Medingen Abbey or Medingen Convent () is a convent for women of the Evangelical Lutheran faith () near the Lower Saxon town of Bad Bevensen and is supervised by the Monastic Chamber of Hanover (Klosterkammer Hannover). The current director of the abbey (Äbtissin) is the art historian Dr Kristin Püttmann. The abbey was built as a Cistercian nunnery.
History
A founding legend ascribes the convent's origins to a lay brother called Johannes; the convent's history from its founding to the election of abbess Margaretha Puffen was formerly depicted in a cycle of 15 painted wooden boards, that were destroyed in the fire of 1781; the only surviving copy is the affix in Johann Ludolf Lyßman's Historische Nachrichten (1772).Lyßmann, Johann Ludolf, gewesenen Predigers zu Closter Meding, und nachherigen Superintendenten zu Fallersleben: Nachricht von dem Ursprunge, Anwachs und Schicksalen des im Lüneburgischen Herzogthum belegenen Closters Meding, dessen Pröbsten, Priorinnen und Abbatißinnen, auch fürnehmsten Gebräuchen und Lutherischen Predigern &c. nebst darzu gehörigen Urkunden und Anmerkungen bis auf das Jahr 1769 fortgesetzt. Mit Kupfern. Halle, 1772. The legend has it that Johannes claimed divine guidance in his quest to build the new convent. The community was founded 1228 in Restorf am Höhbeck by Johannes and four nuns who joined him in Magdeburg, but the group did not stay there. For unknown reasons, they moved on to Plate near Lüchow and later Bohndorf, before they eventually settled in Altenmedingen, where the first buildings were consecrated on 24 August 1241.Vogtherr, Thomas: Medingen. In: Dolle, Josef (ed.): Niedersächsisches Klosterbuch. Vol. 3, Bielefeld 2012, p. 1044.
The military road passing through the convent yard presented an ever-present danger of attacks or arson, so the convent decided to move one last time, to the village of Zellensen, today's Medingen. The new church was consecrated on 24 August 1336.Der Umzug in das heutige Medingen / Moving to today's Medingen at www.kloster-medingen.de. Retrieved 4 June 2013
1479 saw the advent of the convent reforms under the influence of the devotio moderna. Many convents at that time did not follow the Cistercian rule very strictly; nuns were allowed to keep their belongings and keep in touch with their relatives once they joined the convent. The Cistercian order was re-established and the prioress Margarete Puffen was made an abbess in 1494. at www.inschriften.net. Retrieved on 5 June 2013 After the reforms, a scriptorium became one of the focal points of the convent and to this day a large number of manuscripts found worldwide can be attributed to the sixteenth-century nuns of Medingen. Hymns (Leisen) noted down in these texts are still part of both Catholic and Protestant hymnbooks today, e.g. in the current German Protestant hymnal EG 23 "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ", EG 100 "Wir wollen alle fröhlich sein" and EG 214 "Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet", even though they were wrongly dated to the 14th century by the music historian Walther Lipphardt.Achten, Gerard (1987). De Gebedenboeken van de Cistercienserinnenkloosters Medingen en Wienhausen in: Miscellanea Neerlandica 3 (= FS Jan Deschamps), pp. 173–188.
The Reformation attempted to be introduced in Medingen in 1524, was met with resistance from the nuns. They hid their confessor in the attic, publicly burned the Lutheran bible and almost faced the dissolution of the convent. In 1541, the Uelzen Landtag decided to ensure the economic security of Medingen and the five other convents nearby. This was in the nobility's interests, because their unmarried daughters could benefit from the livelihood and education befitting their status. In 1542, all of the convent's goods and earnings were confiscated and contact between the nuns and their family was prohibited. The abbess, Margareta von Stöterogge, did not give in to the demands of bringing all remaining property to Celle, but rather went to Hildesheim for two years, taking the convent's archive and valuables with her. It took her brother, Nikolaus von Stöterogge, to convince her finally to accept the communion under both forms.Letter by Nikolaus Stöteroggen to his sister Margarete Stöteroggen written June 1554, published in the collection of charters and letters of Medingen Abbey by Homeyer (2006) No. 705 Eventually, in 1554, the convent became Protestant and from then on, the Klosterordnung (convent order) was defined by the Landesherr or territorial lord.Die Reformation / The Reformation at kloster-medingen.de. Retrieved on 5 June 2013
After the Reformation had been introduced, life changed drastically: The incumbents were now allowed to marry, but had to leave the convent when they did so. In 1605, they replaced the traditional Cistercian habit with an attire in accordance with the convent order introduced by Duke William in 1574. The Thirty Years' War left its mark on the convent and its surrounding area. A new convent order was introduced by Kurfürst (elector) George Louis in 1706.Das Leben nach der Evangelisierung / Life after the Reformation at kloster-medingen.de. Retrieved on 5 June 2013
Most of the convent buildings were destroyed in a fire in January 1781, although valuable possessions like the archives and the abbesses' crosier from 1494 were able to be salvaged. The ruins were demolished in 1782 and the convent re-built in the early neoclassic style. Completed in 1788, the new buildings were consecrated on 24 August.Der Brand 1781 und der Wiederaufbau / The fire of 1781 and Reconstruction at kloster-medingen.de. Retrieved on 5 June 2013
List of heads of convent
+ List of provostsNameFromUntilHelmerich1236?1240Nikolaus I12411249Johannes12611261Nikolaus II12611286Hartwig von der Sülze12861306Christian1306resigned 1326Ludolf von Lüneburg13261355Dietrich Bromes13551358Dietrich von Langlingen13591370Johannes Ostermann13701380Dietrich Brand (von Melle?)13801396Johannes Meyer13961416Lüdiger Tolner1416resigned 1446Ludolf Lützken14461464Dr iur utr Johannes Mahler14641467Tilemann von Bavenstedt14671494Ulrich von Bülow14941516Johann von Mahrenholtz15161516Bruno von Alten15161518Johann von Mahrenholtz15181529
+ List of prioressesNameFromUntilImma I12631284Imma II12841315Imma (Irmgard) III13151323Imma IV Ruffen13231332Wigburg13271327Mechthild I von Meding13331343Elisabeth I von Bernowe13441366Alburg von dem Sande13681371Elisabeth II13761379Elisabeth III13791399Druda von Dageförde13991428Mechthild II Semmelbecker14281435Caecilia von dem Berge14351445Elisabeth IV Langendorf14451464Mechthild III von Römstedt14641479Margaretha I Puffen14791494, later abbess
+ List of abbessesNameFromUntilDenominationMargaretha I Puffen1494, former prioress1513CatholicElisabeth I von Elvern15131524CatholicMargaretha II Stöterogge15241567CatholicGetrud I von Töbing15671588Protestant LutheranElisabeth II von Töbing15881630Protestant LutheranAnna I von Sarstedt16301635Protestant LutheranMargaretha III von Dassel16361667Protestant LutheranMargaretha IV von Dassel16671680Protestant LutheranCatharina Prigge16811706Protestant LutheranClara Anna von Lüneburg17071719Protestant LutheranAnna von Laffert17201721Protestant LutheranElisabeth Catharina von Stöterogge17221741Protestant LutheranSophia Catharina von Meiseburg17411750Protestant LutheranSibylla Hedewig von Laffert17511755Protestant LutheranMargaretha Elisabeth von Braunschweig17551793Protestant LutheranLuise Charlotta von Heimburg17931797Protestant LutheranSophie Eleonore von Töbing17981810Protestant LutheranRahel Charlotte von Töbing18101814Protestant LutheranLuise Amalie von Wallmoden18141825Protestant LutheranAuguste von Töbingen18261849Protestant LutheranOttilie von Brömbsen18501906Protestant LutheranAuguste von Schmidt-Phiseldeck19071917Protestant LutheranEmma von Laffert19171930Protestant LutheranLuise von Brömbsen19311943Protestant LutheranIlse von Döring19441972Protestant LutheranHelge von Bülow19721989Protestant LutheranGisela Rothbarth19891999Protestant LutheranMonika von Kleist19992012Protestant LutheranDr. Kristin Püttmannsince 2012 Protestant LutheranVogtherr, Thomas: Medingen. In: Dolle, Josef (ed.): Niedersächsisches Klosterbuch. Vol. 3, Bielefeld 2012, p. 1049.
Cultural heritage A large number of medieval manuscripts were produced in Medingen, 44 of which have survived and are conserved all over the world. The nuns enhanced the liturgy written in Latin with Low German prayers and songs, producing unique compilations of illuminated texts that were important to them as well as the noblewomen in the surrounding areas.Medingen Manuscripts, a project to digitise the manuscripts produced in Medingen. Retrieved on 2 July 2016
Furthermore, the brewery (), built in 1397, survived the fire of 1781 and can still be seen today. It attests to the fact that the convent was originally built in the Brick Gothic style.Historisches Brauhaus und ehemaliges Knechtshaus / Historic Brewery and Former Servants' House at www.kloster-medingen.de. Retrieved on 4 June 2013
References
Further reading Achten, Gerard: De Gebedenboeken van de Cistercienserinnenkloosters Medingen en Wienhausen, in: Miscellanea Neerlandica 3 (= FS Jan Deschamps), 1987, pp. 173–188. Brohmann, Friedrich: Geschichte von Bevensen und Kloster Medingen, 1928. Hascher-Burger, Ulrike / Lähnemann, Henrike: Liturgie und Reform in Kloster Medingen. Edition und Untersuchung des Propst-Handbuchs Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Lat. liturg. e. 18 (Spätmittelalter und Reformation. Neue Reihe), Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013 (in press). Heutger, Nicolaus Carl: Kloster Medingen in der Lüneburger Heide, in: 'Cistercienser Chronik.' Forum für Geschichte, Kunst, Literatur und Spiritualität des Mönchtums, Vol. 101 (1994), pp. 15–18 Homeyer, Joachim: 750 Jahre Kloster Medingen. Kleine Beiträge zur frühen Klostergeschichte. (Schriften zur Uelzener Heimatkunde, hg. v. Hans E. Seidat, H. 3), Uelzen, 1978. Homeyer, Joachim: Kloster Medingen, die Gründungslegende und ihre historischen Elemente, in: Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft für niedersächsische Kirchengeschichte 79 (1981), pp. 9–60. Homeyer, Joachim (Hg.): Kloster Medingen 1788 – 1988, 200 Jahre Neubau. Kleine Beiträge zum Jubiläum. Uelzen, 1988 Homeyer, Joachim: Urkundenbuch des Klosters Medingen. Hahn, Hannover 2006, . Homeyer, Joachim: 500 Jahre Äbtissinnen in Medingen (Schriften zur Uelzener Heimatkunde, hg.v. von Horst Hoffmann, H. 11), Uelzen, 1994. Krüger, Nilüfer: Niederdeutsches Osterorationale aus Medingen, in: FS für Horst Gronemeyer zum 60. Geburtstag, hg.v. Herald Weigel, Herzberg, 1993, pp. 179–201. Lähnemann, Henrike: An dessen bom wil ik stighen. Die Ikonographie des Wichmannsburger Antependiums im Kontext der Medinger Handschriften, in: Oxford German Studies 34 (2005), pp. 19–46. Lähnemann, Henrike/ Linden, Sandra: Per organa. Musikalische Unterweisung in Handschriften der Lüneburger Klöster, in: Dichtung und Didaxe. Lehrhaftes Sprechen in der deutschen Literatur des Mittelalters, Berlin/New York, 2009, pp. 397–412. Lähnemann, Henrike: Die Erscheinungen Christi nach Ostern in Medinger Handschriften, in: Medialität des Heils im späten Mittelalter, ed. by Carla Dauven-van Knippenberg, Cornelia Herberichs, and Christian Kiening, Chronos, 2009 (Medienwandel – Medienwechsel – Medienwissen 10), pp. 189–202. Lähnemann, Henrike: Schnipsel, Schleier, Textkombinatorik. Die Materialität der Medinger Orationalien, in: Materialität in der Editionswissenschaft, ed. by Martin Schubert, Tübingen, 2010 (Beihefte zu editio), pp. 135–146.