Upper Swabian Baroque Route

After the end of the Thirty Years' War and its ravages in 1648, followed by the counter-reformation instigated by the Catholic Church, an explosion of building works took place in the region of Upper Swabia. Immigrants to depopulated areas within Upper Swabia contributed to an economic upturn, which made it possible even for the owners of the smallest villages to secure sufficient funds to restore, extend and enhance the already existing buildings in Baroque style. This included monasteries as well as secular buildings such as castles and commercial buildings.[1] The result of this is today called Upper Swabian Baroque. It lasted from ca. 1650 until the French Revolution.

The nobility, whose territories were mostly of a small or only modest size, converted its dwelling places to Baroque style, utilising existing structures. Some new buildings were erected by the nobility, the result of which, however, often did not come close to the quality and extent of those erected by the clergy. This was due to the nobility's lack of financial means.[2] The monasteries, on the other hand, did have larger funds at their disposal as their respective territories were considerably larger than those of secular lords which meant that they could employ more dependants for the constructions work under the rules of feudal obligations (socage). Also, the monks themselves were unpaid and some of the artistic works were carried out by monks themselves.[3]

The re-organization of Europe under Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century (also known as German Mediatisation), however, meant that the Imperial Abbeys, the Free Imperial Cities and the territories ruled by Imperial Knights (Reichsritter) lost their independence and their income. Many buildings were converted into barracks, schools, psychiatric hospitals or even manufacturing sites.

Only in the 20th century, efforts have been made to save and restore these monuments of the past.

Some of the main attractions on the route are:

• Ulm with its cathedral.
• Wiblingen Abbey - library.
• Laupheim - parish church Sts. Peter and Paul; Großlaupheim Castle and its museum; castle Kleinlaupheim.
• Biberach an der Riß - parish church St Martin.
• Steinhausen - parish church Sts. Peter and Paul (also a place of pilgrimage), often referred to as being the "most beautiful village church in the world."
• Bad Schussenried - Schussenried Abbey with library in Rococo-style.
• Rot an der Rot - Rot an der Rot Abbey.
• Obermarchtal - Marchtal Abbey with minster, often referred to as "little Versaille."
• Zwiefalten - pilgrimage place with minster.
• Bad Wurzach - the castle with the most beautiful staircase in Baroque-style in Upper Swabia.
• Sigmaringen - Sigmaringen Castle.
• Meßkirch - with castle and church.
• Kißlegg - Old and New Castle; Parish church Sts. Gallus and Ulrich.
• Langenargen - Baroque church.
• Friedrichshafen - Hofen Monastery.
• Meersburg - Meersburg Castle, the oldest castle in Germany, and New Castle, a baroque castle.
• Überlingen - city and minster.
• Ravensburg - also known as the city of towers and gates; monastery church in Weissenau Abbey.
• Weingarten - Weingarten Abbey and basilica which contains the famous pipe organ by Joseph Gabler.
• Tannheim - parish church St Martin in early Baroque-style.
• Memmingen - monastery complex, built in Baroque-style.

There are four routes of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route: the main route, the west route, the south route and the east route.

• Cosmas Damian Asam, architect and painter
• Egid Quirin Asam, sculptor and plasterer
• Andreas Meinrad von Au, painter
• Johann Caspar Bagnato, architect
• Franz Anton Bagnato, architect
• Franz Beer, architect
• Johann Joseph Christian, sculptor and plasterer
• Jakob Emele, architect
• Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer, sculptor and plasterer
• Johann Michael Feuchtmayer, plasterer
• Johann Georg Fischer, architect
• Johann Michael Fischer, architect
• Joseph Gabler, organ builder
• Johann Nepomuk Holzhey, pipe organ builder
• Franz Martin Kuen, Painter
• Sebastian Sailer, monk and dialect poet
• Franz Xaver Schmuzer, plasterer
• Johann Schmuzer, plasterer
• Johann Georg Specht, architect
• Franz Joseph Spiegler, painter
• Jacob Carl Stauder, painter
• Peter Thumb, architect
• Januarius Zick, painter
• Johannes Zick, painter of frescoes
• Dominikus Zimmermann, architect and plasterer
• Johann Baptist Zimmermann, painter and plasterer

• Barczyk, Michael; Schneider, Gerd (1989), Oberschwäbische Barockstrasse, Wangen im Allgäu: Gebietsgemeinschaft Allgäu-Bodensee-Oberschwaben
• Beck, Otto; Buck, Ingeborg (1997), Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Ein Reisebegleiter für Kunstfreunde (6th ed.), Regensburg: Schnell und Steiner, ISBN 3-7954-1124-6
• Cremers, Birgit (2001), Oberschwäbische Barockstrasse, Hohenwart: Galli, ISBN 3-931944-62-X
• Gebietsgemeinschaft Allgäu-Bodensee-Oberschwaben (1995), 30 Jahre oberschwäbische Barockstrasse, Bad Waldsee: Gebietsgemeinschaft Allgäu-Bodensee-Oberschwaben
• Kolb, Raimund (2006), Die Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Stationen zum Paradies, Ostfildern: Thorbecke, ISBN 3-7995-0165-7
• Krins, Hubert; Feist, Joachim (2001), Barock in Süddeutschland, Stuttgart: Theiss, ISBN 3-8062-1420-4
• Deuchert, Norbert A. (2006), Kunst-Landschaft Oberschwaben (anlässlich der Ausstellung "Kunst-Landschaft Oberschwaben. Werke aus fünf Jahrhunderten", Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden-Rot bei Ulm, 21. Mai bis 1. Oktober 2006), Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink, ISBN 3-89870-306-1
• Schmid, Jochen (2004), Oberschwaben. Schwarzes Gold und barocke Kostbarkeiten, Meßkirch: Gmeiner, ISBN 3-89977-507-4
• Schreiner, Klaus (2003), Schwäbische Barockklöster. Glanz und Elend klösterlicher Gemeinschaften, Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink, ISBN 3-89870-114-X
• Spahr, Gebhard (1979), Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Geschichte, Kultur, Kunst, vol. 1: Ulm bis Tettnang (2nd ed.), Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink
• Spahr, Gebhard (1978), Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Geschichte, Kultur, Kunst, vol. 2: Wangen bis Ulm-Wiblingen, Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink
• Spahr, Gebhard (1980), Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Geschichte, Kultur, Kunst, vol. 3: Leutkirch, Ottobeuren, Tannheim, Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink
• Spahr, Gebhard (1980), Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Geschichte, Kultur, Kunst, vol. 4: Althausen bis Birnau, Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink
• Spahr, Gebhard (1982), Oberschwäbische Barockstraße. Geschichte, Kultur, Kunst, vol. 5: Überlingen bis Reichenau, Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink, ISBN 3-548-74545-8
• Schütz, Bernhard (2000), Die kirchliche Barockarchitektur in Bayern und Oberschwaben 1580–1780, München: Hirmer, ISBN 3-7774-8290-0
• Thierer, Manfred (2002), Lust auf Barock. Himmel trifft Erde in Oberschwaben, Lindenberg: Kunstverlag Fink, ISBN 3-89870-030-5
• Walz, Rudolf (1997), Im Himmelreich des Barock. Wandern ohne Gepäck, Neckartenzlingen: Walz-Wanderferien-Verlag, ISBN 3-88650-032-2
• Zerlacher, Oskar (1995), Die oberschwäbische Barockstrasse. Annäherungen an ein Himmelreich, Freiburg im Breisgau: Eulen-Verlag, ISBN 3-89102-261-1
• Zähme, Volker (2000), Barock, Köln: DuMont, ISBN 3-7701-5259-X

• Official site of the Upper Swabian Baroque Route (in German)
• Baroque in Upper Swabia (in German)