Dominikanerinnenkloster Binsdorf

The origins of Binsdorf convent date back to approximately 1280, when it evolved from a Beguine hermitage situated on the site of an older castle complex belonging to the Counts of Zollern. In 1312, the convent placed itself under the protection of the Dominican Order, with supervision provided by the Dominicans from Rottweil. After 1384, the convent was named after Catherine of Siena. The community of Dominican tertiaries included, in addition to the prioress, up to 16 choir nuns and one to two lay sisters, who held various offices such as guest mistress, gardener, or cellarer. Through numerous donations in the 14th century, the convent became one of the largest landowners in the region. It maintained supra-regional relations, including with the Carthusian monastery of Güterstein and cities such as Rottenburg am Neckar and Augsburg. Despite its affiliation with Further Austria, the nuns showed sympathies for Württemberg, evidenced by events such as aiding a Württemberg captain in his escape in 1525 and admitting Württemberg girls in 1545, for which they were each punished or warned. During the Reformation, there was another warning due to a chaplain sympathetic to the new doctrine. In the 18th century, the convent, which held the right of asylum, offered protection to persecuted individuals. With secularization in 1806, the convent passed to Württemberg and was dissolved. A year later, it was sold to the Binsdorf church administration as a rectory, with the remaining nuns receiving residency rights and a pension until the last sister passed away in 1838.

The Binsdorf convent is situated in Binsdorf, a district of Geislingen, in the Zollernalbkreis in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The convent building is located on the eastern edge of Binsdorf and was once part of the town's fortifications.

The former convent building now serves as a rectory and community center, housing apartments. Together with the convent garden, it has been designated a cultural monument of special importance since 2019. The four-story building, whose ground floor is accessible at street level from the west side, while the basement is reached via a staircase from the convent garden, contains the Markussaal used by the church community. The structure of the formerly 16 monastic cells is largely preserved and has been converted into apartments and the parish office. In the basement, a vaulted cellar testifies to the building's origins, and the convent kitchen, including its equipment, has been preserved. Numerous historic floor coverings, stucco elements, and door frames and leaves are still extant. The building, which survived the last two major town fires, is among the oldest structures in the locality.

• Geislingen Castle (Castle, approx. 4453 m away)
• Kirchberg Monastery (Sacred building, approx. 6094 m away)
• Bueg Haigerloch (Roman Tower) (Ruin, approx. 7229 m away)
• Renfrizhausen Ruin (Ruin, approx. 7378 m away)