Stift Herdecke

The Herdecke monastery, known throughout its history by various names such as Herdicke or Hyrreke, was founded around 1214 and is first mentioned in a document from that year when Archbishop Adolf I of Cologne transferred patronage rights. Another mention dates to 1227. By 1229, the convent of women already owned numerous properties, including several in the Hagen area. From the 13th century onwards, the abbesses and canonesses came from the regional nobility. Although the monastery buildings were destroyed in 1265, the monastery recovered from economic difficulties. Its affiliation with the Benedictine order is documented since 1313. In 1488, the monastery was converted into a secular canoness convent, which was confirmed by a papal legate. From 1666, the convent evolved into an interdenominational simultaneous foundation, accommodating unmarried daughters of Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic nobility. Finally, the Herdecke convent was dissolved on January 1, 1812, as part of the secularization process.

The former Benedictine Abbey of Herdecke is situated in the city of Herdecke, within the Ennepe-Ruhr district, a region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Today, the grounds of the former abbey feature several listed buildings, including the former collegiate church of St. Mary, which now serves as the Evangelical Church of Herdecke.

• Haus Kallenberg (manor house, approx. 1744 m away)
• Schloss Werdringen (castle, approx. 1820 m away)
• Haus Ruhreck (manor house, approx. 2220 m away)
• Burgruine Wetter (castle ruin, approx. 2513 m away)