Ehrenstein Abbey

Ehrenstein Monastery is a monastic complex in the Wied valley in the northern Westerwald.

The monastery is located on the Wied in the district of the same name in the municipality of Asbach in the Neuwied district. The Mehrbach, which flows directly past the monastery, forms the border with the Altenkirchen (Westerwald) district. Surrounded by wooded ridges in a side valley of the Wied, the monastery is located at an altitude of about 145 meters above sea level. Neustadt (Wied) is two kilometers to the west. In the immediate vicinity of the monastery lies the ruin of Ehrenstein Castle.

The castle chapel, originally belonging to Ehrenstein Castle and located in the lower castle, was expanded in 1477 by Knight Bertram von Nesselrode and elevated to a parish church. In 1486, he had the "Liebfrauenthal" monastery built next to the church, which was completed in 1488 and thereafter inhabited by canons of the Order of the Holy Cross.

During the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, Ehrenstein Castle was destroyed by Swedish troops. The monastery buildings were plundered but largely remained intact. The monastery was secularized in 1812 as one of the last Cross-Bearer monasteries in Germany at the request of the convent by the government of the Duchy of Nassau. The dissolution of the monastery was in favor of the mediatized Prince of Wied-Runkel. The parish remained, and the last prior of the Cross-Bearers continued to serve as the local pastor (died 1824). In the course of the 19th century, parts of the monastery complex were demolished due to dilapidation.

In 1893, the monastery was re-settled by Franciscans. The Franciscans looked after the parish and a so-called Demeritenhaus (a correctional facility for clergy who had committed offenses). For this purpose, additions were made to the existing monastery buildings.

In 1953, the Archdiocese of Cologne returned Ehrenstein Monastery to the Cross-Bearers. In 1969, the monastery had to be abandoned again due to severe dilapidation. At the instigation of Cross-Bearer Father Werner Kettner, parts of the monastery were demolished and rebuilt starting in 1973. The 19th-century additions were completely demolished, and the Gothic parts of the monastery (cloister, chapter house, calefactorium) were extensively renovated. The Cross-Bearer convent was re-established in the same year. The Cross-Bearers looked after the parish, and the monastery accommodated guests for retreats. In the early 1980s, Ehrenstein Monastery served as a novitiate monastery for the German province of the order. However, the convent always remained small.

On December 28, 1998, the Cross-Bearers left Ehrenstein. The convent was dissolved by the order's leadership. However, the Ehrenstein parish wanted the monastery to be inhabited again. From 1999 to 2007, fathers of the Montfortian Order looked after the parish and Ehrenstein Monastery. In 2008, the Franciscan Sisters from Waldbreitbach (Marienhaus GmbH) took over the monastery buildings and plan to expand it as a conference center in the coming years.