History of the Abbey From Its Re-founding in 1913 to the Present Day
In 1913 the monastery of Muensterschwarzach that was secularized in 1803 and then fell into ruin was resettled by Missionary Benedictines from St. Ottilien. They came from the monastery of St. Ludwig, some 20 km away, that had been founded in 1901 but had become too small.
On 13 February 1914 Muensterschwarzach was again raised to an abbey. The founder of St. Ludwig, Placidus Vogel, became the new abbot. His successor in 1937 was Father Burkard Utz. The community grew and by 1938 there were over 400 members.
On 11 September 1938 the new abbey church was solemnly dedicated. Only three years later, on 9 May 1941, the National Socialists dissolved the abbey and expelled the monks. Some few maintained the agricultural operation as conscripted employees of the military hospital that was set up here until all the monks could return to their monastery in 1945.
From 1959 until 1982 Abbot Boniface Vogel led the abbey. In the beginning of the 1960s the community reached its highpoint in personnel which numbered 470 at home and abroad. During this time numerous priests and brothers went to Africa, South America and Korea as missionaries. At the abbey, a school, boarding facilities and guest house were built; the small boarding school with six classes was expanded into a full gymnasium in 1981.
Abbot Fidelis Ruppert led the community from 1982 until 2000. In accord with his motto “Vos omnes fratres” “You are all brothers,” he gave special attention to intensifying the coming together of the community and the life among its members. The most prominent events of his time in office were the renovation of the interior of the abbey church (1987–88), the renovation of the 1742–1749 mill building (present-day library) designed by Balthasar Neumann, the opening of the Recollectio-Haus (1991) as well as the start of the renewable energies project (2000).
On 20 May 2006, one hundred nine members of the abbey elected Father Michael Reepen as the fifth abbot since the second re-founding of Muensterschwarach. On 26 June 2006 he was blessed as the 75th abbot of Muensterschwarzach by Bishop Friedhelm of Wuerzburg. May God bless Abbot Michael II and the monks of Muensterschwarzach in the future!