An Oasis

The cloister is an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation. Built in the late 12th century, the monastery was replaced by a school in the 19th century. What can be seen today therefore only partially reflects the original, which was dismantled in the 19th century and integrated into the new construction. Today’s complex has been rebuilt and houses the Faculty of Theology.

The garden

A garden with cultural-historical ornamental plants grows in its centre. The choice and layout of the plants were inspired by the naturalist and universal scholar Konrad Gessner (1516 – 1565) who came to his final resting place here. The columns and arches of the aisles are decorated with scurrile figures, animal scenes and grotesques in Romanesque style, the meaning of which has never been fully clarified.