History & Presence

Admont Benedictine Monastery lies in the market town of Admont in Austria at the entrance to the Gesäuse National Park. It was founded in the year 1074 by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg and is thus the oldest extant foundation in Styria.

The Admont Benedictines attempt to live by the Rule of St. Benedict (“house rules” for a monastic community), which through its breadth and depth has achieved much of important over the centuries and indubitably offers orientation for the future.

The rhythm of their life is stamped by prayer, the fulfilment of manifold tasks in pastoral care, education, culture and in social areas and through the personal deepening of their lives. In this God is always the central point. This is especially true of the life style of the Admont Benedictines whereby the church is seen as the centre of the foundation.

In addition to serving 26 parishes, the Monastery runs a nursing home in Frauenberg, a secondary school and further businesses which have roughly 500 secular employees. The main cultural attraction of the Monastery is the Baroque library and the new large museum.

Nearness to God and the faith that determines the life of the monks can be felt throughout the whole Monastery grounds. This is also true of the library and museum and equally for the gardens around our house.

Thus Admont Monastery is a spiritual, cultural and economic centre of important far beyond the region.