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Wurmsbach Abbey (Kloster Mariazell-Wurmsbach) is a monastery of Cistercian nuns located in Bollingen, a locality of Rapperswil-Jona, in the Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. It is located on the north shore of upper Lake Zürich. The house is a part of the Order of Cistercians of the Common Observance (O.Cist.).

History

Count Rudolf of Rapperswil gave his castle of Wurmsbach together with a considerable area of land in 1259 for the foundation of a religious house and the abbey was established. It was initially a dependency of the Cistercian monks of Abbey of St. Urban in Wettingen. The abbey church was dedicated in 1281. Bollinger Sandstein was used for the construction of the abbey by dedicated quarries.

Elisabeth von Rapperswil died probably on 10 April 1309 in the Rapperswil Castle and may have been buried in the Wurmsbach nunnery (†. Apr. IV. Idus: Elizabeth die Graffin, vnser Stiffterin. Excerpta ex Necromonast. Wurmspacensis) on Obersee lake shore. The graves of her younger brother Vinzenz and her mother were excavated in the nunnery, but Elisabeth's grave so far was not discovered.

During the first Battle of Villmergen in 1656 and again during the occupation of the region by the French Revolutionary Army in 1799, the nuns were obliged to flee. On both occasions the abbey was completely pillaged, with the consequence that there are few treasures left.

As of 2011, there are 15 nuns in the community, led by Abbess Monika Thumm, O.Cist.

Sights

The abbey is renowned for its location at the lake side. It overlooks uper Lake Zürich and the church is listed as a building of historical significance.

Activities

The nuns run a secondary boarding school for girls. Gardening takes a great deal of time because the land owned by the abbey is considerable. The gardens are known for the herbal remedies grown.

Cultural heritage

The building is listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a Class B object of regional importance.

References

1. "Graf Rudolf III. und Elisabeth von Rapperswil" (in German). Argovia: Jahresschrift der Historischen Gesellschaft des Kantons Aargau 10/1879, in: retro.seals.ch. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
2. Irmgard Grüninger. "28" (PDF) (in German). Wurmsbach nunnery. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
3. "B-Objekte KGS-Inventar" (PDF). Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Amt für Bevölkerungsschutz. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.

External links

• Official website (in German)

47°13′12″N 8°51′54″E / 47.22000°N 8.86500°E / 47.22000; 8.86500

v t e Lake Zurich (Zürichsee)
Switzerland Canton of Zürich Horgen Meilen Zürich Canton of St. Gallen See-Gaster Canton of Schwyz Höfe March
Settlements	Altendorf Au Bäch Erlenbach Feldbach Feldmeilen Freienbach Herrliberg Horgen Hurden Kehlhof Kilchberg Küsnacht Lachen Männedorf Meilen Oberrieden Pfäffikon Rapperswil-Jona Bollingen Busskirch Rapperswil Jona Kempraten Richterswil Rüschlikon Schmerikon Stäfa Thalwil Tuggen Uerikon Uetikon Wädenswil Wangen Nuolen Zollikon Zurich Altstadt Enge Seefeld Wollishofen Archeological Centum Prata Pile Dwellings Enge Alpenquai Feldbach Hurden Seefeld Kleiner Hafner Rorenhaab Rosshorn Technikum Vorder Au Winkel Turicum
Islands	Au Peninsula Bauschänzli Grosser Hafner Hurden Peninsula Lützelau Saffa Ufenau
Rivers	Jona Limmat Linth Schmerikoner Aa Sihl Steinenbach Wägitaler Aa
Valleys	Küsnachter Tobel Limmattal Sihltal
Mountains	Adlisberg Albis Buechberg Etzel Pfannenstiel Uetliberg Zimmerberg Zürichberg
Landmarks	Felsenegg Frauenwinkel Ganymed statue Goldküste Hurden canal Lindenhof (Rapperswil) Obersee Quaibrücke Rapperswil–Hurden bridge Seedamm Zürichhorn Buildings Alt Rapperswil Castle Alt Wädenswil Castle Au Castle Bollingen Tower Grynau Castle Heilig Hüsli Pavillon Le Corbusier Pfäffikon Castle Rapperswil Castle Saint John's parish church Wulp Castle Wurmsbach Abbey Parks/Resorts Frauenbad Stadthausquai Zürich Quaianlagen Arboretum Belvoir Park Bürkliplatz Chinagarten Mythenquai Sechseläutenplatz Tiefenbrunnen Utoquai
Transportation	Forchbahn Horgen–Meilen ferry LAF cable car St. Gallen S-Bahn SZU VBZ Voralpen Express VZO Zimmerberg Bus ZSG shipping lines Zürich S-Bahn ZVV VBZ tram lines 2 4 5 8 9 11 15 Lake Zurich left-bank railway line S2 S8 S24 S25 Lake Zurich right-bank railway line S6 S7 S16 S20 Rapperswil–Pfäffikon railway line S5 S40 Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway line S4 S6 S17 Railway stations Altendorf Au ZH Bäch Blumenau Bollingen Erlenbach ZH Feldbach Freienbach SBB Herrliberg-Feldmeilen Horgen Hurden Kempraten Kilchberg Küsnacht Goldbach Küsnacht ZH Lachen Männedorf Meilen Oberrieden Pfäffikon SZ Rapperswil Richterswil Rüschlikon Schmerikon Stäfa Thalwil Uerikon Uetikon Wädenswil Winkel am Zürichsee Zollikon Zürich Stadelhofen Zürich Tiefenbrunnen Zürich Wollishofen
People	Gerold Späth House of Rapperswil Elisabeth Johann I Johann II Lydia Escher Rudolf Brun Media Obersee Nachrichten Radio Zürisee Zürichsee-Zeitung

• 1259 establishments in Europe
• 13th-century establishments in Switzerland
• Christian monasteries established in the 1250s
• Schools in the canton of St. Gallen
• Cistercian nunneries in Switzerland
• Monasteries destroyed during the French Revolution
• Buildings and structures in Rapperswil-Jona
• House of Rapperswil
• Tourist attractions in Rapperswil-Jona
• Cultural property of regional significance in the canton of St. Gallen