WALDSASSEN, ABBEY OF

In the Diocese of Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany; the 100th Cistercian abbey according to the abbots catalogue of cÎteaux. Founded c. 1133 by Margrave Diepold III of Vohburg with monks from Volkenrode in Thuringia (1131–1540), it was favored by German rulers and gained the royal protection of Conrad III and imperial immunity in 1147. From the 15th century the abbots, first called prince in a charter of Emperor sigismund in 1434, had an important place in imperial diets. The kings of Bohemia, especially the Przemyslids, smoothed the way for Waldassen to colonize and found new houses in Bohemia: Sedletz (c. 1143–1783) and Ossegg (1194–1945); German Christian culture was then consolidated around Cheb (czech republic). Protestant in 1559 and secularized in 1571, the abbey flourished anew after its restoration by Fürstenfeld Abbey in 1669, although without its former privileges. When suppressed in 1803 it had 62 members and its lands comprised 13 square miles with 20,000 persons. Cistercian nuns from Seligenthal in Landshut (founded 1232 from trebnitz and an abbey since 1925) purchased the bright and famous cloister buildings in 1863. Waldsassen became independent again in 1894 and an abbey in 1925; it is known for its elementary and secondary girls' schools. The library has famous portraits, and the splendid church interior (1681–1704), with later rococo decoration, is the work of Italian, Bohemian, and South German masters.

Bibliography: l. h. cottineau, Répertoire topobibliographique des abbayes et prieurés, 2 v. (Mâcon 1935–39) 2:3428–29. e. krausen, Die Klöster des Zisterzienserordens in Bayern (Munich 1953). Catalogus generalis … S. O. Cist. (Rome 1954). h. hahn, Die frühe Kirchenbaukunst der Zisterzienser (Berlin 1957). "Waldsassen," Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) v.10.

[c. spahr]