At the edge of the small community Strüth in the Taunus range, the Schönau Monastery is situated. The isolated location and the low political influence on history compared to the other monasteries make it hard to imagine that one of the most known German mystics of the Middle Ages lived here between 1141 and 1164 – Elizabeth of Schönau.

The Romanesque foundation complex of the Benedictine monastery was built between 1126 and 1145 and was soon extended to a double monastery. In 1141, her parents passed the 12 year old to the custody of the sisters there. From 1152, she experienced visions in ecstatic states in which Angels and Spirits talked to her about „divine secrets“. The strictly ascetic nun also talked about these visions with Hildegard of Bingen, whose reputation as a prophet had already spread far and wide. Hildegard gave consolation to the young Benedictine, but advised her to be moderate with her ascetic efforts. Like Hildegard, Elizabeth composed three visionary works between 1156 and 1159. As a consequence of her life full of deprivation, she died in 1164 at the age of only 35. In 1584, she was included in the Martyrologium Romanum as a Saint. During the Thirty Years War, the monastery was ravaged and the mortal remains of Elizabeth, apart from the still preserved skullcap, were destroyed. In 1723, the entire complex was destroyed by a fire and only the church chancel with the vaults and the exterior walls of the nave survived the fire. Today, the monastery rebuilt in the Baroque style serves different purposes, such as the housing of the learning and meeting place „One World House, Schönau Monastery“ with an internet café and the public parish library. The monastery church, which is open to visitors, is dominated by the splendid Baroque furnishing of the 18th century, but in 1954 also a mural from the time around 1430 showing the Last Judgment was unveiled in the chancel.