Rettershof (also Hof Retters or Röders) is a crown domain northeast of Fischbach, a district of Kelkheim in the Vordertaunus. It goes back to a former Premonstratensian monastery. From the 12th century until 1559, nuns were resident at Retters, and later various owners used the estate and its lands as a farmstead. Today, in addition to its continued agricultural use, Rettershof is a popular regional excursion destination.
Location
Rettershof is located in the area of the Kelkheim district of Fischbach, about two kilometers northeast of the town center. It is located on the edge of the so-called Retterswald in a wide valley of the Krebsbach (tributary of the Fischbach, which drains into the Schwarzbach) extending west of it between Ruppertshain and Fischbach. In the immediate vicinity of the farm runs the Rettersbach, a left tributary of the Krebsbach. Today, farmland adjoins to the west and extensive woodland to the east. The Königstein district of Schneidhain begins about one kilometer to the northeast.
Infrastructure Numerous hiking trails lead across the site, there is the inn "Zum fröhlichen Landmann" and a large parking lot with access from the B 455 between Fischbach and Schneidhain. There is also a bus stop served by lines 263 and 815 of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund.
History
Foundation and economic prosperity of the monastery (1146 to 1369)
Around 1136, the first choir women moved to Retters for economic reasons. The place name Retters derives from Council of God (= lat. Consilium Dei). The area was called Retters and Braubach - in reteresse et in brubach - and from then on also called Tal des heiligen Kreuzes - que nunc vallis sancte crucis apellatur.Schenkungsurkunde von Gerhard von Nürings aus dem Jahr 1146, Hauptstaatsarchiv München (Mainzer Urkunden: 23), Zeile 5 The choir women came from the monastery Steinbach in the Westerwald, which belonged to the Rommersdorf monastery near Neuwied. The lands extended as Retters over the meadows and pastures between Fischbach and Ruppertshain and Braubach as the valley of the Braubach running between Hornau and Schneidhain (the approximate location of the lands can be seen today at the Braubachweiher) and were owned by Count Gerhard of Nürings. As the last representative of his noble family, which mainly owned lands in the Wetterau, he donated his lands of Retters in 1146 in order to have an abby built on them. In a document from the year 1245Hauptstaatsarchiv München (Mainzer Urkunden: 84) a monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine is reported. It is considered certain that from 1272 at the latest, Premonstratensians (an order that developed in the 12th century and likewise refers to the Rule of Saint Augustine) lived in Retters.Hauptstaatsarchiv München (Mainzer Urkunden: 157–159) Initially, Retters was a double monastery in which canons and nuns resided. From about 1200 on, there was only a pure nunnery, which mostly consisted of religious women of lower nobility.
In later times, the legend spread that Gerhard of Nüringen, who fell into Arab captivity with 100 followers during the Second Crusade near Edessa and was held captive for two years, donated the monastery out of gratitude for his liberation. However, this contradicts the dating of the deed of donation of 13 November 1146, about a year before the start of the Second Crusade.Kelkheim im Taunus. Beiträge zur Geschichte seiner Stadtteile. (p. 37)
Since the completion of the monastery, the monastery church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary (first confirmed by documents in 1272Kelkheim im Taunus. Beiträge zur Geschichte seiner Stadtteile. (p. 51)). According to reports by the 17th century historian Petrus Diederichs, who lived in Retters, the church was also consecrated to St. Nicholas by the Archbishop of Mainz.siehe Aufzeichnungen Petrus Diederichs, Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz From 1162 at the latest, Retters was subject to the Rommersdorf monastery,Am 22. September 1162 wurde Retters und seine Güter als Besitz von Kloster Rommersdorf durch Papst Viktor IV. bestätigt (Rethers cum appendis suis). Siehe Aufzeichnungen Petrus Diederichs, Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz the oldest Premonstratensian monastery in the territory of the Archdiocese of Trier, as a filial monastery.
At that time, its protection was the responsibility of the Archbishop of Mainz. At first, it may have been a rather poor monastery cell, as can be seen from a record of the death of Burchard of Nürings, the brother of the monastery founder.Drauth, Karl: Die Grafen von Nüring. In: Forschungen zur deutschen Geschichte 23, 1883 (pp. 368–490) However, through donations and trade with the surrounding dominions, the monastery soon gained influence, so that an economic upswing quickly set in. In a letter from the Archbishop of Mainz, Conrad I of Wittelsbach, in 1191, 22 estates in the Vordertaunus and in the Wetterau were already listed, to which he guaranteed protection as Retters' property. In the following centuries, the monastery concentrated its possessions on the Vordertaunus; lands further away were sold or exchanged for surrounding areas.
From another letter of protection from the Archbishop of Mainz, Siegfried II of Eppstein, dated 30 December 1221, it can be seen that Retters owned estates in 40 places between Wiesbaden, Frankfurt and Butzbach, among them as the most important estates Münster, Hornau (both today Kelkheim districts), Beidenau (today a deserted village), Schneidhain and Liederbach. In total, Retters had 24 farms, two mills, 67 hectares of land (equivalent to about 407 hectares, mostly forest and meadows), 66 acres (about 13 hectares) of self-managed fields and 20 vineyards at that time. In addition, there were farms subject to ground rent as well as the patronage over the parish church of Dornheim (from 1191 to 1559, near Groß-Gerau).Hauptstaatsarchiv München (Mainzer Urkunden: 40)
On 13 September 1275 the Roman-German King Rudolf I, descended from the House of Habsburg, placed Retters under the protection of the Empire. During this period of economic prosperity, the number of nuns had to be limited to a maximum of 50, as more women sought admission to the monastery than it could provide for.
During these years, the mystic Christina of Retters (born 1269, died 1291 or 1292, later beatified) also contributed to the fame of the monastery because of her name. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether she ever worked at Retters.
In the 13th century, the lords of Eppstein closely bound Retters Monastery to themselves. In 1272, it received the lands of Treisberg and Seelenberg as a donation from Gottfried (the Elder) of Eppstein. On 13 May 1297 the Archbishop of Mainz, Gerhard II, who came from the house of Eppstein, remitted his dues to the monastery. In the 14th century the monastery then became increasingly dependent on the Eppstein lords and was soon regarded by them as a proprietary church in its own right. The lords of Eppstein were henceforth monastery lords of Retters, but the right of investiture and the spiritual leadership continued to be incumbent on Rommershausen monastery.Kelkheim im Taunus. Beiträge zur Geschichte seiner Stadtteile. p. 42
Decline and dissolution of the monastery (1369 to 1559)
In the middle of the 14th century, a massive economic decline began, accompanied by the sale of goods. Plague, population decline and wars had a negative impact on trade and monastery operations. In addition, Retters was repeatedly caught between the fronts during various feuds, and in 1374 it was plundered by Reifenberg robber barons. In 1369, a substantial part of the property had to be surrendered with the possessions of Treisberg, which were sold for 200 gulden to Frank VIII of Cronberg. Now mainly the remaining lands in the surroundings were cultivated from Retters itself, with the exception of Beidenau no farms were dependent on the monastery anymore. From 1350 to 1507 Retters was subject to the Free Imperial City of Frankfurt's army and in case of war was involved in the defense of the city and the surrounding countryside.Kopialbuch II, Nr. 58 fol. 22r im Stadtarchiv Frankfurt (1350)
In 1433, the House of Eppstein split into the lines of Eppstein-Münzenberg (formerly Falkenstein-Münzenberg, as it was based in Falkenstein) and Eppstein-Königstein, which Retters henceforth administered as a joint property. Due to disputes between the two branches of the family, the monastery increasingly fell into economic hardship, hunger and neglect spread. Around 1500, about 20 people still lived in Retters. When Eberhard IV, the last Count of Eppstein and patron of Retters, died in 1535 without leaving any descendants, the monastery and its lands fell to the Lords of Stolberg, as had been decided when his sister Anna married Botho of Stolberg.
After Botho died in 1538, his sons divided his property among themselves in an inheritance settlement on 26 August 1538. Retters was assigned to the new head of the family, Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein (he resided in Königstein). Ludwig had been converted to the Lutheran doctrine by his brother Christoph zu Stolberg, the provost of Halberstadt.Christoph zu Stolberg erbte die Dörfer Kelkheim, Hornau und Eppstein
Starting in 1540, Ludwig introduced the Reformation throughout his county and began to dissolve monasteries and convents. In 1542 and 1544 the plague raged in the Vordertaunus, Retters was also affected, more than half of the nuns died. Piece by piece, the lords of Stolberg released the best lands from the possession of the monastery, which was increasingly in dissolution and so weakened by high debts, mismanagement and a large number of resignations that disease and hunger broke out again and again and money for urgently needed repairs was lacking.
After disputes with the tenant of the Beidenau farm, Konrad of Hattstein, who had complained about the poor conditions to Count Ludwig, the latter finally seized Beidenau and enfeoffed the previous tenant with this estate. Thus, the monastery also lost its last large property.
After the death of the last abbess Anna of Riedesel on 27 September 1559, the women's convent was dissolved in the name of Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein. His Königstein Amtmann, Christof of Hattstein, confiscated all seals and documents immediately after the death of the abbess and urged the unsettled choir women to sign a deed of cession to the House of Stolberg. While Rommersdorf monastery was still convening a commission to appoint a new abbess, the bailiff had the convent evacuated on 23 October 1559, despite the protests of the remaining nuns.Petrus Diederich, Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz
Kelheim im Taunus. (p. 23) The three remaining nuns were finally forced to leave Retters, but were promised an annuity of 25 gulden per year by Ludwig.Kelkheim im Taunus. Beiträge zur Geschichte seiner Stadtteile. (p. 46) Subsequently, Rommersdorf monastery tried several times without success to regain its expropriated daughter monastery, pointing out the illegality of the deed of cession (the nuns were not authorized to sign such a contract).
Retters as a sovereign crown domain (1559 to 1883)