Salem is a municipality in the Bodensee district of Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany, located 9 km (5 miles) north of Lake Constance, with a population of 11,100.

During the 17th century, the monastery had to cope with serious setbacks, including the Thirty Years' War, which brought death and destruction to many areas.

Subsequently, under the master builder Franz Beer of Vorarlberg, the Baroque buildings currently standing on the site were built.

Among other things, Abbot Anselm II Schwab founded an Orphans' Fund in 1749 that is considered the first savings bank in Germany.

The Cistercian monastery of Salem Abbey was founded in 1134, when the knight Guntram von Adelsreute donated land for its establishment.

[7] The Schloss Seefest Salem, one of the largest open-air events in the Lake Constance region, is held every first summer holiday weekend.