World Heritage Photos

Monastic Island of Reichenau: The island is located in Lake Constance; this lake is situated on the border between Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The island is accessible via a causeway. The Island of Reichenau preserves traces of monastic life. Abbot Pirmin founded a Benedictine monastery in 724. Between 800 and 1100, the island developed into an important cultural and spiritual centre of the Holy Roman Empire. The Monastery of Reichenau housed a scriptorium, a school and artists' workshops. The Plan of Saint Gall, a precious ground plan and the earliest-known architectural plan drawn on parchment, was created in a scriptorium on the Monastic Island of Reichenau around 820. The three churches on the island are outstanding examples of the architecture of the early Middle Ages in Central Europe. The Romanesque Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell is the largest church on the island; it was the centre of monastic life on Reichenau. The twin-towered Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Niederzell is a former abbey church. The Church of St. George in Oberzell is widely considered one of the best examples of Carolingian architecture; the murals in this church are brilliant examples of the Ottonian period, depicting the miracles of Christ. These well-preserved murals fill the entire nave of the church. The murals are among the oldest in Europe north of the Alps and show the importance of Reichenau as an artistic centre during the 10th and 11th centuries. Illuminated manuscripts from the Ottonian period (between 919 and 1024) produced in the Monastery of Reichenau (Lake Constance) have been inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. These manuscripts are housed in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) in Munich. The Monastic Island of Reichenau was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell was the abbey church of the former monastery of Reichenau. In AD 724, Abbot Pirmin founded the Benedictine Monastery. The island was an important religious and cultural centre in medieval Europe. Under Charlemagne and his son, Louis (Ludwig) the Pious, the monastic island experienced its 'Golden Age'. Between 800 and 1100, Reichenau developed into a major cultural and spiritual centre of the Holy Roman Empire.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The former Benedictine Monastery of Reichenau was once known for its scriptorium; it was a major producer of illuminated manuscripts. The monastery itself was dissolved in 1803. Today, the building serves as the town hall for the municipality of Reichenau and its cellars are used by the winegrowers of Reichenau to store wine. Illuminated manuscripts from the Ottonian period produced in the scriptorium of this monastery have been inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell. The form of the nave arcades dates back to the 12th century. The wooden roof, built in the shape of an upside-down ship, was constructed in 1236. The Romanesque Minster stands in the village of Mittelzell and is the largest church on the island; it was once the original centre of the former Benedictine Monastery of Reichenau. 

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell. The Monastery of Reichenau housed a school, a scriptorium and several artists' workshops. The Plan of Saint Gall, the earliest known architectural plan drawn on parchment, was created in a scriptorium on the Island of Reichenau. This precious plan is now preserved in the library of the Abbey of Saint Gall in Switzerland.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: A mural on the north wall of the Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell. Following a fire in 1006, the church was carefully restored between 1008 and 1048. The three Romanesque churches on the island house numerous outstanding murals; they are among the oldest in Europe north of the Alps. During the Carolingian period and up to the 13th century, the Monastic Island of Reichenau was a major centre of learning.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The murals in the Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell. During the Carolingian and Ottonian periods, the Monastery of Reichenau was regarded as an intellectual outpost of the Western world. The murals in the churches on the Monastic Island of Reichenau bear witness to the importance of Reichenau as a cultural centre during the 10th and 11th centuries. The Monastic Island of Reichenau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Niederzell is the second-oldest church on the island. It was founded by the former bishop of Verona and consecrated in AD 799. After the demolition of the original building, the present church was built in the 11th century, partly on the old foundations. Today, this  twin-towered church is the Catholic parish church for the village of Niederzell.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Niederzell was completely redesigned in the Rococo style around 1750. The Romanesque mural in the apse, dating from between 1104 and 1134, is still visible. This unique medieval mural was rediscovered in 1900; it depicts several biblical figures, such as Christ in Majesty surrounded by the twelve apostles, the symbols of the archangels, Old Testament prophets, and St. Peter and St. Paul.

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   Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Church of St. George in Oberzell is surrounded by vegetable fields and orchards. The church was built in the 9th century and is renowned for its Ottonian murals. The rural Island of Reichenau is located in Lake Constance, on the three-nation border between Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The island is easily accessible via a causeway that runs through the Wollmatinger Ried Nature Reserve, a protected wetland and bird area.

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    Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Church of St. George in Oberzell is considered one of the best examples of Carolingian architecture. The murals in this church are magnificent examples of the Ottonian period. These well-preserved murals fill the entire nave of this church; most of them are up to two metres high and four metres wide. These murals are among the oldest surviving examples in Europe north of the Alps.

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    Monastic Island of Reichenau: This Ottonian mural in the Church of St. George in Oberzell depicts the Biblical story: The Healing of the Demon-Possessed Man from Gerasa. The murals in the nave of the church are the largest connected cycle of monumental murals from around AD 1000 in Europe north of the Alps. These eight murals depict the miracles performed by Christ. 

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    Monastic Island of Reichenau: The finely decorated column capitals and arcades of the Church of St. George in Oberzell. The Ottonian murals in the nave of the church are the oldest medieval murals in Germany. They were created at the end of the 10th century. In later centuries, these monumental murals were covered in thick layers of whitewash and rediscovered in 1856. They are closely related to the illuminated manuscripts created in the Reichenau Monastery.

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    Monastic Island of Reichenau: This Ottonian mural in the Church of St. George in Oberzell depicts the Biblical story: The Calming of the Storm on the Sea of Galilee. The large Ottonian murals in the Church of St. George illustrate the miracles performed by Christ. To protect these more than a thousand-year-old outstanding murals, the church is only accessible from April to October and can only be visited on a guided tour.

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    Monastic Island of Reichenau: The Church of St. George in Oberzell. Even the column capitals of the church feature painted decoration. The World Heritage Site consists of three churches on the island: The Minster of St. Mary and St. Mark in Mittelzell, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Niederzell and the Church of St. George in Oberzell. The Monastic Island of Reichenau was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

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    Monastic Island of Reichenau: The eight large murals in the Church of St. George in Oberzell depict the miracles performed by Christ. This Ottonian mural illustrates: The Healing of the Man Born Blind. Most of the murals are up to two metres high and four metres wide. These murals show the importance of the Monastic Island of Reichenau as an artistic centre during the 10th and 11th centuries.