Nütschau Priory (in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Kloster Nütschau or Priorat Sankt Ansgar) is a house of the

Benedictine Order , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

located at Travenbrück near

Bad Oldesloe Bad Oldesloe () is a town located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the capital of the district of Stormarn. The area has been inhabited since Mesolithic times. The flint tools found here from that era (6000–4500 BC) a ...

, Stormarn,

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

History

Nütschau is the northernmost Benedictine monastery in Germany. Around 830 a castle was built on the Trave, surrounded and secured with an earth wall: the Nütschauer Schanze, part of a Carolingian fortification. In 1577

Heinrich Rantzau Heinrich Rantzau or Ranzow (Ranzovius) (11 March 1526 – 31 December 1598) was a German humanist writer and statesman, a prolific astrologer and an associate of Tycho Brahe. He was son of Johan Rantzau. He was Governor of the Danish royal sh ...

built the small moated castle, the "Castrum Nutzkow". The turret was added to the center gable in 1792.Kloster Nütschau
/ref> The Benedictine house originated after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a refuge for displaced persons, particularly

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

from the former German territories. The church acquired the former Nütschau manor house (''Herrenhaus Nütschau'') in 1951 and at the request of Hermann Wilhelm Berning, the

Bishop of Osnabrück A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, it was developed by and staffed from

Gerleve Abbey Gerleve Abbey (in German Kloster or Abtei Gerleve) is a monastery of the Benedictine Order situated between Coesfeld and Billerbeck in Westphalia (North Rhine-Westphalia), in Germany. History The community, dedicated to Saint Joseph, was founded ...

. St.

Ansgar Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...

's House (''Haus Sankt Ansgar'') opened in 1954, initially as a retreat house. In November 1960 the community was raised to the status of a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

under Gerleve. In 1965, Bishop Helmut Herrmann Wittler donated an Ansgar reliquary to the Nütschau monastery. The priory church of St. Ansgar was built in 1974, and in 1975 Nütschau became an independent monastery, which now includes a training house and a youth house. Guided tours through the grounds and the manor house are available by appointment. The monks offer pilgrims on the "Way of St. James" and on the "Monk's Path" shelter for the night. As of 2022, there were nineteen monks in residence. The priory is part of the

Beuronese Congregation The Beuronese Congregation, or Beuron Congregation, is a union of mostly German or German-speaking religious houses of both monks and nuns within the Benedictine Confederation. The congregation stands under the protection of Saint Martin of Tours. ...

Priors

Under direct control of the Abbot of Gerleve: :1951-60 Pius Buddenborg Priory of Gerleve Abbey :1960-71 Amandus Eilermann :1971-75 Gaudentius Sauermann Independent priory :1975-94 Gaudentius Sauermann :1994 Antonius Terstiege :From 1994 Leo Overmeyer

References

External links

Website of Nütschau Priory
Benedictine monasteries in Germany Monasteries in Schleswig-Holstein Buildings and structures in Stormarn (district) {{Christian-monastery-stub