Sießen Abbey

The origins of Kloster Sießen date back to the mid-13th century. It was founded in 1259 as a Dominican convent. A knight named Steinmar von Sießen-Strahlegg significantly contributed to its establishment by gifting a townhouse in Saulgau to the sisters of “Sulegen” in 1251 and, in 1260, transferring his estate in “Süessen” and the patronage rights of the local church to the Dominican nuns of “Sulgay.” A chapel, the Wendelinuskapelle, was built in 1386. The monastery experienced difficult times in the 17th century when it was plundered and set on fire by Swedish troops in 1632/34. Between 1716 and 1722, the monastery buildings were reconstructed in the Baroque style under the direction of master builder Franz Beer von Au. During the secularization, the Dominican convent was dissolved in 1803. Its possessions, including the Wendelinuskapelle, were transferred to the Prince of Thurn and Taxis. From 1860 onwards, the buildings were taken over by the Franciscan Sisters of Sießen, who continue to manage the monastery to this day. During the Nazi era, between 1935 and 1938, the monastery faced forced closure and the expulsion of the nuns. From 1940 to 1945, the monastery was confiscated by order of the “Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle” to house ethnic Germans from abroad. The Baroque monastery and parish church of St. Markus, dedicated to Saint Mark, was constructed between 1726 and 1729 by the brothers Johann Baptist and Dominikus Zimmermann and consecrated in 1733. An earlier church, incorporated into the monastery in 1348 and later Baroque-styled in the 17th century, was eventually replaced by a guesthouse.

Kloster Sießen is situated in the Sießen district of the town of Bad Saulgau in the Sigmaringen district of Baden-Württemberg. It lies at an elevation of approximately 646 meters above sea level.

Today, Kloster Sießen serves as the motherhouse for the Franciscan Sisters of Sießen, where about 70 sisters currently reside. The monastery houses the Hummelsaal, an exhibition dedicated to the renowned religious sister and artist Maria Innocentia Hummel. Annually, the Franziskusfest takes place here at the end of September, and the Kinderfranziskusfest is celebrated on May 1st.

• Franziskanerkloster Saulgau (monastery, approx. 2647 m away)
• Schwesternsammlung Saulgau (monastery, approx. 2730 m away)
• Franziskanerinnenkloster Saulgau (monastery, approx. 2817 m away)
• Franziskanerinnenkloster Moosheim (monastery, approx. 5057 m away)