Monastery operation
MonasteryHolzheim
Kreitz Abbey (Holzheim)
Kreitz Abbey is a monastery in the Holzheim district of Neuss, located directly on the A 46 motorway.
The monastery was founded in 1899 by Benedictine nuns and elevated to a priory in 1901. On May 26, 1943, the monastery became the victim of a bombing raid by American bombers. At that time, about 60 sisters lived in the monastery, 23 of whom were killed.
Architecture+
The abbey church was already built between 1896 and 1898 by the Cologne architect Heinrich Krings in the Neo-Romanesque style. Subsequently, the south and half of the east wing were added, and the monastery could be occupied on March 1, 1899. Only the east and north wings survived the 1943 bombing, but also only with severe damage. The damaged buildings were restored, and an emergency chapel was built in the north wing.
The destroyed abbey church was rebuilt in a simplified form on its old foundation. In 1961, a new wing with a guesthouse was built in place of the destroyed south wing. As a result of the expansion of the nearby federal road into a motorway, the apse was removed and replaced by a straight choir end. Furthermore, the altar was moved forward into the crossing, and a new portal was placed in front of the southern transept. Of the former furnishings, only a carved confessional remains today.
The Abbey Complex Today+
Today, 23 sisters and one postulant live in Kreitz Abbey. The sisters finance themselves through host baking, paraments embroidery, and the operation of the monastery's guesthouse.
Since 2001, Sr. Bernharda Wichmann has been the prioress of the monastery.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 51.1692, 6.6550