description Osek Abbey Overview
Osek Abbey is an active Cistercian monastery in northwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic, founded in 1196. The complex is architecturally notable for its large Baroque abbey church and cloister designed by octavio Broggio, built in the early 18th century over earlier Romanesque and Gothic foundations. The abbey continues to house a Cistercian community and welcomes visitors to its church, library, and exhibition spaces.
help Osek Abbey FAQ
Where is Osek Abbey, and when was it founded?
Osek Abbey is in northwestern Bohemia in the Czech Republic and is a Cistercian monastery. Its official history places the Cistercians' move to Osek in 1196 or 1197 after an earlier foundation at Mašťov. [Osek monastery history](https://klasterosek.cz/en/about-the-monastery/)
Who designed Osek Abbey's Baroque reconstruction?
The main Baroque reconstruction was carried out in the early 18th century under the Italian-born Bohemian architect Octavio Broggio. The Church of the Assumption was rebuilt and richly decorated between 1711 and 1719. [Osek architectural history](https://www.branadocech.cz/en/article/vystavni-barokni-stavby-v-podkrusnohori-autotrasa/934/8/0)
What medieval feature should visitors look for at Osek Abbey?
The old convent includes an early Gothic chapter hall and a notable stone ambon dating from around 1240. Those features survive beneath the later Baroque remodeling and show that the complex is not only an 18th-century monument. [Osek regional tourism](https://www.branadocech.cz/en/article/vystavni-barokni-stavby-v-podkrusnohori-autotrasa/934/8/0)
What happened to Osek Abbey during the communist period?
In 1950 the state took over the complex and established an internment camp for about 230 monks, priests, and novices. The monastery was later returned to the Cistercians in 1991. [Osek monastery history](https://klasterosek.cz/en/about-the-monastery/)
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