Mariensee Abbey

Kloster Mariensee was established as a Cistercian nunnery before 1214, likely around 1213/14, by Count Bernhard II of Wölpe. It was dedicated to Saint Mary and John the Evangelist. The nuns lived in strict enclosure. Extensive land ownership and income from Hannover facilitated the construction of a brick hall church. Following the extinction of the Counts of Wölpe around 1300, the monastery's economic situation deteriorated. Attempts at reform in the 15th century were initially resisted by the nuns. During the Reformation in 1543, the monastery was not dissolved but continued its operations in an evangelical manner. The Thirty Years' War brought plundering and destruction to the site. A major fire in 1720 completely destroyed the medieval monastery buildings, leaving only the church intact.