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St. Hadeloga’s Veil

A 12th-century biography tells us of Princess Hadeloga, the legendary founder of Kitzingen Abbey. The existence of this abbey was documented as early as the mid-8th century, so it may have been founded during the lifetimes of the Franconian rulers Charles Martel (c. 688–741) or Pepin III. (c. 714–768).

[Translate to Englisch:] „Ansicht des ehemaligen Benediktinerinnenklosters“, Aquarell nach einem Gemälde von Georg Martin 1628

[Translate to Englisch:] „Kitz-Denkmal“ in Kitzingen

Legend has it that Hadeloga threw her veil in the wind at the top of Schwanberg, wishing to build an abbey where it landed. In a first unsuccessful try, the veil landed on a slope of the hill, which was then named “Vilzenah” (much too close) in the local dialect. When she tried again, the place was too “Ho” (high), namely where the village of Hoheim is now located. Finally, the veil landed on the right bank of the river Main. A shepherd named Kitz found it under a grapevine and returned it. Hadeloga founded her abbey where the veil had landed and named it after Kitz.

Fulda Abbey has preserved a document dating from 748, which first mentions a Benedictine nunnery in “Kizinga” and the name of its abbess at the time: Hadeloga. It is highly questionable that she really was a princess. In any case, the abbey that she founded was the nucleus of today’s Kitzingen.