Pairis Abbey

Pairis Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Orbey in Haut-Rhin, Alsace, northeastern France. The surviving building serves today as a nursing home.

The abbey was founded in 1138 by the count of Eguisheim as a daughter house of Lucelle Abbey.

In the 13th century, abbot Martin of Pairis preached the Fourth Crusade and then participated in the misfire of it. After taking active part in the sacking of Constantinople, Martin brought several looted relics from there to Pairis, increasing the status of the monastery considerably. The monk Gunther of Pairis wrote an account of the crusade.

The abbey was joined to the Abbey of Maulbronn in 1452, confirmed by the Cistercian general chapter in 1453 and Pope Pius II in 1461. In 1648, Maulbronn was turned over to the Protestant Duchy of Württemberg by the Peace of Westphalia. The Cistercians were forced to leave and they re-established the abbey of Pairis.

The abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution.

List of known abbots

 * 1) Tegenhard (Degenhardus) : 1138–1183
 * 2) Wezelon : 1175–1187
 * 3) Werner : 1187
 * 4) Martin (Litz) : 1200–1207
 * 5) Hezelon : 1207–1222
 * 6) Conrad : 1232–1239
 * 7) John I : 1240
 * 8) Arnold : 1252–1260
 * 9) John II : 1262–1275
 * 10) Berthold (von Rapolzwihr) : 1279–1280
 * 11) Ulrich von Turckheim : 1280–1283
 * 12) Dietrich : 1288–1294
 * 13) Philipp von Rathsamhausen : 1301–1306 (bishop of Eichstätt in 1306–1322)
 * 14) Henry : 1306–1330
 * 15) Hartmann : 1331
 * 16) Louis : 1332–1333
 * 17) John (III) of Hattstatt : 1339–1361 (counsellor of Emperor Charles IV)
 * 18) John (IV) Uszholtz : 1362
 * 19) Louis II : 1368–1374
 * 20) Conrad II : 1376–1379
 * 21) Tielman : 1381–1388
 * 22) Berthold Halder : 1389–1411
 * 23) Nicholas von Ingwiller : 1411–1430
 * 24) Nicholas von Schweighausen : 1430–1447

According to the abbey's necrology, there were 23 abbots down to 1447, so it is possible that John III and John IV are one and the same person.


 * 1) Bernardin Buchinger 	 : 1649–1656 (abbot of Lucelle in 1654–1673)
 * 2) Olivier de Foulongne : 1656–1691
 * 3) Claude de Beauquemare : 1692–1726
 * 4) Jacques Triboulet : 1726–1736
 * 5) Mathieu Tribout : 1736–1759
 * 6) François Xavier Bourste : 1759–1788
 * 7) Antoine Delort : 1789–1791