Schwarzenberg Abbey

The foundation of Kloster Schwarzenberg took place in 1702 as a hospice by the Thuringian province of the Franciscan Recollects. In 1732, it achieved the status of a convent. The monastery, dedicated to the patronage of Maria Hilf, developed into a center for pastoral care, particularly for Catholic soldiers in the predominantly Lutheran region. In 1751, 14 fathers and 4 brothers lived there, establishing a confraternity of the cord of Saint Francis. From 1761, the monastery also served as a study seminary, and from 1802, as a Latin school. Although the region came under Bavarian rule in 1807 and the Latin school's activities ceased, the monastery continued to exist. The Franciscans were allowed to continue their pastoral work and received support from the Archdiocese of Bamberg and the House of Schwarzenberg. After the death of the last Franciscan in 1864 and the poor condition of the buildings, the monastery was acquired by Pastor Krapp in 1866 and handed over to the Franciscan Minorites, who renovated it and revitalized the pilgrimage. Between 1940 and 1945, the monastery was used by the National Socialists as a resettlement camp. A major fire in 1960 destroyed the monastery church and parts of the adjacent buildings. Since the late 1960s, the monastery has served as an educational center.

Kloster Schwarzenberg is located in Scheinfeld, a town in the district of Neustadt a.d.Aisch-Bad Windsheim in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated at an elevation of approximately 361 meters above sea level.

Today, Kloster Schwarzenberg functions as an educational center and is managed by the Franciscan Minorites. The monastery church and the monastic village are protected as architectural monuments. Photographs of frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis, originally located in the refectory, can be seen in the cloister.

• Schloss Schwarzenberg (castle, approx. 406 m away)
• Schloss Schnodsenbach (castle, approx. 2824 m away)
• Schloss Erlabronn (castle, approx. 3454 m away)
• Schloss Obersteinbach (castle, approx. 5105 m away)