Johanneskirche Oberstenfeld

The foundation of the Oberstenfeld Collegiate Church is dated to 1016, although the corresponding document is from a later period. However, archaeological findings confirm an early church with a crypt in the western part of the current complex, which was expanded around 1025 with a columned crypt. The original foundation likely stems from high-ranking families of the Salian Empire. Around 1200, construction began on the three-aisled basilica, whose layout remains largely intact today. A distinctive feature is the large choir tower, erected around 1230, which replaced the original central apse. In 1262, the collegiate church received a statute from the Bishop of Speyer, which prescribed a life of chastity and obedience, but not poverty, for the canonesses. It served as a provision institution for noble daughters who could not marry and were not involved in inheritance. The Vogtship over the collegiate church was held by the families of Heinriet and Lichtenberg from the 12th century until Eberhard der Greiner acquired it in 1357. Following the introduction of the Reformation in 1536 by Ulrich von Württemberg, the collegiate church was transformed into a noble women's collegiate church in 1540, securing its existence. Despite tensions with the Duchy of Württemberg, which questioned the imperial immediacy of the collegiate church, it managed to maintain its autonomy, confirmed by a process before the Imperial Chamber Court in 1587. In 1578, the winged altar for the burial chapel of the Weiler family was donated, now visible in the east choir. The northern side aisle was renovated in 1598, with pointed arch windows and the wedding portal being added.

The Collegiate Church of Oberstenfeld is situated in the municipality of Oberstenfeld in the Ludwigsburg district, a region in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Today, the Collegiate Church is an important cultural monument and a testament to medieval Romanesque architecture. It serves as a place of contemplation and an architectural highlight of the region.

• Lichtenberg Castle (Castle, approx. 1228 m away)
• Lower Beilstein Castle (Castle, approx. 1884 m away)
• Hohenbeilstein Castle (Castle, approx. 2009 m away)
• Grossbottwar Castle (Castle, approx. 2970 m away)