Benediktinerkloster Belecke

The Benedictine provostry of Belecke was founded between 1064 and 1072 and was a dependency of Grafschaft Abbey. Initially, it served to administer land and tithe revenues that the mother monastery owned in this region. A provost, responsible for choir prayer, is first documented in 1244, although the provostry's existence may have begun around 1100. The abbot of Grafschaft Abbey had the right to appoint the provost confirmed in 1270. For most of its existence, only one provost lived and worked in Belecke, usually holding his position for life. He performed choir prayer in his house chapel and on Sundays and holidays in the parish church. In the course of secularization, the provostry was dissolved by the Hessian rulers on March 1, 1804. The provostry building subsequently served as a parsonage but burned down four years later and was then rebuilt as a rectory.

The former Belecke monastery is situated in the town of Soest in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Parts of the historic provostry buildings are now used as the Stadtmuseum Schatzkammer Propstei (Town Museum Treasury Provostry). Since 1992, exhibits on general church and town history, as well as the history of Grafschaft Abbey, have been displayed there. The former provostry church continues to serve as a parish church.

• Haus Welschenbeck (castle, approx. 1376 m away)
• Deutschordenskommende Mülheim (castle, approx. 4256 m away)
• Schloss Körtlinghausen (castle, approx. 5494 m away)
• Stadtbefestigung Rüthen-Hexenturm (town fortification, approx. 6000 m away)