Wörth Island

A bronze sword that was recovered between Jacob's Island and Wörth dates back to pre-Christian times. Celts are said to have been on the Wörth and later also the Romans.

In the 7th century there was already a simple one on the Wörth Stone church and in 742 St. Boniface is said to have consecrated the island to the Christian faith. In the 8th century, an island monastery that belonged to the diocese of Neuburg-Staffelsee and a church were built. According to legend, both were destroyed by invading Hungarians in 907. The monastery was probably abandoned for economic reasons. In 960 the Church of St. Michael was rebuilt, in 1773 it was demolished and moved to Seehausen on the mainland.

The famous “Wessobrunner Prayer” may even come from the once important monastery in Lake Staffelsee. It was created in 814 and is one of the oldest examples of the German language. Due to the writing style, it is assumed that it was written in the writing room of the Staffelsee monastery.

For centuries the Wörth was a center of faith and inner contemplation. People made pilgrimages every week, often over long distances, for Sunday mass to the island church, which was only accessible by boat or via a wooden footbridge from the Burg peninsula. From the year 960 onwards, the new island church served as a place of worship for the Staffelsee parish for over 800 years. Today only the chapel from 1839 dedicated to St. Simpert still stands on the Wörth.

Excursion tip for the summer months: With the rowing boat to the island of Wörth. Boat rental from April to October in Seehausen