Emperors and popes from Salem's history
Abbot Stephan I. Jung commissioned the décor in 1708 and Franz Joseph Feuchtmayer created the exceedingly rich stucco decoration in the light, wide hall. 16 larger-than-life statues of emperors are a reference to the protection of the highest rulers. The series begins with Lothar III, who was emperor at the time the monastery was founded. King Konrad III of the House of Hohenstaufen elevated Salem to an imperial abbey in 1142. Above the windows are the busts of the Popes who granted the monastery special privileges.