Kamp Abbey

Kloster Kamp stands on the lower Rhine near Kamp-Lintfort, the first Cistercian monastery founded in German lands. The abbey was established in 1123 by Friedrich I, Archbishop of Cologne, and settled from Morimond Abbey. It became one of the region’s wealthiest houses, attracting large endowments and founding many daughter houses across Germany and the Netherlands. The abbey was rebuilt in the 15th century but suffered severe damage during the Reformation. After abandonment in the Cologne War, monks returned in the 17th century and rebuilt parts of the complex. The site is recognised for its terraced gardens and orangeries, features that have survived repeated destruction. A small Carmelite community lived among the ruins between 1954 and 2002. The last monk left in 2010, leaving behind the remains of the medieval monastery. The abbey church now serves as a parish church for the town. The history of the site is documented in local chronicles by Geisbauer and Willicks. Visitors find the abbey church still in use, its medieval fabric partly visible. The terraced gardens and orangeries recall the abbey’s former grandeur. The surrounding area preserves traces of the monastery’s extensive lands and dependencies. The site offers a quiet space to walk among the remnants of a once-powerful institution. The low walls and garden layouts suggest the scale of the original complex. The parish church stands as a reminder of the site’s continuing role in local life.