Postel Abbey, Premonstratensian abbey in Mol, Belgium

Postel Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery in Mol, Antwerp. Its church, dedicated to St Nicholas and built in Rhineland Romanesque style at the end of the 12th century, has a tall spire with a cross and weathervane; a red brick section with beige stone bands sits mid-building, and a short cylindrical apse with a conical roof stands at the base. The complex is still enclosed by a 1,200 m ring wall, partly by moats.

Fastrad of Uitwijk gave a third of his Postel property to Floreffe Abbey around 1134, and canons from Floreffe founded the priory in 1138 at a crossroads of medieval roads. A first chapel was consecrated in 1140; the Romanesque church of St Nicholas, consecrated in 1190, is the oldest Premonstratensian church still in use. Postel became independent of Floreffe in 1613 and was raised to abbey status in 1618, with Colibrant as first abbot.

The abbey church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, was consecrated in 1190 and is the oldest Premonstratensian church still in use. Its Romanesque vaulting and windows were partly rebuilt in Gothic style in the 17th century, when the Gothic sacristy (1631) and choir stalls (partly 1621, extended in 1930 by Gustaaf Goethijn) were added.

The grounds are open to visitors most days outside of religious services, and you can walk around freely or join a guided tour. Contact the Mol tourist office to check schedules and arrange group visits if needed.

During 1943–44, Herman Van Breda hid part of Edmund Husserl's manuscripts in the abbey; in September 1944 German soldiers occupied the building, which was full of refugees, and left on 22 September as British troops approached with a Resistance fighter from Mol.