Andlau Abbey

The foundation legend states that the abbey was sited where Richardis saw a she-bear scratching at the soil; a bear is one of her emblems in reference to this.

She survived the ordeal successfully and withdrew to Andlau, where at the time her niece Rotrod was abbess.

The abbey survived the Reformation, thanks to the efforts of the Abbess Rebstock, who is commemorated in the present church, but not the French Revolution.

When Pope Leo XI passed through Andlau in November of that year he was able to translate the remains of the canonised Richardis from the old church to the new Romanesque one.

The church is however most notable for its rich sculptural decoration, by the Master of Andlau, which is among the finest in Alsace.