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Often dwarfed by the fame of its large neighbor, the 1750 Gabler organ of Weingarten which is a mere five minutes drive from Weißenau, the 1787 organ in the Abbey church of Weißenau is undeservedly little-known. Three manuals and pedal in original condition, with many warm 8 foot flues, very supportive bass, and original strings and celestes, this organ has a unique and soothing tonal quality: strong without being strident, warm without being muddy, clear without being self-consciously bright. The temperament is Werkmeister III. The trickiest aspect of the organ was the old pedal board. As is visible in the picture, the pedals could be more accurately described as "buttons" than as "keys."
The Abbey church was founded in 1145 as a Premonstratensian monastery. Originally named "Weissenau" ("white meadow"), it is now a part of Ravensburg. The current church was built in the baroque style between 1708 and 1724. The monastery closed in 1802. Since 1283 Weißenau has been famous for its possession of the relic of the Precious Blood (referred to in "Lohengrin").
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