Konventikelplakatet

Konventikelplakatet is a notable example of 19th‑century German devotional poster art. The term combines “Konventikel,” a diminutive form of convent for a small religious community, and “Plakat,” the German word for poster. The surviving sheet was first published in 1873 by the Vienna‑based print house H. M. Schlögl.

The printed composition depicts a serene cloister scene with a small group of nuns in traditional habits. They are shown reading a Bible beneath an archway, surrounded by symbolic elements such as a crosier, a rosary, and a lily. The background features muted stone walls and a bell tower that alludes to the monastic community’s isolation from the bustle of the nearby city. The artist employed chiaroscuro shading and sober color palette typical of the period’s religious art, aiming to evoke piety and modesty.

The poster served several functions. It was used as a didactic tool for parishioners, reinforcing the virtues of contemplation and obedience. Many churches and convents displayed the artwork in living‑worship or education halls. In rural areas, Konventikelplakatet also served as an artistic reference for local printmakers and illustrators of religious narratives.

Today, the original poster is housed in the Austrian National Library’s special collections, where it is part of a broader archive of printed religious material. Scholars of visual culture examine it for insights into gender roles within 19th‑century Catholic societies, the dissemination of devotional imagery, and the interplay between print technology and religious practice. The Konventikelplakatet remains a small, yet significant, artifact that illustrates how visual media was employed to shape spiritual devotion in the German‑speaking world of the late nineteenth century.