Maria Engelport Monastery, Cultural heritage monastery in Treis-Karden, Germany
Maria Engelport Monastery is a religious community located on the edge of the Hunsrück in the Flaumbach Valley, featuring traditional Benedictine architecture with stone walls and simple designs. The buildings and gardens form a functioning monastic settlement that has been preserved to the present day.
Knight Emelrich of Monreal founded the monastery in 1220 initially for Cistercians. It was refounded in 1262 by Philipp von Wildenburg for Dominican nuns.
The monastery served as a training center for missionaries preparing to work in German South-West Africa and later became a Novitiate for the German Province. This role shaped the spiritual journey of many who entered religious life here.
The monastery welcomes visitors for guided tours through its buildings, gardens, and historical exhibition rooms. It is advisable to check opening times in advance, as the community maintains regular prayer schedules and continues to function as an active religious community.
Two notable oblates, Friedrich Lorenz and Engelbert Rehling, received their initiation into the Order here but later faced persecution during the Nazi period. Their stories connect the monastery to a difficult chapter in German history.
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