Reichenau Island
The Reichenau Island in Lake Constance in southern Germany was declared world heritage in 2001 because of its monastery. Three churches were built on the island - St. Georg, St. Peter and Paul, and the Münster St. Maria and Markus. Most famous are the murals in St. Georg.
The island is also a famous for vegetable and wine farming. The Wollmatinger Ried next to the island is a big nature preserve, a reed area which is used by many birds for the stop-over during their annual migration.
The island is connected with the mainland by an artificial dam.
History
The alemannic name of the island was Sindleozesauua, but it was also simply known as Ow, Auua, 'island' (latinized Augia, later also Augia felix or Augia dives, hence Richenow, Reichenau)
Reichenau abbey was founded by St. Pirmin in 724. Pirmin left Reichenau in 727 and under his successor Hatto, the monastery began to flourish and to gain influence in the carolingian empire.
Abbot Walahfrid Strabo (842-849) was renowned as a poet and a latin scholar.
The abbey reached its apex under abbot Berno (1008-1048). During this time, important scholars such as Hermannus Contractus lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance of the abbey started to decreased due to the restricitive reforms of pope Gregory VII and to rivalry with nearby St. Gall, and it soon waned into insignificance.
