Oesede Abbey

The monastery was founded in the second half of the 12th century by Count Ludolf von Oesede and his wife Thedela, who provided their ancestral castle for this purpose. It was consecrated to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Cross, and John the Baptist. The Count's daughters, including Goda as the first prioress and Regenwita as the sacristan, found a home here. From January 15, 1170, the first nuns began their work. In addition to the nuns, lay sisters also lived in the monastery, coming from the region and performing household and agricultural tasks. The monastery was active for over 633 years and was secularized in 1803 as a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss. A state commission declared it closed on February 14, 1803, and the nuns had to vacate the monastery by April 1, 1803.