Lilienfeld, a Small Town with a Big Abbey

Austria's nickname is "Klösterreich", which roughly translates into "Claustria"--and it does so for name reasons, including the largest abbey church in the country

Today, I’ll take you into another remote part of Austria—and we’ll visit another mediaeval monastery. This time I’ll take you to the beautiful Cistercian Abbey in Lilienfeld.

In some way, this is a follow-up to a series of postings I did on Zwettl Abbey a while ago, which you can find by clicking on the below link:

Into Zwettl Abbey We Venture

In other ways, Lilienfeld and Zwettl are part and parcel of why Austria has this nickname “Klösterreich”, which roughly translates into something “Claustria”. This, of course, has nothing to do with Santa Claus—rather, it is a portmanteau combining the German words for cloisters (Klöster) with Austria (Österreich), i.e., “Klöster-reich”.

The reason for this are the many monasteries that dot Central Europe; most of the are actually mediaeval, such as Lilienfeld and Zwettl Abbey, but there’s so many of them, ranging from the quintessential Austrian Klosterneuburg Abbey to UNESCO world heritage sites, such as the Benedictine Melk Abbey.

From Lilienfeld Abbey’s website:

The Lilienfeld Cistercian Abbey is located in Lower Austria, around 25 kilometres south of Sankt Pölten. It is a main stop on the Via Sacra, the traditional pilgrimage route from Vienna to Mariazell.

With its huge complex of buildings, including the largest Abbey Church in Austria, Lilienfeld Abbey is a place of wonder. Cistercian monks have been praying and working here for over 800 years. They devote themselves to celebrating the liturgy, welcoming guests, pastoral care, fostering culture and administrative tasks.

So, off we go, I’d say, shall we?

Lilienfeld in Black and White

Although unmailed, Erich Sonntag noted the acquisition date: 30 July 1958. Below, another view (the Abbey is on the left-hand side of the river), mailed in 1953.

And then there is this close-up: the main entrance on an undated postcard:

Of course, these abbeys wouldn’t be complete without cloisters and wells:

For comparative reasons, check out Zwettl Abbey’s cloisters:

Into Zwettl Abbey We Venture

Finally, a postcard from winter 1976:

More postcards coming your way soon—stay tuned!