The Säckingen Abbey and Glarus

21 September 2021

The abbey in Säckingen (Baden-Württemberg) was founded in the 8th century. The monastery played an important role in securing the connection over Lake Walen (Walersee) and the mountain passes from Graubünden to Italy. Glarus bought itself free from the abbey in 1395.

The abbey had its heyday from the 10th to the 12th century. The Fricktal (today’s canton of Aargau) and Glarus were the most important possessions. Glarus joined the Eidgenossenschaft in 1352 and freed itself from Habsburg rule at the Battle of Näfels (1388).

Glarus and St. Fridolin remind us of the long association with the monastery.

The abbey church, named Fridolin Minster, is a Gothic building built in 1343-1360 on the foundations of Ottoman and Romanesque predecessors. The Baroque restoration began in 1698 and defined the present image of the church. The coat of arms of the canton of Glarus still shows Fridolin as the patron.

(Source: www.sueddeutscher-barock.ch).