Himmelpfort Abbey

The foundation of Himmelpfort Monastery took place in 1299 by Margrave Albrecht III of Brandenburg. As a daughter monastery of Lehnin, it was affiliated with the Cistercian Order and dedicated to Saint Mary. However, the establishment of the convent only began after 1308. Despite a generous initial endowment, which included numerous villages, lands, and lakes, the monastery never achieved the significance of other large Cistercian monasteries due to its location in a less productive border region, as well as wars and raids. In 1541, the monastery was dissolved as part of the secularization. The monastic property was initially mortgaged and later granted as a hereditary fief, before reverting to the Elector of Brandenburg in 1721 and being administered as a territorial office.