Conference: Wallfahrten im Umfeld der Prämon­stratenser (Steingaden, October 2-4, 2026)

From October 2–4, 2026, the AG Praemonstratensia conference, “Pilgrimages in the Premonstratensian Context,” will take place in Steingaden.

Pilgrimages and processions are among the defining forms of expression of premodern piety. The Premonstratensian Order, whose monasteries were widespread across much of Europe since the 12th century, was involved in these religious practices in many ways—as organizers, promoters, and shapers of both local and regional pilgrimage traditions.

The 2026 annual conference of the Praemonstratensia Working Group will focus on this topic and bring together papers that examine pilgrimages and processions in the context of Premonstratensian monasteries from various perspectives. The geographic scope ranges from Bohemia and Moravia through central and northern Germany to the Münsterland region of Westphalia. The volume addresses both well-known shrines and less-studied pilgrimage sites—including Wilsnack, Kevelaer, Telgte, and Mildenfurth—whose connection to the Order is being reevaluated or examined for the first time.

In addition to these case studies, individual papers address overarching questions: the significance of books for the practice of piety, the impact of Enlightenment reforms on the tradition of processions, and the iconography of pilgrimage depictions. In this way, the conference combines source-based individual studies with more systematic inquiries into monastic piety and its integration into processes of social and ecclesiastical change.

The event will take place at the Catholic Rural Adult Education Center in Wies, in the immediate vicinity of the Wieskirche—one of Bavaria’s most significant pilgrimage sites and itself closely linked to the history of the Premonstratensian Abbey of Steingaden. An excursion and a pontifical Mass are integral parts of the program and deliberately integrate the scholarly discussion into the historical setting.

The conference is aimed at medievalists, church historians, and anyone interested in the history of the Premonstratensian Order.

You can find the program here.