Essen Abbey

The origins of the collegiate foundation date back to before 850, when it was founded by a noble group around the later Bishop Altfrid of Hildesheim near the royal court of Astnidhi. The first abbess was Gerswit, presumably a relative of Altfrid. An early mention can be found around 864 in the Vita of Saint Liudger. After a fire around 946, which damaged the church and destroyed archives, the foundation experienced a period of prosperity from the mid-10th century under five successive abbesses from the Liudolfing dynasty. Under Abbess Mathilde, a granddaughter of Emperor Otto I, significant art treasures came to Essen. The abbesses, referred to as Princess-Abbesses from 1228 onwards, established their own dominion between the Emscher and Ruhr rivers. The foundation, which possessed extensive properties in the surrounding area and beyond, was dissolved in 1803 during the secularization.

The former Canonesses' Collegiate Foundation is located in the city of Essen in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, at an elevation of approximately 86 meters above sea level.

The former collegiate church is now Essen Minster and serves as the cathedral for the Diocese of the Ruhr. The preserved church treasury includes significant works of art from the Ottonian period as well as later European art treasures.

• Schellenberg Castle (Castle, approx. 4553 m away)
• Borbeck Castle (Castle, approx. 5153 m away)
• Neu-Isenburg Castle Ruin (Castle, approx. 5212 m away)
• Baldeney Castle (Castle, approx. 5377 m away)