Stift Waldhausen

Stift Waldhausen stands in the village of Waldhausen im Strudengau, a quiet spot beside the Danube in Upper Austria. Founded in 1147 by Otto von Machland and his wife Jutta, it was first built on Burg Säbnich before moving to its present site. The monastery was settled by Augustinian canons from Wettenhausen and soon became an important centre of learning and worship. Its most famous member was Konrad von Waldhausen, a preacher whose sermons influenced Jan Hus. After damage by Hussite raids, the buildings were rebuilt in the 15th century and later transformed in the early Baroque style. The monastery’s history is preserved in its archive, which contains 592 charters from 1147 to 1828. These records were organised by Erich Trinks and now form part of the Upper Austrian State Archives. The once grand complex suffered after 1785, when its last provost handed control to other monasteries. In 1792 the emperor dissolved the foundation, parts were demolished, and the great fountain was moved to Melk. Only the north-west wing with its arcades and gatehouse remains intact. Today the surviving buildings house modern uses while keeping their historic character. The former monastery courtyard is lined with glass-covered arcades that once sheltered the canons. Inside the church of Our Lady’s Assumption, built between 1650 and 1662 by Carlo Canevale and Christoph Colomba, the two-storey arrangement of chapels and galleries creates a striking space. White stucco work by Giovanni Battista Colomba and ceiling paintings by Christoph Colomba or G. Hausen frame the richly coloured altars and pews. Two organs, including the Anton Heiller memorial instrument, complete the interior.