Lorsch Abbey
The King's Hall at the former Lorsch Abbey in Hessen is a late Carolingian construction, probably built in the middle of the 9th century under Louis the German. Together with the other buildings and archaeological remains of the medieval abbey complex, the building was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991 as the last remaining section of the Carolingian abbey still visible from above ground.
The famous gate hall or 'king's hall' is one of Germany's most important pre-Romanesque architectural relics. With its arcades, pilasters and half-columns, it is lauded as a jewel of the Carolingian Renaissance. To this day, no one is sure about the original purpose of the building.
Perhaps it was a library, a court, a banqueting hall or a reception hall – or all of these together. Whatever the case, the proud king's hall has retained its original appearance over the centuries and still represents the lost grandeur of what was once a mighty Benedictine abbey at Lorsch.
Founded in around 764 during the reign of King Pippin, the father of Charlemagne, the abbey was a centre of power, spirituality and culture in the Holy Roman Empire until well into the High Middle Ages. It once housed one of the largest libraries of the Middle Ages; the Lorsch Pharmacopoeia dating from the late 8th century, which is seen as marking the beginnings of modern medicine, was designated part of UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2013. In the early Middle Ages, medicine was based on herbs and folk remedies. With its extensive herb garden, Lorsch Abbey was a renowned place of healing at this time.
Lorsch – Benedectine Abbey and Altmünster Monastery
UNESCO-World Heritage since 1991
From the selection criteria
One of the few monuments of the Carolingian period that has preserved its original appearance over the centuries.
The Lorsch monuments are among the most important relics of pre-Romanesque architecture in Germany.
Information and Contact
Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser
und Gärten Hessen
Nibelungenstraße 32
64653 Lorsch
Tel. +49 6251 51446
Fax +49 6251 587140