Prämonstratenserabtei Rothenkirchen

The foundation of Rothenkirchen Abbey took place around 1160. Initially, it was settled by sisters of the Premonstratensian Order who moved here from the nearby Hane Abbey. For them, the Premonstratensians acquired a chapel and associated land from Neumünster Abbey. This transaction was confirmed by Archbishop Arnold von Selenhofen of Mainz. Around 1180, an exchange of convents occurred, whereby the Premonstratensians from Hane moved to Rothenkirchen, and the sisters returned to Hane. This exchange was confirmed in 1182 by Pope Lucius III and in 1189 by Archbishop Konrad I von Wittelsbach. During the Peasants' War in 1525, the already dilapidated complex was plundered. The dissolution of the monastery occurred in 1554, after which it passed into Nassau ownership and was used as a manor. During the Thirty Years' War, the complex suffered severe destruction. In 1961, large parts of the monastery were demolished, with the exception of the refectory, a residential building from 1854, and remnants of the cloister. Since 1990, the town has owned the site.

The former monastery is located in the North Palatinate Uplands, northwest of the town of Kirchheimbolanden, within the Donnersberg district in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Today, an equestrian center is located on the grounds of the former Rothenkirchen Abbey. The late Romanesque refectory, a two-aisled building made of red sandstone with ribbed vaults, has been preserved as a well-maintained testament to Upper Rhenish-Wormser late Romanesque architecture and is a protected monument. It currently serves as a storage room. Architectural elements of the monastery are exhibited in the museum in Kirchheimbolanden.

• Stadtpalais Kirchheimbolanden (residence, approx. 3556 m away)
• Schloss Kirchheimbolanden (castle, approx. 3700 m away)
• Amtshaus Kirchheimbolanden (manor house, approx. 3703 m away)
• Höllrieglscher Adelssitz (manor house, approx. 3731 m away)