Himmerod Abbey was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1135 by Saint Bernard and is a direct foundation of Clairvaux. David of Himmerod, a Cistercian mystic known for his holiness rather than miracles, was sent to the abbey by Bernard.
The first church, built in the Romanesque style, was completed in 1178. In its turn it founded a daughter house, Heisterbach Abbey, in 1189. The abbey owned extensive land and vineyards. The Baroque church was completed in 1751, but after secularisation in 1802 under French occupation fell into ruin.
In 1922 the monastery was re-founded by the settlement here of German Cistercian monks from the former Trappist monastery of Mariastern in the present Bosnia. The church was re-built under Abbot Vitus Recke (abbot from 1937 to 1959), and completed in 1962, and contains a famous organ by Johannes Klais.
The oldest maintained convent building, the 'Old Mill', was changed after sweeping renovation in 1998 into a museum. It contains information on the history of the Cistercians, the museum of enamel art, the mill's equipment, and also a number of cultural events.
The Cistercian convent was dissolved again in 2017 due financial situation. Today the abbey has a café, a book and art shop, plant nursery and museum. The fishery is leased out, and it too, remains in operation. The monastery hostel is run by the abbey's support association. Besides gift articles, books and recordings, the monastery shop sells juices, mustard and honey, and also the strong Abbey beer, liqueurs, brandies or Viez to support the preservation of Himmerod.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.