The traditional story of the foundation, in which there may be some elements of truth, is that in the 9th century, there was a nunnery here called "Hohenhusen", which was abandoned at the time of the Hungarian invasions in the early 10th century.

A ploughing ox later turned up a chest of valuables buried by the nuns before their flight, and the monastery of Ochsenhausen was founded on that spot.

A pipe organ was built at the abbey by Daniel Hayl the elder in the years 1599-1603.

[1] The abbey was secularised in 1803 and in 1806 its territories were absorbed into the Kingdom of Württemberg.

The Baden-Württemberg State Youth Music Academy [de][2] is accommodated in part of them.