Loccum Abbey () is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

monastery, formerly 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 ...

abbey, in the town of

Rehburg-Loccum Rehburg-Loccum () is a town 50 km north west of Hanover in the district of Nienburg in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography Geographical location Rehburg-Loccum borders the Steinhude Lake. The closest cities are Wunstorf and Neustadt in the ...

, near Lake Steinhude,

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

, Germany.

History

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

monastery run by the

Cistercians 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 ...

, Loccum Abbey originated as a foundation of Count Wilbrand of Hallermund, and was settled from Volkenroda Abbey under the first abbot, Ekkehard, in 1163. An ancient account describes it as being "in a place of horror and a desert of solitude and a dwelling of thieves and brigands" (); and adds that, after suffering much from want and from the barbarity of their neighbours, the monks in time brought the land into cultivation, and the people to the fear of God. Loccum very quickly grew wealthy and was under the direct protection of the Pope and the Emperor as an Imperial abbey (i.e., territorially independent). In the 16th century in

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

it became

. By 1700 the abbot of Loccum was permitted to marry and the Loccum Hof was built at Hanover to accommodate his spouse. The monastery retained its property and wealth until the agrarian reforms of the 19th century, when it was included in the territory of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, otherwise

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

. Since 1891 the monastery has also operated as a

Protestant 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 ...

seminary and academy, a tradition going back to around the start of the 19th century. The title of ''

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

'' is retained, anomalously.

Modern community

The community today generally consists of between four and eight members, most of whom are also in holy orders. In addition the Lutheran Bishop of Hanover and the Director of Studies of the seminary are members ex officio. The abbot and prior are chosen from among the members.

Buildings

The abbey is known for its extremely well preserved monastic buildings from the late Romanesque period with church, cloister and associated rooms, chapter-house, sacristy, dormitory, refectory, library, lay-brothers' wing, as well as the various service buildings. The buildings as a whole are considered of equal architectural worth with

Maulbronn Abbey Maulbronn Monastery () is a former Cistercian abbey and Prince-bishopric, ecclesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire located at Maulbronn, Baden-Württemberg. The monastery complex, one of the best-preserved in Europe, was named a UNESCO World ...

and Bebenhausen Abbey. The monastery's ponds and woods also throw an interesting light on the abbey's medieval economy. Construction of the abbey church of Saints Mary and Georgenow St. George's parish churchwas completed around 1250.

Recent abbots

* Gerhard Wolter Molanus (1677–1722) * Just Christopherus Böhmer (1722–1732) * (1732–1770) * (1770–1791) * (1791–1829) * (1830), vacant till 1832 * (1832–1876) * (1878–1901) * (1902–1927) * August Marahrens (1928–1950) * Johannes Lilje (1950–1977) * (1977–2000) * (since 2000)

Burials

Valdemar of Denmark (bishop) Valdemar Knudsen (also ''Waldemar'', born in 1158; died 18 July 1236 in Cîteaux) was a Danish clergyman and statesman. Valdemar was Bishop of Schleswig from 1188 to 1208, officiated as Steward of the Duchy of Schleswig between 1184 and 1187, ...

Notes

General references

* *

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cistercian monasteries in Germany Monasteries in Lower Saxony 1160s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1163 establishments in Europe Lutheran seminaries Lutheran monasteries in Germany Christian monasteries established in the 1160s Rehburg-Loccum