Death during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648. The monastery was secularized in 1803 and was acquired by the Bavarian royal family, the Wittelsbachs, who made it their summer residence. They brought court life and visitors to the lake, starting the tourism that characterizes the area today. The town experienced tribulations during the War of the Austrian Succession of 1740-1748 and suffered many casualties in wars from the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 until World War II. The abbey buildings were used as a military hospital during World War II. The valley became overcrowded with evacuees, who were there for protection from the bombing of urban areas. In the final weeks of the war, an SS division moved into the valley and built defenses against the American forces advancing from Bad Tölz. On May 3, 1945, as American artillery prepared to open fire on the town, a wounded officer in the German army, Maj. Hannibal von Lüttichau, who was recovering in the makeshift military hospital, persuaded the SS to withdraw in order to save the town and its large population of noncombatants from the imminent bombardment. After persuading the SS to withdraw from the town, the Major advanced unarmed, in uniform, and alone toward the American forces under a white flag and he convinced the commanding officer to spare the town. Geography Tegernsee is located in the Bavarian Alps, on the eastern shore of Lake Tegernsee, neighbouring Gmund am Tegernsee and Hausham are to the north, Schliersee is to the east, and Rottach-Egern to the south. The Bavarian state capital, Munich, is approximately north of the town, and the Austrian state of Tyrol is approximately south. The Alpbach stream, the bed of which was cleaned up in 2010, runs through the center of Tegernsee. The Rottach river flows partly along the boundary between the communities of Tegernsee and Rottach-Egern. The Baumgartenschneid, a 1,448 metre high mountain, is located not far from the town. At the 2010 census, Tegernsee had a population of 3,889, of whom 1,672 were male and 2,217 female. Attractions The former Benedictine Abbey of Tegernsee is open to visitors. The complex is composed of the parish church of Saint Quirinus, the former abbey church, and the adjacent north and south wings surrounding the two courtyards. The north wing hosts the Ducal Bavarian Brewery of Tegernsee, one of Germany's oldest breweries. The entire complex is called Schloss Tegernsee and