Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch
The North Rhine Monastery Book (Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch) is a baseline project in which the history of all monasteries, convents and related ecclesiastical institutions in the northern Rhineland is comprehensively presented according to a differentiated scheme. The handbook contains information on the location, foundation, history and significance of the institution, architectural and artistic monuments, economic structure and developments, staff, dissolution, archival records, scientific literature and much more. The monastery book thus provides the foundation for interdisciplinary and comparative studies and can yield great insights for regional, urban and cultural history.
Core region of monastic culture
The Rhineland was a core region of German and European monastic culture. The region formed a rich and extremely diverse landscape of monasteries and convents with a high number of important and early founded communities. Even before 1815, the northern Rhineland was home to over 400 ecclesiastical institutes.
Volumes 1-4 cover all institutes established before 1815. Volume 1: Aachen - Düren; Volume 2: Düsseldorf - Kleve; Volume 3: Cologne; Volume 4: Königswinter - Zülpich. Volume 5 documents all ecclesiastical convents established after 1815 until 2000.
About the project
The North Rhine Monastery Book (Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch) is a joint project of the Institute of Historical Studies, Department of Early Modern History and Rhenish Regional History and the Institute of Church History at the University of Bonn, the Rhineland Regional Association (LVR Institute for Regional Studies and Regional History) and the Historical Archive of the Archdiocese of Cologne.The project is largely financed by the Regional Cultural Funding of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR).
The 3rd volume on Cologne is funded by the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung für Wissenschaftsförderung.
The North Rhine Monastery Book is edited by Prof. Dr Manfred Groten (University of Bonn), Georg Mölich (LVR), Prof. Dr Gisela Muschiol (University of Bonn) and Dr Joachim Oepen (Historical Archive of the Archdiocese of Cologne).
over 100
authors
over 400
monasteries and convents in the first 4 volumes
5
planned volumes
Scientific editorial office and contact
LVR-Institut für Rheinische Landeskunde und Regionalgeschichte
Endenicher Straße 133, 53115 Bonn
Tel.: 0228/9834-218
Email: wj.rosen[at]lvr.de
Volume 1
Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch. Lexikon der Stifte und Klöster bis 1815, Teil 1: Aachen bis Düren (= Studien zur Kölner Kirchengeschichte 37. Band, 1. Teil). Herausgegeben von Manfred Groten, Georg Mölich, Gisela Muschiol und Joachim Oepen; wiss. Redaktion: Wolfgang Rosen. Verlag Franz Schmitt: Siegburg 2009. 576 Seiten, 4 Karten, 1 Klappkarte (ISBN: 978-3-87710-453-8
).
The volume can be obtained from bookshops (39,90€) or ordered directly from the publisher Franz Schmitt.
Volume 2
Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch. Lexikon der Stifte und Klöster bis 1815, Teil 2: Düsseldorf bis Kleve (= Studien zur Kölner Kirchengeschichte 37. Band, 2. Teil). Herausgegeben von Manfred Groten, Georg Mölich, Gisela Muschiol und Joachim Oepen; wiss. Redaktion: Wolfgang Rosen. Verlag Franz Schmitt: Siegburg 2012. 742 Seiten, 5 Karten, 1 Klappkarte (ISBN: 978-3-87710-449
).
The volume can be obtained from bookshops (39,90€) or ordered directly from the publisher Franz Schmitt.
Insight into the table of contents.
Volume 3
Nordrheinisches Klosterbuch. Lexikon der Stifte und Klöster bis 1815, Teil 3: Köln (= Studien zur Kölner Kirchengeschichte 37. Band, 3. Teil). Herausgegeben von Manfred Groten, Georg Mölich, Gisela Muschiol und Joachim Oepen; wiss. Redaktion: Wolfgang Rosen. Verlag Franz Schmitt: Siegburg 2022. 759 Seiten, 3 Karten (ISBN: 978-3-87710-462-0 ).
Press Review
Introducing Volume 1
The first volume of the North Rhine Monastery Book was presented to the public in Bonn in 2009.
The editors Prof. Dr. M. Groten, Prof. Dr. G. Muschiol, Dr. J. Oepen, G. Mölich (from right to left) in the cloister of the former St. Cassius monastery in Bonn and today's Münsterstift (photo: Robert Boecker, Cologne).
Introducing Volume 2
The second volume was presented to the public in 2012. Presentation of the 2nd volume in Essen Cathedral (2013): Eckhard Bolenz (Landschaftsverband Rheinland), Wolfgang Rosen (Uni Bonn), Gisela Muschiol (Uni Bonn), Georg Mölich (Landschaftsverband Rheinland), Manfred Groten (Uni Bonn), Joachim Oepen (Historical Archive of the Archdiocese of Cologne), Thomas Schilp (Uni Duisburg-Essen) (from left). (Photo: Alexander Schmalz)
- Bistum Essen online (20.03.2013)
- Rheinische Post online (30.03.2013)
- Bericht Kirchenzeitung Aachen (14/2013)
- Artikel Ruhrwort (06.04.2013)
- Rheinische Post online (Kempen) (04.03.2013)
- Borbecker Nachrichten (11.04.2013)
Introducing Volume 3
On 24 August 2022, the 3rd volume was presented in Cologne. The volume deals exclusively with Cologne's ecclesiastical institutes and, with its 75 contributions, occupies a special position. For the cathedral city was an extraordinary condensation area of monasteries and foundations as well as other ecclesiastical institutes, which is presented comprehensively for the first time in this lexical presentation. Almost all the orders of Christian Europe were represented in the Rhine metropolis and often founded their first branches in the German-speaking world here.
- LVR Pressemeldung
- Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger
- Katholische Nachrichteagentur (KNA)
- Domradio
- Interview des Domradios mit Dr. Joachim Oepen
References and downloads
Here you will find a list with a selection of literature and archive references on the spiritual institutes founded until 1815. The lists do not claim to be complete; they are continuously updated. We are very happy to receive suggestions for additions; please send us an e-mail for your proposals.
Monasteries and convents in municipalities beginning with the letters:
Further research on Rhenish regional history
Kleine Welten
Research project at TRA 5
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