Riddagshausen Abbey (german: Kloster Riddagshausen) was a Cistercian monastery just outside the city of Brunswick in

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

It was founded as Marienzelle by Ludolf the Wend, a '' ministerialis'' of

Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (german: Heinrich der Löwe; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195) was a member of the Welf dynasty who ruled as the duke of Saxony and Bavaria from 1142 and 1156, respectively, until 1180. Henry was one of the most powerful German p ...

and steward of Brunswick, and settled in 1145 by monks from

Amelungsborn Abbey Amelungsborn Abbey, also Amelunxborn Abbey (''Kloster Amelungsborn''), is a Lutheran monastery in Germany. It is located near Negenborn and Stadtoldendorf, in the ''Landkreis'' of Holzminden in the Weserbergland. It was the second oldest Ciste ...

. Henry endowed the new foundation in 1146 with the neighbouring village of Riddagshausen, from which it took its name.Klosterkirche Riddagshausen: history
The abbey early acquired ''

reichsunmittelbar Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...

'' status as an

Imperial abbey Princely abbeys (german: Fürstabtei, ''Fürststift'') and Imperial abbeys (german: Reichsabtei, ''Reichskloster'', ''Reichsstift'', ''Reichsgotthaus'') were religious establishments within the Holy Roman Empire which enjoyed the status of impe ...

. It was mediatised in 1569 by Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, when it became a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

establishment. From 1690 it was also the home of a prestigious

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

seminary for training of preachers, the first in Germany. The religious community and the seminary were dissolved in 1809.

Description

The site, now included within the city of Brunswick, in the district of Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach, is now mostly a nature reserve and arboretum. The nature reserve ''Riddagshäuser Teiche'' is designated as Important Bird Area and

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certa ...

. The surviving buildings include the abbey church and the gatehouse, now home of the Cistercian Museum.Zisterziensermuseum website
/ref> File:Braunschweig Riddagshausen Tor zur Domaene von innen.JPG, Gatehouse File:Braunschweig Kloster Riddagshausen.jpg, Church File:Riddagshausen Klosterkirche Innen.jpg, Church, interior File:BS Riddagshausen Merian 1654.jpg, Riddagshausen Abbey in the 17th century

Notes and references

External links

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Riddagshausen: local history and photo gallery
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{{Authority control Cistercian monasteries in Germany Imperial abbeys Monasteries in Lower Saxony 1140s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1145 establishments in Europe Religious organizations established in the 1140s Lutheran seminaries Christian monasteries established in the 12th century Churches in Braunschweig History of Brunswick Museums in Lower Saxony Important Bird Areas of Germany Special Protection Areas Brunswick Ridddagshausen Duchy of Brunswick Lutheran universities and colleges in Europe