Schönbühel-Aggsbach

Schönbühel-Aggsbach, Lower Austria, market town in the district of Melk, alt. 210 m, pop. 1,045, area 28.34 km², summer tourism (27,507 overnight stays in 1992), popular destination for day trips, on the southern bank of the River Danube, in the Wachau region; cadastral districts of Aggsbach Dorf and Aggstein; ship landing-stage. - Parish church and affiliated Schönbühel Servite monastery (until 1980), founded 1666-1670, Peregrinus chapel with ceiling fresco by J. Bergl (1767), lower church with Holy Sepulchre (1669) modelled on the Bethlehem grotto in Jerusalem, Calvary Hill (1769); high above the River Danube lies Schönbühel Castle (originally 12^th century, current building from 1819-1821), chapel (1710-1727); Aggsbach Charterhouse, founded in 1380 by H. von Maissau, suspended in 1782, now Carthusian museum; built before 1393 and altered around 1600; the monks´ cells and the 3^rd wing of the cloister were demolished in the 19^th century; former late-Gothic monastic church (1392), now the parish church, parts of interior taken from the St. Pölten church of Carmelite nuns, high altar (1913) with painting by T. Pock (1673), tombstones of the Maissau family. Aggstein and Wolfstein Ruins (first documented mention 1286, fell into disuse after 1605) located in the municipality.

Literature: W. Häusler, Geschichte des Servitenklosters Schönbühel, doctoral thesis, Vienna 1969.