Klooster Graefenthal

The Graefenthal monastery was founded in 1248 by Count Otto II of Gelre at the insistence of his wife Margaret of Cleves. The name Graefental (Gravendaal) refers to the thirteen Guelders and dukes buried here, including Otto II himself and Reinald II and III. The Cistercian Monastery housed nuns who looked after the graves. In 1473 the Ambt Goch, to which Graefenthal belonged, passed into Cleves hands and in the second half of the fifteenth century the monastery became involved in the Burgundian Wars. The monastery was set on fire several times. The Cistercian nuns continued to live in the monastery until Napoleon secularized it in 1802. Since then, the Graefenthal monastery has been privately owned. For the current opening hours and event, visit http://www.kloster-graefenthal.de/.