Reinfeld Abbey
Encyclopedia
Reinfeld Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in Reinfeld near Bad Oldesloe
in Schleswig-Holstein
in northern Germany
.
on a site given to them by Count Adolf III of Schauenburg
. The Cistercians particularly sought wild and desolate sites for their monastic houses, and the site at Reinfeld, then consisting of marshy depressions along the valley of the Heilsau, met this requirement exactly: the foundation charter refers to it as a locus horroris ("place of horror").
The first community consisted of an abbot, Hartmann, and 12 monks. During their clearance and draining of the swampy ground, the monks dug out a large number of ponds, later used for fish (especially carp), some of which remain to this day.
The monastery, once established, became prosperous, and acquired many estates. The community built up a close relationship with the city of Lübeck
, and the abbot was permitted his own gate in the city walls.
With the approach of the Reformation
, however, the relationship collapsed: the citizens of Lübeck stormed and burnt the abbey in 1534, and although it was re-built, in 1582 it was dissolved, and its assets taken over by the King of Denmark. The buildings were demolished.
The site was later used for the construction of a castle, which was itself demolished in 1775, and the stone quarried for other buildings. Little now remains on the site, apart from the fishponds.
Bad Oldesloe
Bad Oldesloe is a town located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the capital of the Kreis Stormarn .The area has been inhabited since mesolithic times. The flint tools found here from that era are clearly defined and known as the Oldesloer Stufe...
in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
in northern 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...
.
History
The monastery was founded in 1186 by monks from the Cistercian abbey of LoccumLoccum Abbey
Loccum Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the town of Rehburg-Loccum, Lower Saxony, near Steinhude Lake.-History:...
on a site given to them by Count Adolf III of Schauenburg
Schauenburg
Schaumburg and Schauenburg are the two versions of the name of a regional German dynasty.The usage is scattered, historically as well as locally:* Schaumburg, a district and former county in Lower Saxony*Schauenburg, Hesse, a municipality in Germany...
. The Cistercians particularly sought wild and desolate sites for their monastic houses, and the site at Reinfeld, then consisting of marshy depressions along the valley of the Heilsau, met this requirement exactly: the foundation charter refers to it as a locus horroris ("place of horror").
The first community consisted of an abbot, Hartmann, and 12 monks. During their clearance and draining of the swampy ground, the monks dug out a large number of ponds, later used for fish (especially carp), some of which remain to this day.
The monastery, once established, became prosperous, and acquired many estates. The community built up a close relationship with the city of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, and the abbot was permitted his own gate in the city walls.
With the approach of the 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...
, however, the relationship collapsed: the citizens of Lübeck stormed and burnt the abbey in 1534, and although it was re-built, in 1582 it was dissolved, and its assets taken over by the King of Denmark. The buildings were demolished.
The site was later used for the construction of a castle, which was itself demolished in 1775, and the stone quarried for other buildings. Little now remains on the site, apart from the fishponds.