Mariental Abbey
Encyclopedia
Mariental Abbey in the present Mariental
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
, is a former Cistercian monastery founded in 1138, along with Marienberg Abbey in Helmstedt
, by Pfalzgraf Friedrich II von Sommerschenburg.
It was a daughter house of Altenberg Abbey
of the filiation of Morimond
. The initial complement consisted of twelve monks from Altenberg under an abbot (Bodo) from Amelungsborn Abbey
. In 1179 the von Sommerschenburgs died out and the monastery with its possessions fell into the hands of Henry the Lion
.
The abbey became extremely wealthy: its estates extended as far as Magdeburg
, Jüterbog
and Braunschweig
. In 1232 it established a daughter house of its own, Hude Abbey. However, at the end of the 14th century it entered upon a steady decline.
The monastery was dissolved in 1569 as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation
. A Lutheran school had been set up in the premises in 1542, and this lasted until 1745. A seminary for the training of teachers was also established here, and this continued until 1773, when it was transferred to Helmstedt.
The buildings today belong to the Braunschweigische Vereinigte Kloster- und Studienfonds, while the church has become the Protestant parish church of Mariental.
Mariental, Germany
Mariental is a municipality in the district of Helmstedt, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is a former Cistercian monastery founded in 1138, along with Marienberg Abbey in Helmstedt
Helmstedt
Helmstedt is a city located at the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. Helmstedt has 26,000 inhabitants . In former times the city was also called Helmstädt....
, by Pfalzgraf Friedrich II von Sommerschenburg.
It was a daughter house of Altenberg Abbey
Altenberg Abbey
Altenberg Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Altenberg, now a part of Odenthal in the Bergisches Land, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
of the filiation of Morimond
Morimond Abbey
Morimond Abbeyis a religious complex in Parnoy-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne department, in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. It was the fourth of the four great daughter abbeys of Cîteaux Abbey, of primary importance in the spread of the Cistercian Order, along with La Ferté to the south,...
. The initial complement consisted of twelve monks from Altenberg under an abbot (Bodo) from Amelungsborn Abbey
Amelungsborn Abbey
Amelungsborn Abbey, also Amelunxborn Abbey near Negenborn and Stadtoldendorf, in the Landkreis of Holzminden in the Weserbergland, was the second oldest Cistercian foundation in Lower Saxony, Germany, after Walkenried Abbey...
. In 1179 the von Sommerschenburgs died out and the monastery with its possessions fell into the hands of Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
.
The abbey became extremely wealthy: its estates extended as far as Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Jüterbog
Jüterbog
Jüterbog is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is located on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin.-History:...
and Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. In 1232 it established a daughter house of its own, Hude Abbey. However, at the end of the 14th century it entered upon a steady decline.
The monastery was dissolved in 1569 as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. A Lutheran school had been set up in the premises in 1542, and this lasted until 1745. A seminary for the training of teachers was also established here, and this continued until 1773, when it was transferred to Helmstedt.
The buildings today belong to the Braunschweigische Vereinigte Kloster- und Studienfonds, while the church has become the Protestant parish church of Mariental.