Kloster Bersenbrück

The convent of St. Marien in Bersenbrück was founded in 1231. Count Otto II of Ravensberg and his wife Sophia donated their possessions in Bersenbrück to the Cistercian order for the establishment of a women's monastery. The first abbess, Clementia, led the convent from 1231 to 1272. Generous donations from the clergy and nobility fostered the growth of the convent. In 1243, Pope Innocent IV confirmed its incorporation into the order, which was remarkable given the General Chapter's reluctance towards new women's monasteries at the time. Originally subordinate to the abbot of Altenkamp Abbey, the paternity shifted to Marienfeld Abbey around 1440. By the end of the 16th century, reformist ideas spread within the convent, leading to a period of decline. After the removal of Abbess von Meverden in 1614, the convent was repopulated with Catholic nuns and guided through the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War under Abbess Lucretia Elisabeth von Vincke. After the war, the convent recovered economically. In 1787, monastic life in Bersenbrück ceased when the Osnabrück Cathedral Chapter decided to dissolve it to improve its own finances. Pope Pius VI and Emperor Franz Josef II approved the dissolution, and the income was intended for a school fund for Catholics. Three nuns remained in the convent, the last of whom died in 1806. In 1791, a secular canoness foundation without residence requirements was established, and in 1802, King George III of England took possession of the ecclesiastical properties.

Bersenbrück Abbey is situated in the town of Bersenbrück, within the Osnabrück district in Lower Saxony, Germany.

The former convent is now protected as a historical monument and bears witness to its long history.

• Artländer Dom (approx. 5621 m away)
• Rittergut Loxten (approx. 6870 m away)
• Schloss Schulenburg (approx. 7816 m away)
• Johanniterkommende Lage (approx. 8334 m away)