Networks and Interconnec­tions of Cistercian Monasteries in Saxony (12th–16th Centuries)

Project lead: Prof. Dr. Mirko Breitenstein

Employees: Dr. Victoria Smirnova

In 2023, the holdings of the library and archive of St Marienthal Abbey were successfully secured for the Free State of Saxony and thus for the general public. They are not only outstanding testimonies to Cistercian history, but also exemplify the once rich monastic culture of Saxony. Of course, they can only be brought to life through scientific research. Against this backdrop, the Saxonia Cisterciensis project aims to make Saxony's monastic culture, which has hardly been analysed to date, accessible in an exemplary manner. The aim is to record and analyse the network of Cistercian monasteries in Saxony.
The archival and library records of St Marienthal Abbey are certainly unique in terms of their contents and history. The aim is to use them as a starting point to shed light on the spiritual, but also political and social connections that have significantly shaped the history of Saxony over the centuries. In this way, Saxony's once rich monastic culture can be identified, analysed and brought to the attention of a wider public as an essential and identity-forming element of this cultural area. In this way, the project also contributes decisively to the preservation and development of the cultural heritage of the Free State of Saxony. The research is being carried out in close cooperation with the Manuscript Centre at Leipzig University Library and the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB) in Dresden. This type of project cooperation between a university research centre (FOVOG) and library-based research projects in a joint project is innovative and makes it possible to evaluate the relevant sources appropriately.
From a broad perspective, such an analysis promises new insights into the monastic culture of Saxony. The expected project results will not only significantly expand our knowledge of this hitherto little-noted but central part of Saxon history, but will also provide a new foundation. In addition to the academic results in the fields of history, book research, collection history and the history of writing, the project will be of interest to the Saxon public and far beyond in its progress and results.

You will find further information here.