Wettingen Abbey

Wettingen Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in Wettingen, Switzerland, was established in 1227 by Count Heinrich II of Rapperswil after he survived a shipwreck during the crusades. He donated land to Salem Abbey, from which twelve monks were dispatched to establish Wettingen as Stella Maris ("Star of the Sea"). The abbey faced financial challenges in the early 16th century and struggled with a fire in 1507, though it rebounded under Abbot Peter Schmid (1594–1633), who restored buildings and expanded its activities. However, it was dissolved by the Aargau Canton government in 1841 due to financial pressures and conflicts during the French Revolution era.

The monks relocated to Mehrerau Abbey in Austria in 1854, becoming Wettingen-Mehrerau Abbey. The original abbey buildings in Wettingen were later used for a teachers' college and, since 1976, by the Wettingen Canton School. Despite this, Catholic services continue weekly in the former abbey church, which also hosts weddings. Today, the abbey is open to visitors who can explore its historic structures, including Romanesque-Gothic stained glass windows and a cloister garden with ancient trees. The current abbot, Vinzenz Wohlwend, oversees Cistercian nunneries nationwide, maintaining Wettingen-Mehrerau's legacy as an active religious community.