Cistercian order, which quickly spread from its origins in Burgundy throughout Europe, eventually encompassing over 750 abbeys and 1,000 monasteries, home to both monks and nuns.
The Cistercians played a key role in shaping and cultivating the natural and cultural landscapes along the Upper Rhine. These "white monks" established the first large, contiguous landholdings in remote natural areas. They settled in secluded valleys, usually near streams, far from civilization as it was known at the time. Many medieval practices in agriculture, land cultivation, and fish farming are rooted in the work and ideas of the Cistercians. Their expertise in viticulture, farming, sheep and cattle breeding, forestry, trade, as well as book arts, music, and culture spread systematically and continues to shape Europe to this day. The Cistercians followed the principle of sustainable management, with self-sufficiency forming the basis of their independent way of life.
The Cistercians in Baden, Alsace, and the Palatinate
The history and influence of the Cistercians can still be seen throughout the Franco-German Upper Rhine region. Maulbronn Monastery is considered the best-preserved medieval monastery north of the Alps and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like Herrenalb Monastery, it is a daughter monastery of the Alsatian Cistercian monastery Neubourg. Neubourg Monastery, located near Haguenau in Alsace, traces its origins back to Morimond Abbey in the Grand Est region of France, one of the primary abbeys of the Cistercian movement. The Cistercian monastery of Eußerthal in the Palatinate also has its roots in Morimond Abbey.
Neubourg Monastery
Dauendorf-Neubourg, Alsace
The Abbey of Notre Dame de Neubourg is located near Haguenau in Alsace. The monastery grounds are now privately owned, and only remnants of the abbey remain, including the main entrance with its portal and the walls that once enclosed the monastery grounds, within which stables can still be found. The remains of the Cistercian abbey have been under historical protection since 1990.
Neubourg Abbey was founded in 1133 on the edge of the Haguenau Forest by Count Renaud of Lutzelburg. Monks from the renowned Lucelle Abbey in the Haut-Rhin department built the monastery. From the Middle Ages until the French Revolution, the abbey held significant importance in northern Alsace. By the 18th century, around 50 monks lived on the grounds. After suffering destruction in various periods, the monastery was restored under Abbot Jacques Gacier d'Auvilliers, who led it from 1715 to 1759.
