Neuburg Abbey (Abtei Stift Neuburg) is a monastery near Heidelberg in the Neckar Valley.

The history of the abbey is quite varied. It started out as a Benedictine monastery, changed into a Benedictine nunnery, changed into a Cistercian monastery, became a profane establishment, was reacquired by the Benedictine order and was consecrated once again as a Benedictine monastery in the 1920. It is not exactly abandoned today but the last abbot resigned in 2018 and today about 10 monks are living on the premises but it is not a proper monastery anymore.

The whole place is echoing history, like shadows are echoes giving us an idea of the actual thing but leaving us guessing about many aspects.

One of the statues in the garden is of Hildegard von Bingen, the Benedictine abbess who lived in the 12th century. By all accounts she was not only a highly intelligent and well educated woman but also an affable one.

The first four photos where taken in February 2020, early spring as can be seen in the first leaves on the tree. But on an earlier visit there was snow – little white crystals powdered over everything.

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