Walkenried Abbey

The foundation of Walkenried Abbey took place in 1127/1129. Adelheid, likely a sister of Count Berengar I of Lohra, endowed the third Cistercian monastery in the German-speaking area. Monks from Kamp Abbey on the Lower Rhine settled on the offered land, which met the Cistercian site criteria: a low-lying area with a watercourse, sufficient distance from settlements, and potential for economic development. Construction of the Romanesque church began, and Emperor Lothar III confirmed the foundation in 1132. Subsequently, the daughter monasteries of Pforta (1132) and Sittichenbach (1141) were founded. In 1144, the monks began draining and cultivating the Upper Ried. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the abbey developed into one of the wealthiest and most politically significant Cistercian monasteries, engaging in mining, smelting, and agriculture. The Gothic abbey church was consecrated in 1290, and the cloister building was completed around 1330. The mid-14th century saw a decline, caused by stagnation in mining and difficulties in agriculture. In 1525, the abbey church was severely damaged during the Peasants' War. The monastic chapter converted to the Reformation in 1546. The abbey was dissolved and secularized around 1648. The patron saints of the monastery were Mary and Martin.

Walkenried Abbey is located in the municipality of Walkenried, which belongs to Osterode am Harz in Lower Saxony. It is situated on the southern edge of the Harz Mountains at an elevation of approximately 264 meters above sea level.

The complex of the former monastery includes the ruin of the abbey church and the largely preserved Gothic cloister building. The latter was converted into the Cistercian Museum Walkenried Abbey in 2006. The site is part of the World Heritage Route of the UNESCO World Heritage in the Harz.

• Walkenried Castle (Castle, approx. 211 m away)
• Sachsenstein Castle Ruin (Castle, approx. 2680 m away)
• Klettenberg Ruin (Ruin, approx. 3137 m away)
• Gudersleben Manor House (Manor House, approx. 5286 m away)