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Himmerod

The abbey Himmerod was founded in 1135 as the first branch monastery of Clairvaux in the German-speaking area by Saint Bernhard. The first church, built in the Romanesque style, was inaugurated in 1178. Master builder was the monk Achard from Clairvaux. Himmerod soon founded three more monasteries: 1148 in Châtillon on the Meuse, 1189 in Heisterbach, as well as 1170 a woman monastery in Saint Thomas on the Kyll. The abbey experienced its heyday in the first half of the 13th century. The monks owned extensive land property and vineyards, in particular along the river Mosel and the river Rhine. From the middle of the 13th century the economic situation got worse. From 1640 to 1688 a new monastery building was established.

Between 1739 and 1751 the once mighty baroque church was built. Just the west façade of this building is preserved and integrated into the today's abbey church. In 1802 Himmerod has been cancelled in the course of the secularization, auctioned and released for the demolition. In 1919 Trappists bought back the cloister ruin. In 1922 the new establishment was founded by the abbey Marienstatt. From 1925 to 1927 the cloister was rebuilt in former size. In 1936 another cloister was established in Itaporanga/Brazil by the monastery Himmerod. In 1952 began the reconstruction of the abbey church Himmerod and finished in 1960. Today eleven monks still live in Himmerod.