Zisterzienserinnenkloster Nordshausen

The first documented mention of the Cistercian convent of Nordshausen dates to 1257. It is believed that Count Albert von Schauenburg, later known as von Wallenstein, initiated its foundation. Evidence of an earlier structure, a Romanesque chapel from the 12th century, can be found on the southern outer wall of the church nave in the form of foundation stonework and bricked-up round-arch windows. This chapel, originally flat-roofed and considered a comital proprietary church belonging to the neighboring manor farm, was later vaulted. The tower, added to the west in the transitional style from Romanesque to early Gothic, initially served as a defensive tower before being converted into a bell tower during the monastic foundation. With the arrival of the Cistercian nuns shortly before 1257 and the construction of a convent house and a cloister area on the north side, the original entrance for the village population was relocated to the south wall. For the nuns, a choir was created on a gallery, whose expansion in the 15th century extended the nave to the east. This extension, a simple hall building with a flat choir end and a Gothic ribbed vault that remained intact during World War II, was modeled after French Cistercian churches. Around 1495, the southern church entrance received its late Gothic portal form, already showing elements of the Renaissance.

Nordshausen Monastery is located in the Nordshausen district of the city of Kassel in Hesse, Germany. It is situated at an elevation of approximately 185 meters above sea level at the foot of the Brasselsberg.

Today, the Nordshausen Abbey Church serves as a cultural and social center. In 2012, as part of a redesign of the north side, a bricked-up entrance was reopened, and a “meditative path” featuring a bronze sculpture by Gisela Eufe, “The Messenger,” was created.

• Schloss Schönfeld (Kassel) (Castle, approx. 3410 m away)
• Schloss Löwenburg (Kassel) (Castle, approx. 3848 m away)
• Schloss Wilhelmshöhe (Kassel) (Castle, approx. 4028 m away)
• Herrenhaus Freienhagen (Fuldabrück) (Manor house and estate, approx. 5284 m away)