Altzella was one of the most important Cistercian monasteries in central Germany and existed from 1162 to 1540. It was founded by Margrave Otto von Meissen. Even today, the remaining buildings such as the Conversenhaus with the monks' dining hall and an impressive library hall as well as the ruins bear witness to the former importance of the monastery as well as the building skills of the Cistercians. The monastery park has a romantic character. Here, the idea of “returning to nature” was the basis of the electoral commission to create the atmosphere for the mausoleum, a burial place for the Wettin dynasty, which was built around 1787 in the neoclassical style.