The White Lady of the Scots Abbey

Wien · Austria · Monastery

When lights kindle in the cloister passages at midnight, Berta von Rosenberg walks. The white lady's visit has never meant anything but a death.

In the Scots Abbey on the Freyung the monks always knew in advance when death was coming. At midnight the passages and halls would suddenly fill with light, and through them glided Berta von Rosenberg in a white robe that trailed on the floor. The legend holds that she died on 2 May 1476 and has lain ever since in the crypt beneath the church, her body awaiting the resurrection for more than four centuries. A young novice who once caught sight of her stood rigid and breathless with terror; in that same instant she floated back down into the vault. A haunting at the Scots' never meant anything good — usually a brother died soon after, sometimes the abbot himself. The abbey was founded in 1155 and still stands on the Freyung with its old burial crypt.

FAQ

Where is The White Lady of the Scots Abbey located?

The White Lady of the Scots Abbey is in Wien, Austria.