Gronau Abbey (Heidenrod)

Around 1130, Kloster Gronau was likely founded by Benedictine monks from Michaelsberg Abbey in Siegburg. It served as the proprietary monastery for the Counts of Katzenelnbogen and was first documented in 1252, with the name “Grunowe” referring to a “green meadow.” After the extinction of the Counts, the property fell to the Landgraviate of Hesse. Landgrave Philipp I introduced the Reformation in 1527 and dissolved the monastery in 1537. In 1542, he converted it into a “Hohes Hospital” for men. At that time, the monastery's possessions included lands, vineyards, forests, mills, and estates in numerous localities. Within the monastery walls, there were reportedly 19 buildings, including a tithe barn erected in 1549.