St. Otmar im Werd

Three small islands in the middle of the Rhine’s outlet from Lake Constance. Only one of the three islands has been inhabited for 1,200 years—the monastery island of Werd. The name “Werd,” meaning “river island,” is derived from the term “Ward,” which means “island.”

This small island in the Rhine at the southern end of Lake Constance has a significant history. The earliest traces date back to the time of the pile-dwellers. Otmar, the first abbot of the Abbey of St. Gallen, died on November 16, 759, on the island of Werd after being deposed for political reasons and exiled here as a prisoner of the Franks. The abbot was buried on the island, but ten years later the monks from St. Gallen brought his remains back to their monastery and reburied him. In the 10th century, a chapel was built on the site of St. Otmar’s former grave, which became a place of pilgrimage. In 1767, the site experienced a resurgence after a relic of St. Otmar was brought to the island. Since 1957, Franciscan monks have lived in the rectory attached to the chapel. The island can be reached via a wooden footbridge. No guests can be accommodated on the island. The Liturgy of the Hours is recited daily at 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. These so-called prayer services are open to the public; everyone is warmly invited to attend. From the 8th century until 1738, St. Vitus Church stood across from the island near the banks of the Rhine. It was demolished due to dilapidation and replaced by the late-Baroque Catholic parish church of the Assumption of Mary (south of the main street).