Barsinghausen Abbey

Barsinghausen Abbey is a Protestant women’s convent in the Hanover region and one of the five Calenberg monasteries managed by the Klosterkammer Hannover. Founded around 1190 as a double monastery by Count Wedekind of Schwalenberg, it became a nunnery by 1229 and is the oldest women’s convent in Calenberg. The Reformation was introduced in 1543, after which the abbey came under Klosterkammer control. Its church, St. Mary’s, also serves as the parish church. After heavy damage in the Thirty Years’ War, the convent buildings were rebuilt between 1700 and 1704.

Since 1996, sisters of the Evangelical Community of Barsinghausen have continued the monastic rhythm of prayer and work. The community follows the evangelical vows of shared goods, celibacy, and obedience. Since 2021, Henrike Wahl has been abbess.

The baroque convent buildings, designed by Georg Sigismund Schmidt, form a quadrangle around the church and include a garden with a well and sundial. On site is also Haus Inspiratio, a retreat center offering rest, seminars, and artistic programs for pastors and church staff, one of only three such facilities in Germany.

Address
Bergamtstraße 8, Barsinghausen, Germany

Established
c. 1190