Klaarkamp Abbey (; ) was a

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monastery in the community of

Dantumadeel Dantumadiel () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Dantumadiel is a rural municipality characterized by economic activity and agriculture. H ...

, about 4 kilometres southwest of

Dokkum Dokkum is a Dutch fortified city in the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân in the province of Friesland. It has 12,669 inhabitants (February 8, 2020). The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the ''bolwerken'' (bulwarks) ...

and 2 kilometres north of

Rinsumageast Rinsumageast () is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 965 in 2017. The village is locally called ''De Geest'' (Dutch) or ''De Geast''Gildemacher, Karel F. (2007). Friese plaatsnam ...

in the Dutch province of

Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...

History

The abbey was founded in either 1163 or 1165, either directly from

Clairvaux Abbey Clairvaux Abbey (, ''l’abbaye de Clairvaux''; ) was a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, from Bar-sur-Aube. The abbey was founded in 1115 by Bernard of Clairvaux. As a primary abbey, it was one of the most significant monasteri ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, which is the more generally accepted account, or from Riddagshausen Abbey near

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

, in which case Klaarkamp was of the filiation of Morimond. The abbey's daughter houses were Bloemkamp Abbey (founded c. 1190 near

Bolsward Bolsward (, West Frisian: ''Boalsert'') is a city in Súdwest-Fryslân in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. Bolsward has a population of just under 10,200. It is located 10 km W.N.W. of Sneek. History The town is founded on th ...

Aduard Abbey Aduard Abbey (, ''Abdij Sint-Bernardus in Aduard'') is a former Cistercian abbey in the village of Aduard about 8 kilometres to the north-west of Groningen in the Netherlands, founded in 1192 and dissolved in 1580. History The monastery was foun ...

(founded 1192) and Gerka Abbey (founded 1240 in

Gerkesklooster Gerkesklooster () is a village in Achtkarspelen in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. It forms, together with Stroobos, the double village Gerkesklooster-Stroobos. The double village had a population of around 1144 in 2017, with 812 in G ...

near Buitenpost). The monastery was engaged in brick production from the clay on its land, and employed hundreds of lay brothers in this work. The abbey's main estates were in

Jannum Jannum () is a small village in Noardeast-Fryslân municipality in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, oversea ...

, Sibrandahûs,

Feanwâlden Feanwâlden () is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 3,430 in 2014. Together with the village of Feanwâldsterwâl Feanwâldsterwâl () is a village in the Dantumadiel and Tytsje ...

and on the island of

Schiermonnikoog Schiermonnikoog (; ) is an island, a municipality and national park in the Northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland. It is situated between the islands of Ameland and Rot ...

. It also owned a

grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * The Grange (Toronto), Toronto, Ontario, built in 1817 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to ...

at ''Betterwird'', apparently in Westdongeradeel. During the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

battles of the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...

Friesland converted to

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and secularised all its religious houses. On 31 May 1580 the abbey was dissolved and its assets confiscated by the state of Friesland. The buildings were sold off and demolished. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the mound, about 4 metres high, on which the monastery had stood was removed, and some excavation took place at that time.

Premises and buildings

Nothing remains of the abbey buildings. The site is marked by a monolith.

References

*Boersma: ''De voormalige abdij Klaarkamp bij Rinsumageest archeologisch verkend'', Publikatieband Stichting Alde Fryske Tsjerken 2, 1978, pp. 77–88 *Mol, J.A.: ''Besitzerwerbungen der friesischen Zisterzienserklöster Klaarkamp, Bloemkamp und Gerkesklooster'', in: K. Elm (ed.)., ''Erwerbspolitik und Wirtschaftsweise mittelalterlicher Orden und Klöster'', Berliner Historische Studien 17, Ordensstudien 7 (Berlin 1992), pp. 67–96 *Praamstra/Boersma: ''Die archäologischen Untersuchungen der Zisterzienserabteien Clarus Campus (Klaarkamp) bei Rinsumageest (Fr.) und St. Bernardus in Aduard (Gr.)'', ''Palaeohistoria'' 19, 1977, pp. 173–259

Sources and external links

Website about Klaarkamp Abbey

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