St. Ludgeri Abbey

The founding of St. Ludgeri Monastery is presumed to have occurred around 827, possibly by the missionary Liudger, who was active in Christianizing the Saxons during that period. It was established on an ancient Germanic spring sanctuary and benefited from its location on an important medieval trade route. Until the 15th century, the abbots of the monastery exercised dominion over the city of Helmstedt. St. Ludgeri was a sister monastery to Werden Abbey and was always managed in personal union. The monastery remained Roman Catholic even during the Reformation. After the Thirty Years' War, the complex was rebuilt in the Baroque style, with a Romanesque double chapel being preserved.