Lehnin Abbey

Brandenburg · Deutschland · Monastery

A noblewoman who loved a monk is said to atone for her forbidden love among the abbey ruins – every minute of joy costing years of wandering.

The Cistercian abbey of Lehnin southwest of Potsdam was founded in 1180 and is one of Brandenburg's most important medieval sites – with a ghost legend recorded as early as 1843. At midnight a White Lady is said to walk among the monastery walls: a noblewoman from the area who fell in love with one of the monks. For her forbidden love she was condemned, after death, to atone for every minute of happiness with years of restless wandering at the scene of her transgression. Sometimes she is seen alone, sometimes accompanied by a monk-like figure, and her presence was once believed to turn the village beer sour. The abbey is also known for the so-called Lehnin Prophecy, which has only deepened the site's mystique.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich Lehnin Abbey?

Lehnin Abbey liegt in Brandenburg, Deutschland.

Image: A.Savin / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons