Visit of the Cistercian Monastery at Bebenhausen (18/01/03)

A bright but still cold Saturday afternoon saw Stephan and Christof taking the group on a short hike to the small village of Bebenhausen. Most of the snow had melted in the preceding days, but the road through the woods was still icy and we chose to proceed with care. We know by now that Stephan is usually the first to start throwing snowballs (Sorry Jacomien, I can't help, I simply love it so much...), this time, everyone joined in and we all hat at least one encounter with a white missile as we descended onto the town.
The monastery has a rich and varied history. It was built in 1183/84 and housed Cistercian monks for about three centuries. After the Reformation the building and adjoining castle served consecutively as a school, a hunting castle and the meeting place of the parliament of Baden-Württemberg. As we passed through such room as the well-house, the summer refectory, the church and the dormitories, one could begin to form a picture of how the monks had lived more than 800 years ago, working and praying in a life of constant self-sacrifice. I mostly felt great sympathy for them, shivening down the icy stone corridors! After this unique excursion I for one am grateful that places such as this have been preserved so that history may live on….
Thank you to Stephan and Christof for being our excellent guides, outdoor enthusiasts and history experts! You definitely made the trip worthwhile.

(Jacomien van Niekerk, University of Pretoria)