(Holy Wells in the State of Hesse)

Gut Marienborn,

Hessen, Germany

Former Cloister; now a farm complex owned by State of Hesse and used by the University of Giessen Agricultural school. Some remnants of precinct walling; several nice fachwerk (half-timbered) houses/buildings, ruins of a church or chapel in the western corner of the rectangular complex. Located between two low hills both known as the Klosterkopf. (Cloister Head or Hill) The northern one is also called Eckartshaeuser Klosterkopf, being closer to the village of Eckartshaeuser.

The Gut Marienborn is located southeast of the village of Eckarthaeuser, about twenty miles north east of Hanau.

Two springs are shown on the map. One is supposed to be in the corner of the woods bordering the farm on the north. We climbed all over the end of the hill here and found nothing. The other spring is shown at other end of the woods, close to the farm and very near the church ruins. It is capped and probably provides the water for the farm. I suspect this is the real Marienborn.

I can think of two scenarios:

1. The well existed since ancient times and was visited by pilgrims and those desiring healing. The cloister was built to secure the spring/well and collect any revenue it may have generated.

B. The cloister was built first, and then conveniently the monks discovered a healing spring very close by. Being good PR men, the monks advertised miraculous cures etc., and it became a pilgrimage goal.

May 30, 1999