Ahrensbök Charterhouse

The origins of the monastery date back to 1357, when the Holstein counts Heinrich II, Nikolaus, and Adolf VII made a vow to establish a convent. This plan only materialized in 1386/87 through a donation from the Lübeck canon Jacob Krumbek. Following the death of Count Adolf in 1390 and disagreements over the choice of order, the parties involved finally agreed in 1397 to found a Carthusian monastery. The official establishment took place on December 9, 1397, with papal approval following the next year. The monastery was settled by monks from the Carthusian houses in Erfurt, Hildesheim, and Würzburg. The nearby parish church of St. Mary was incorporated into the monastery, whereby the Carthusians assumed responsibility for the pastoral care of the surrounding communities. Through donations and later land purchases, approved by the regional lords from 1413 onwards, the monastery significantly expanded its land holdings. It owned estates in over forty localities, extending to the Bay of Lübeck, and also received income from the island of Fehmarn. However, in the 16th century, the monastery faced financial difficulties, partly due to the obligation to host high-ranking individuals and the initial taxation of ecclesiastical property from 1526. During the Count's Feud in 1534, the Carthusian monastery was plundered and set on fire. Despite the introduction of the Reformation in Schleswig-Holstein in 1542, the Carthusian Monastery of Ahrensbök initially continued to exist until it was finally dissolved in 1564.

The former monastery is located in Ahrensbök in the district of Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein. It lies at an elevation of approximately 65 meters above sea level.

After its dissolution in 1564, the monastic buildings were repurposed. Today, only a few traces of the former Carthusian monastery are visible, as the complex has been significantly altered or demolished over the centuries.

• Herrenhaus Glasau (manor house and estate, approx. 5913 m away)
• Herrenhaus Pronstorf (manor house and estate, approx. 9355 m away)
• Herrenhaus Wensin (manor house and estate, approx. 11308 m away)
• Herrenhaus Seedorf (manor house and estate, approx. 11578 m away)