DEUTSCHLAND | GERMANY |
Bundesland: Freistaat Bayern | Bavaria |
Regierungsbezirk: Niederbayern | |
Landkreis: Deggendorf |
Osterhofen is situated at an elevation of 311 m in the Gäuboden area south of the Danube in the district Deggendorf of Lower Bavaria. The municipality has a population of about 11,900 (2006).
Documents of the first half of the 9th century, issued by the eastfrankish king Ludwig II ('the German,') mention Ostrehova as a royal residence. The town of Osterhofen was founded in 1378 and thus is one of the youngest towns in Lower Bavaria. The older market place since then is known under the name Altenmarkt (i.e. 'old market'). In 1427 Osterhofen was purchased by Duke Heinrich XVI ('the Rich') of Bavaria-Landshut. In 1972 the villages Galgweis, Gergweis and Göttersdorf were incorporated into the municipality of Osterhofen.
The monastery Osterhofen was founded around 1004 by Duke Heinrich V of Bavaria as a collegiate monastery.
In 1017 Emperor Heinrich II donated the monastery to the prince-bishopric of Bamberg.
Since 1138 the monastery was home of Premonstratensian monks. After the monastery had been elevated to an abbey in 1288
it became a spiritual and cultural centre of the region. In 1701 the monastery had to be rebuilt after a bolt of lightning had set fire
to the buildings. In the 1720s the old monastery church was also rebuilt. The new church, today known as
(see also list of other basilicae minores depicted on glasses of this collection)