Rein Abbey

Bringing a forgotten baroque garden back to life

The engraving shows the old symmetrical Baroque garden complete with a fountain.(Bild: Stift Rein)

Old historical plans have been rediscovered: The Cistercian monastery is also breathing new life into the mythical nymphaeum.

Now, only in old engravings and drawings can one see the monastery garden in all its Baroque splendor, which was meant to delight the senses of the monks at Rein Abbey: birds chirped, flowers bloomed, fountains splashed, and jets of water shot into the air. The centerpiece of this marvelous, symmetrically laid-out natural paradise was the nymphaeum.

This fountain sanctuary was dedicated to the nymphs—female spirits of nature in ancient mythology. This is surprising, since pagan beliefs—or so one would think—had no place in Christian buildings and grounds. Today, only a weathered stone, from which three of these spring nymphs are carved, serves as a reminder of the Reiner Stift Garden’s heyday.

“For the Cistercians, the garden was initially a kitchen garden; it wasn’t until the Baroque period that it became an object of design and aesthetics,” explains Abbot Philipp Helm. Of course, there was also a spiritual motivation: the monks wanted to show their fellow human beings the beauty of creation. Under the guidance of the abbot, the garden—long overgrown and lost in a deep slumber—is now being brought back to life.

Pathways and Flowerbeds Reconstructed According to Historical Blueprints
During our visit, workers are busy at work: Following the historical blueprint, they are laying out the path network and flower beds anew; in addition, one of the five original fountains is being rebuilt as a central focal point. “Building on the idea of creation, we’re also giving nature free rein again,” the abbot tells us. Indeed, a sea of wildflowers is already in full, colorful bloom. Freshly planted fruit trees will soon follow.

A change of scene to the fascinating interior of the monastery, founded in 1129 by the mother monastery of Ebrach in Franconia (Bavaria). Abbey historian Elisabeth Brenner unlocks the door to the library for us and heads straight for its showpiece: the famous calendar table, which the monks promptly christened the “Kepler Table.” “Although astronomer Johannes Kepler probably never saw it, he did perform the exact calculations for it,” explains Brenner.

Stone “Miracle Table” for Calculating the Calendar
An artist from Gmunden meticulously etched the signs of the zodiac, the rising and setting of the celestial bodies, the phases of the moon, and the twelve months into the heavy stone slab. “The latter images depict the specific farming activities that were carried out throughout the year.” The main purpose of this stone “astronomical marvel”: With the help of this “primitive computer,” the monks were able to convert dates—such as the date of Easter—from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.

Unfortunately no longer preserved (but at least lovingly reconstructed on a huge display board) are the artfully crafted Gothic stained-glass windows that, well into the 20th century, allowed colorful light to stream into a chapel on the abbey grounds. The small chapel had not been used for decades and eventually fell into disrepair, becoming a storage room, which is why the windows were removed and sold all over the world.

“Johannes Pictor, a panel painter, depicted, among other things, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and the flight of the Holy Family to Jerusalem,” explains the art historian. As you can see, Rein Abbey is a total work of art—and the new monastery garden is one of the final pieces of that puzzle.