Melk Abbey, Wachau, Austria

Melk Abbey is a Benedictine abbey above the town of Melk, Lower Austria, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube river, adjoining the Wachau valley.

The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of several members of the House of Babenberg, Austria's first ruling dynasty.

The abbey was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks from Lambach Abbey.

A monastic school was founded in the 12th century,and the monastic library became well known for its large manuscript collection.

Today's Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736. The abbey church has frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Paul Troger

In the 18th century Melk Abbey became a centre of Enlightenment thought. There was a Masonic lodge there as a number of monks were Freemasons.

Melk escaped dissolution under Emperor Joseph II when many other Austrian abbeys were seized and dissolved between 1780 and 1790.

The abbey also survived threats to its existence during the Napoleonic Wars and after the Anschluss in 1938,when the school and a large part of the abbey were confiscated by the state.

The school was returned to the abbey after World War II and now serves almost 900 pupils of both sexes.

The first fire at Melk Abbey and library was in 1297. This left the structure destroyed, but most of the manuscripts were saved by monks.

During the 1683 Turkish invasion the Melk Abbey also suffered severe damage.

The abbey caught fire in 1974. This fire damaged the interior which was restored from 1978 to 1995. The nave was also restored.

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