by the Franconian king and not subject to control by a bishop. The Royal charter issued in 794 has been lost, a document long held to be the foundation charter was later discovered to be a forgery from c. 1200. However, Charlemagne is known to have supported the abbey financially and gifted it with large properties in the nearby Spessart hills.

With substantial land holdings in the region, the abbey rose to become one of the most important in Franconia and monks from