Katharina from Rüdesheim – Kloster Eberbach

Wife of Knight Tilmann from Rüdesheim († 1354)

The life-size relief of the noblewoman Katharina from Rüdesheim, dressed in a long gown with a veil and cloak, has been artistically carved out of the red sandstone. Her right hand rests on her chest at heart level, while her left hand holds a book. This attribute is rare in contemporary depictions of women and is otherwise only found in Eberbach on the tomb slab for Adelheid from Schöneck, who presumably lived as a beguine. Is it a Bible or a prayer book, intended to symbolize special piety, perhaps even erudition?

Although the personal life of Katharina portrayed in this way is almost impossible to grasp today, she certainly appears in the sources as a benefactor of Eberbach Monastery and other religious institutions. In 1348, together with her husband, the knight Tilmann from Rüdesheim, she financed the construction of a chapel at the Klause convent near Johannisberg. This good work was dedicated to the salvation of the couple and their two daughters who died young. Two years earlier, the couple had already donated a considerable annual sum of money to the Eberbach convent. It was there that they both found their final resting place, side by side under the window of St. Margaret's Chapel in the south aisle of the basilica.

Source: German Inscriptions Online (43, No. 84), Academy of Sciences Mainz

Image of the tomb: Michael Leukel

Tombstones

These are fascinating life stories that can be found carved in stone in Eberbach - and which are now being told with the help of a QR code project.

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