Wäldletobel: Klösterle and its history

Although prehistoric finds prove that the Arlberg was used early on, it is questionable whether people lived in the area permanently. Pollen analysis studies at least prove that the area has been used for alpine farming for thousands of years.

However, there is also some uncertainty regarding the settlement of the monastery valley in the Middle Ages. The valley was first mentioned in a document in 1218, when Count Hugo I von Montfort donated a chapel dedicated to St. Mary and "the forest facing the Arle" to the Order of St. John. It is not clear from the document whether this chapel already existed in Klösterle. The Knights of St. John subsequently built a hostel where they offered accommodation to pilgrims, crusaders and merchants.

The chapel of St. Mary seems to have become too small over time, which is why a new building was constructed in 1332. The new church was consecrated in honor of the Mother of God and John the Baptist, which again shows the importance of the Knights of St. John. Over time, the village was given the name "Klösterle" and the entire valley the name "Klostertal". It is not clear from the sources how long the Knights of St. John were active in Klösterle. After the division of the House of Montfort in 1258, the Klostertal came into the possession of the Werdenbergs, who may have lost interest in promoting the hospice after losing their possessions east of the Arlberg.

A document from 1424 mentions a "Hochhaus" (term for an office building), which according to the description of the location was probably the abandoned monastery building. This is mentioned for the last time in 1509 as "hoch hus by der kirchen".
According to the chronicle of priest Mathias Sander, the Johanniter monastery (and therefore probably also the tower block) stood below the Mesnerhaus and its ruins were visible until 1717. A certain Ignaz Freytag would have built a new house on that site in that year.

The former inn "Johanniterstube" is said to have served as a farm building for the monastery and was once connected to the house opposite, no. 71, by an archway (arbour). This arch was demolished in 1823 when Arlbergstraße was extended. The administrator or vicar of the hospice and hospital would have lived in this house (the old calendar from the 16th century still mentions a vicarage). The manorial customs office was also housed in the house south of the street. A customs office in Klösterle is first mentioned in documents in 1343. From the 17th century, the Friz family were the owners of the customs office, from 1674 as imperial customs officers.