Wormeln Abbey

The foundation of Wormeln Monastery dates back to 1246, established by the four sons of Count Albrecht III of Everstein. Although not officially integrated into the Cistercian Order initially, the convent adhered to its rules, living according to the Rule of St. Benedict and additional Cistercian regulations. The nuns primarily came from ministerial families and bourgeois households, who provided endowment funds upon their daughters' entry. A dedicated single-nave church was constructed at the beginning of the 14th century and consecrated in 1315, receiving the patronage of the Apostles Simon and Jude. Over the centuries, the monastery acquired extensive land and rights, including shares in the Salzkotten saltworks. Following an economic crisis in the early 16th century, the monastery was reformed under Abbot Heinrich of Marienfeld.