History and Sightseeing

HOMELAND WITH EVERYTHING

Amorbach

The baroque town of Amorbach with a population around 4,700 is in an idyllic location at the heart of the UNESCO Geopark “Bergstrasse-Odenwald” in the state border triangle of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hessen. The town core lies in a sheltered valley basin at 160 meters and further parts of the town spread out in a star shape up to an altitude of 500 meters in the Odenwald Forest.

HERE TIME STILL HAS A SPECIAL VALUE

Where landscape, art and culture go together, places arise of such great pleasure to the beholder. The name alone makes us want to go there. This beautiful town is made special by more than 1,200 years of history together with the vibrant baroque building substance, the red shimmer of the local sandstone.

DEVELOPMENT

History of the

Benedictine

Monastery

The development of Amorbach was shaped by the history of the Benedictine Monastery and the royal dynasty zu Leiningen. Founded around 800, the monastery heralded the dignity of the Christian faith and the pride of the Benedictines. Its influence on the development of the town and population lasted many centuries.

And this was always with the awareness of the need for mutually respected interaction within and beyond the faith. In the High Middle Ages the ingenious monks invented a Saint Amor, presented him as the founder of their cloisters and from now on called the place Amorbach. It is only when culture affects nature, when facts and fiction mix together then things are given a special secret significance.

More about the history of the town

THE ENERGY OF THE LOCATION

Fürstenhaus zu Leiningen

Today the monastery belongs to the house of zu Leiningen. Driven out of the Palatinate by French Revolution troops in 1803, the house Leiningen was compensated under the terms of secularization with the assets of the monastery and further estates in the Odenwald region. Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Fürst zu Leiningen chose Amorbach as his town of residence and on 2nd March 1803 the Benedictine Monastery was declared his residence. Since this time many things have happened which made the place known and made it interesting. Of course the cultural heritage was preserved and provisions made for education as well as the creation of places of work and infrastructure.

Fürstenhaus zu Leiningen

LIVING AND FEELING

Yesterday and today

Today the town lives from future-oriented interaction and considered togetherness of town, people and the economy, in cooperation with the zu Leinen dynasty. Its fairytale surroundings and much more have been preserved and duly protected to successfully survive the Zeitgeist. This baroque jewel today provides the environment and the time for cultural and musical highlights and events of all kinds.

To the Amorbach Website

QUALITY OF LIFE IN AMORBACH

The distances are short and the quality of life is high. With its royal lake park & gardens (landscaped by Ludwig von Skell), with the beauties of the surrounding countryside, with its modern infrastructure and very good transport links, the town provides ideal conditions for living and working. Amorbach is an extremely attractive place to live. Homeland with everything.

SIGHTSEEING IN AMORBACH

An amazing tour

You will be amazed at all you see in Amorbach. There are reasons that Amorbach is known as the jewel of architecture.

And those who want to extend the town walk will soon find themselves in the middle of the UNESCO Geo-Nature Park “Bergstrasse-Odenwald”.

THE OLD BENEDICTINE MONASTERY AMORBACH MORE THAN 1,250 YEARS OLD

Together with Reichenau on Lake Constance, this is one of the oldest monasteries situated east of the Rhine. The story goes that the first Abbot Amor founded the Abbey in the year 734. He of course gave his name to the town. The beauty of the abbey as still seen today, however, came about some 1000 years later through Maximilian von Welsch. What can you see in the abbey? The Abbey Church with Stumm organ, the zu Leiningen dynasty “Court Library” and the so-called “Green Hall”. There are regular guided tours.

THE FORMER ABBEY CHURCH FROM THE 18th CENTURY

The Abbey Church was erected in 1747 and today stands at the heart of the cloisters. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful sacral buildings of German Rococo. It is especially well known for the organ concerts which take place regularly on the baroque organ originally built by the Stumm brothers. It is one of the largest and most splendidly acoustic organs in Europe and has more than four manuals, pedal and 5116 pipes in 66 registers as well as chimes. Not only worth seeing but certainly worth hearing.

FÜRSTLICHER SEEGARTEN

IN AMORBACH

At the beginning of the 19th century the former cloister garden was redesigned according to plans by the great garden designer Friedrich-Ludwig von Sckell in the style of an English garden landscape. At the heart of the park is the lake, three kilometers long, with a gentle shoreline. The design skills of Sckell enabled ingenious viewing points with ever new views over the baroque town or deep into the Odenwald.

CATHOLIC CHURCH of ST. GANGOLF

This late baroque church was erected in the mid-18th century and since then has hardly been changed. It is not justified that it stands in the shadow of the Abbey Church as with its works of art from many centuries and its ceiling frescos and organ, St. Gangolf is definitely worth a visit.

THE LEININGEN PALACE

Only a few steps away from the Gangolf Church, the Palace was built from 1724 to 1727 as the official residence of the ruling Electorate of Mainz. Today it is the private residence of the House of Leiningen.

THE ROYAL STABLES

Only a few steps away from our hotel you have a magnificent view of the two towers of the Abbey Church and of the Wolkmannberg. Today this courtyard area built by the Duke of Kent is used for cultural events and concerts.

ALSO WORTH A VISIT

The Old Town Hall, late gothic 1478
Amorsbrunn Chapel, approx. 2 km from the old town with origins in the 12th century
Templerhaus, one of the oldest and best preserved half-timbered buildings in Germany, presumed to be 12^thor 13^thcentury
Amorbacher Klostermühle (today Castle Mill) built in 1448 and one of the oldest mills in Franconia
Gotthard Ruins with fantastic views over 7 valleys
Guided tour of the old town, Saturdays at 11 a.m.
Alternatively, in winter months a flashlight tour of the Abbey
Guided Mill Tour (bookable for groups)

THEODOR W. ADORNO

“For me it was such a wonderful experience that here in Amorbach, the only place on this planet where I really feel at home, I am not forgotten.”

Amorbach, a place of philosophy. Certainly it is this.

Adorno, German philosopher, sociologist, music philosopher and composer, spent his childhood summers here.

Throughout his lifetime he always felt the bond with this idyllic baroque town.

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