The third Premonstratensian monastery in the area around Arnsberg - alongside Kloster Wedinghausen and Kloster Rumbeck - is considered to be one of the most important art history and church music gems in the Sauerland region.
The history of the monastery
The Premonstratensian monastery in Oelinghausen is situated in a beautiful setting in the middle of green meadows. With its valuable art treasures, Oelinghausen was considered to be one of the wealthiest nunneries in Westphalia during the 18th century.
In 1174, it was initially founded as a double monastery. In other words, the monks and nuns lived in separate areas, but in a single monastery complex. This was not uncommon at that time. From the 13th century onwards, Oelinghausen was a nunnery only. In the years that followed, the nunnery with its large amount of property was subject to mixed fortunes. During the Cologne War, troops of the Cologne Electorate Prince Gebhardt Truchsess laid waste to Oelinghausen, alongside many other churches and monasteries. Truchsess conducted a war against the Cologne electorate with the aim of turning it into a secular principality. Later, the nunnery was converted into an abbey for noblewomen under Abbess Ottilia von Fürstenberg. During the 17th century, it was returned to the order, which first brought nuns there from Kloster Rumbeck nunnery. However, this period did not last for long. In 1804, Count Ludwig X of Hessen-Darmstadt dissolved Oelinghausen.
The former nunnery church has been used as a parish church for only a hundred years. Today, the restored nunnery building houses the sisters of the Holy Maria Magdalena Postel, whose main nunnery is in Bestwig. They are therefore the present-day nuns of Oelinghausen.
Crypt and nuns’ gallery
You can reach the crypt below the nuns’ gallery when you descend a few steps down from the entrance area. The crypt is a part of the previous original Romanesque building, and alongside the vestry is the oldest part of the nunnery. It contains what is probably the most valuable work of art of the period in which it was built, the “Cologne Madonna” from the early 13th century. The crowned queen sits on the throne with Jesus on her lap. According to the story, the Romanesque wooden sculpture was a gift from the Cologne Archbishop Engelbert von Berg, whose sister was a member of the Oelinghausen convent. The Madonna is still revered today as the “Queen of the Sauerland”.
When you leave the crypt, you reach the nuns’ gallery via two staircases. Here, you can see the Romanesque triumphal rood in a niche in the wall. In former times, the liturgical vestments used to be kept in the wall cabinets. An ensemble of figures is grouped around Jesus Christ, who is depicted as being in fear of death. The choir seating at the sides is part of the Baroque furnishings, which were commissioned during the 18th century. Particularly attractive is also the life-sized radiant Madonna surrounded by six cherubs under the arch of the nuns’ gallery.
The Freundeskreis Oelinghausen society offers group tours with different themes:
Church:History of the building / furnishings / history of the nunnery / general information
Nunnery garden museum and nunnery garden: Themed guided tours in the garden and museum
Oelinghausen: General information (prior agreement)
Price: 5.00 € per person (minimum 30.00 €)
Information and registration:
Dr. Günter Bertzen - Telefon: 02932-29159 (E-Mail: vorsitzender@freundeskreis-oelinghausen.de) oder
Dr. Elisabeth Heinen - Telefon: 02932-31644 (E-Mail: fuehrungen@freundeskreis-oelinghausen.de)
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