Riddagshausen Abbey
{{Short description|Monastery in Lower Saxony, Germany}}
Image:Braunschweig Brunswick Klosterkirche Riddagshausen Osten (2006).jpg
Riddagshausen Abbey ({{langx|de|Kloster Riddagshausen}}) was a Cistercian monastery just outside the city of Brunswick in Germany.
History
It was founded as Marienzelle by Ludolf the Wend, a ministerialis of Henry the Lion and steward of Brunswick, and settled in 1145 by monks from Amelungsborn Abbey. Henry endowed the new foundation in 1146 with the neighbouring village of Riddagshausen, from which it took its name.[https://klosterkirche-riddagshausen.de/geschichte/ Klosterkirche Riddagshausen: history] {{in lang|de}}
The abbey early acquired reichsunmittelbar status as an Imperial abbey.
It was mediatised in 1569 by Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, when it became a Protestant establishment. From 1690 it was also the home of a prestigious Lutheran seminary for training of preachers, the first in Germany. The religious community and the seminary were dissolved in 1809.The seminary was however refounded in 1837 and after a century in various premises in Wolfenbüttel and closure because of World War II, was eventually re-established in Brunswick in 1952, although in the town's former Franciscan friary, not in Riddagshausen Abbey.[https://web.archive.org/web/20051227234023/http://www.predigerseminar.predigerseminar-braunschweig.de/html/body_geschichte.html Theological seminary formerly in Riddagshausen Abbey]
Description
The site, now included within the city of Brunswick, in the district of Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach, is now mostly a nature reserve[https://web.archive.org/web/20010205160300/http://www.bund-bs.de/riddagshausen/riddagshausen.htm BUND Kreisgruppe Braunschweig] and arboretum.[http://www.tu-bs.de/~y0003276/arboretum_bs.html www.tu-bs.de]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} The nature reserve Riddagshäuser Teiche is designated as Important Bird Area[http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=3496 BirdLife Data Zone]. Retrieved on November 4, 2012. and Special Protection Area.[https://archive.today/20130107095744/http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/sites/130225 EUNIS Site factsheet]. Retrieved on November 4, 2012.
The surviving buildings include the abbey church[http://www.klosterkirche-riddagshausen.de KlosterkircheRiddagshausen.de] and the gatehouse, now home of the Cistercian Museum.[http://www.braunschweig.de/kultur/museen/zisterziensermuseum.html Zisterziensermuseum website]
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
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{in lang|de}} [http://www.riddagshausen.de Riddagshausen: local history and photo gallery]
- {{in lang|de}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070519020216/http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/statue/1287/laender/Nieders/Braunschw/aussen/riddagsh.htm Riddagshausen Abbey photo gallery]
- {{in lang|de}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20071009051704/http://www.ev-zist.de/riddagshausen.htm Riddagshausen Abbey photos]
{{commons category|Kloster Riddagshausen}}
{{coord|52.267386|N|10.577264|E|source:dewiki_region:DE-NI_type:landmark|format=dms|display=title}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Cistercian monasteries in Germany
Category:Monasteries in Lower Saxony
Category:1140s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
Category:1145 establishments in Europe
Category:Christian monasteries established in the 1140s
Category:Churches in Braunschweig
Category:Museums in Lower Saxony
Category:Important Bird Areas of Germany