Library, Abbey of Schussenried

The Premonstratensian Abbey of Schussenried in Upper Swabia was founded in the twelfth century. Badly damaged during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), it underwent a major Rococo reconstruction and renovation starting in 1752. Planned by architect Dominikus Zimmermann (1685–1766), the work was carried out by his student Jakob Emele. South German cloisters were a major site of Catholic scholarship and education, with ornate libraries such as Schussenried serving to propagate a triumphant image of Catholic learning to visitors and locals alike.