Marienfeld Abbey

The Abbey of Marienfeld was founded in 1185 by monks who came from Hardehausen Abbey. The foundation stone for the abbey church was laid as early as 1184, a year before the arrival of the twelve Cistercian monks. Originally known as Campus Sanctae Mariae, the monastery was officially founded on November 1, 1185. The consecration of the monastery buildings by Prince-Bishop Hermann II of Katzenelnbogen took place in 1186. The solemn consecration of the grand abbey church occurred on November 4, 1222, under Abbot Winricus by Prince-Bishop Dietrich III of Isenberg, assisted by other bishops. Until its dissolution in 1803 as a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, 48 abbots lived and worked in Marienfeld. From the 12th to the 15th century, the monastery experienced a period of spiritual flourishing, marked, among other things, by the participation of a monk in the Council of Basel. Numerous Cistercian convents were also subordinate to the Abbot of Marienfeld, including St. Aegidii in Münster and Marienborn in Coesfeld.

The former Cistercian Abbey Marienfeld is located in the Marienfeld district of the town of Harsewinkel, in the Gütersloh district, within the East Westphalia region of North Rhine-Westphalia. The geographical location of the monastery is at an altitude of approximately 70 meters above sea level.

After secularization in 1803, the monastery became state property. Since a foundation in 1804, the former abbey church has been used as a parish church and is owned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Part of the economic buildings now serve as residences for ecclesiastical personnel, while other buildings are privately owned and used as homes or for a hotel business. The former cloister buildings no longer exist, as they fell into disrepair and were demolished.

• Benedictine Convent Herzebrock (sacred building, approx. 7268 m away)
• Clarholz Abbey (sacred building, approx. 7964 m away)
• Patthorst Castle (castle, approx. 9869 m away)
• Bosfeld Castle (castle, approx. 10216 m away)