Eibingen Abbey
Benedictine abbey founded by Hildegard of Bingen in 1165.
Eibingen Abbey, officially known as the Benedictine Abbey St. Hildegard, is a monastery for Benedictine nuns located in Eibingen, near Rüdesheim in the German state of Hesse. Hildegard of Bingen established the original community in 1165, making it her second foundation. The abbey was shut down in 1804, but a new complex was built and the community was revived in 1904. It is recognized as part of the Rhine Gorge World Heritage Site. The nuns engage in winemaking and handicrafts, chant the daily liturgical hours, and their church occasionally hosts concerts.
The initial convent was dissolved during the secularization that followed the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, with its lands and buildings eventually passing to the prince of Nassau-Weilburg, who purchased both the monastery and church in 1831. The community was re-founded in 1904 by Charles, 6th Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, with nuns resettling from St. Gabriel's Abbey in Prague. This new monastery, built in the Neo-Romanesque style, belongs to the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. During the Nazi era, the nuns were expelled in 1941 and could not return until 1945. In 1988, the sisters established Marienrode Priory near Hildesheim, which gained independence from Eibingen in 1998.
The nuns work in the vineyard and craft workshops, and also offer hospitality. They sing or recite the canonical hours daily and have made several recordings of their Vespers and other liturgical music. The first recording, from 1973, included only two works by Hildegard of Bingen: a Kyrie and *O virga ac diadema*. A second recording in 1979, marking the 800th anniversary of Hildegard’s death, added antiphons, a hymn, a responsory, and parts of *Ordo virtutum*. A third recording was released in 1989, conducted by Gregorian chant scholar P. Johannes Berchmans Göschl. A 1998 recording prompted a *Gramophone* reviewer to note that the nuns live the same life as Hildegard’s original community, singing the same daily Benedictine Office.
Hildegard of Bingen served as the first abbess and founder. From 1603, the abbesses held the title "Abbess of Rupertsberg and Eibingen." Notable abbesses include Kunigunde Frey von Dehrn (around 1600), Anna Lerch von Dirmstein (until 1666), Kunigunde Schütz von Holtzhausen (1666–1669), Scholastica von Manteuffel (from 1670), Maria Antonetta Mühl zu Ulmen (from
- Founded
- 1165
- Founder
- Hildegard of Bingen
- Dissolved
- 1804
- Restored
- 1904
- Location
- Eibingen near Rüdesheim, Hesse, Germany
- Order
- Benedictine (Beuronese Congregation)
- Known for
- Wine production, craft workshops, Gregorian chant recordings
Lore & Background
The original community was founded in 1165 by Hildegard of Bingen as her second community. It was disestablished in 1804 after the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, and the land became part of the domains of the prince of Nassau-Weilburg, who bought the monastery and church in 1831. The community was reestablished by Charles, 6th Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg in 1904 and resettled from St. Gabriel's Abbey in Prague, with a new Neo-Romanesque building erected. In 1941, the nuns were expelled by the Nazis and returned in 1945.
Reader's Guide
Eibingen Abbey holds significance as a living Benedictine community tracing its origins directly to Hildegard of Bingen, a major medieval figure. The nuns continue Hildegard's legacy through daily sung liturgy, wine production, and craft workshops. Their recordings of Gregorian chant and Hildegard's works, beginning in 1973, have brought their spiritual practice to a wider audience. The abbey's church serves as a concert venue for the Rheingau Musik Festival, and the site is part of the Rhine Gorge World Heritage designation. The community also founded Marienrode Priory in 1988, which became independent in 1998. The abbey's history reflects cycles of dissolution, restoration, and resilience, including expulsion during the Nazi era.
Did You Know?
- The abbey was dissolved in 1804 and restored in 1904 with new buildings.
- The nuns were expelled by the Nazis in 1941 and returned in 1945.
- A first recording of their chant was made in 1973, containing only two works by Hildegard of Bingen.
- The abbey is a Rhine Gorge World Heritage Site.
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