Griffen Abbey

The establishment of the monastery in 1236 by Bishop Eckbert of Bamberg, adjacent to the existing parish church in Oberndorf, significantly influenced the development of the Griffen region. Canons from the Thuringian Vessra Abbey were called to this location. As the sole Premonstratensian monastery in Carinthia and Inner Austria, its members, also known as Norbertines, focused on pastoral care and communal prayer. Pope Gregory IX confirmed the extensive possessions of the new foundation in 1237. The completion and consecration of the monastery and the new St. Mary's Church in Haslach, now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, took place in 1272 by Bishop Herbert of Lavant. In the early 16th century, a shared fortification with loopholes and a battlement was constructed to protect the abbey from potential incursions. Fires in 1648 and 1750 caused considerable damage, with the latter destroying the abbey along with important documents. In 1786, Stift Griffen was dissolved by Joseph II for economic reasons, and the abbey church became a parish church.

Stift Griffen is located in the municipality of Völkermarkt in the Austrian state of Carinthia, at an elevation of approximately 520 meters above sea level.

Today, the first floor of the abbey houses an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Peter Handke. The St. Mary's Assumption Abbey Church now serves as the local parish church. The complex is surrounded by a Gothic defensive wall, remnants of which are still preserved.

• Hirschenau Castle (Castle, approx. 1509 m away)
• Griffen Castle Ruin (Castle, approx. 1936 m away)
• Haimburg Castle Ruin (Castle, approx. 2649 m away)
• Rauterburg Castle Ruin (Castle, approx. 3350 m away)