The Convent of Siessen is best known as the convent where Berta Hummel, the woman upon whose art Hummel figurines are based, became a nun. However, the Convent actually began several centuries before Berta Hummel was born. The Convent at Siessen was founded by the Dominicans in 1259. It became a Franciscan Order in 1860, and by 1930 was home to about 250 Franciscan Sisters living there, most of whom were teachers.

The Convent at Siessen is located in Bad Saulgau, in the Swabian Alps of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Deep in the southwestern German countryside, the Convent has operated for more than seven centuries. Little is known of its history prior to the twentieth century. By the 1930s, it had become a teaching order, emphasizing the religious aspects of art and dedicated to the teaching and support of the arts. It is this aspect of the Convent which attracted Berta to it. The Convent's most famous sister, she entered the Convent in April of 1931, becoming Sister Maria Innocentia in 1935.

A self-sufficient convent, the sisters operated a school where they taught art and other subjects. As with many of the other nuns, Sister Hummel taught art at St. Anna, a nearby girls' school. During the buildup to World War II, the rest of Europe was going through a time of increased turmoil and change, but within the Convent's ancient walls, life remained serene.

As World War II officially began, religious communities such as the Convent of Siessen throughout Germany suffered increased persecution. In November, 1940, the Nazi regime forced the sisters to close their school, along with all of the other Franciscan schools throughout Germany. The nuns were later ordered to vacate the building, given ten days to move out so that German refugees arriving from Romania could take shelter there. Other refugees arrived at the convent seeking help. During this time, food was scarce and the unheated convent was unbearably cold. “What we suffered was indescribable,” wrote Mother Augustine.

Only about 40 of the 250 sisters were allowed to stay during the war, and they were crowded into one wing of the building. Because the school had closed, the nuns had little means for economic survival other than Sister Hummel's art. Eventually, French troops liberated the area, and the nuns were allowed to return.

In modern years, Sisters at the Convent of Siessen work in South Africa and Brazil, as well as throughout Germany. The various projects they undertake directly support the local people. The Convent recently celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2009.

The Convent at Siessen displays many of the original drawings created by Sister Hummel during her time there. Visitors to the Convent can view most of these drawings. Today, the Siessen convent still receives a portion of the profits from each MI Hummel figurine sold, which allows the sisters' missions to continue. It is fitting that Sister Hummel's work still supports the care and education of children through the Convent at Siessen.

Want to learn more about the story behind hummel figurines? Check out these links for information about Goebel, Manufaktur Rodenthal, and M.I. Hummel.