Benedictine abbey in Upper Austria. It was possibly founded in 1054 by St Adalbero (1045–90), Bishop of Würzburg, and has been a Benedictine foundation since 1056. Of the Romanesque church only the westwork survives, and the remainder of the church and conventual buildings date from the rebuilding begun under Abbot Placidus Hieber (reg 1640–78), which was continued into the early 18th century. The west choir was built 1056–89 but was blocked off by a Baroque organ loft and buttressing wall. In 1957 it was discovered that behind these structural additions there was a complete series of wall paintings, which probably date from before the time of the consecration of the church in 1089. They are one of the most important survivals of 11th-century painting in northern Europe. The space, surmounted by three domical groin vaults, is covered with paintings on both the vaults and the walls. They show cycles from the Old Testament and the ...