Canalised River Schutter @museum.de

This building is known as the "house over the River Schutter". In fact, it’s the eastern part of the former refectory and rectory, which sits on a shallow arch spanning the river. The date of 1698 is carved into the sandstone arch, which tells us when the house over the Schutter was erected.

Abbot Jakobus Vogler, who presided over the monastery at the time, carried out an extensive programme of building work. In May 1698 he noted in his diary:

"3rd [of May] The men from Friesenheim brought logs from the forest; they consumed more wine than they earned.

5th [of May] The men from Kürzell and Schutterzelle worked on excavating the soil for the canal.

6th [of May] The men from Heiligenzell performed the same task more carefully than the others yesterday.

7th [of May] Likewise the men from Oberschopfheim, who were quite hard-working."

As you can see, men from all the surrounding villages were called on to perform what’s known as corvée or socage: carry out work for the local lord. The main job was to excavate the channel to the mill and overhaul the pond.

Even under later abbots, regular maintenance work was required. A memorial stone to Abbot Franziskus from 1742 is still present in the channel today.