Maria Laach Abbey (in German: Abtei Maria Laach) is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern
Maria Laach Abbey (in German: Abtei Maria Laach) is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See, near Andernach, in the Eifel region of the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The Benedictine abbey was built in the 11th-12th centuries and was originally known as “Abtei Laach”, meaning the “Lake Abbey” until 1862 when the Jesuits added the name “Maria”.The abbey church of Maria Laach is considered a masterpiece of German Romanesque architecture, with its multiple towers, large westwork with arcaded gallery, and unique west porch.Notable features of the interior include the tomb of the founder Pfalzgraf Heinrich II (dating from 1270), 16th-century murals, a Late Romanesque baldachino in the apse, and interesting modern decorations such as mosaics from c. 1910 and stained glass windows from the 1950s.When the Maria Laach Abbey was abolished in 1802, there was nothing left of either the old library building or the existing book inventory. The manuscripts and prints - about 3700 volumes - were irrevocably lost for the monastery. Today, 69 manuscripts of the historic monastery library of Laach can still be found in other places. Only two manuscripts have returned to the current library.Today, the library has about 260,000 volumes. Most of it is now in the new magazine. There are also the administrative rooms and a new reading room. -- source link
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