Abdinghofkirche, Paderborn

The Abdinghof Monastery of Saint Peter and Paul is a former Benedictine abbey in Paderborn, existing from its foundation by Bishop Meinwerk of Paderborn, born in Renkum, the Netherlands, in 1015 until its secularization on March 25, 1803. However, new archaeological findings suggest that the Abdinghof Monastery was not built until the late 11th century. If this is true, Bishop Meinwerk could not have laid the foundation stone of the monastery.

During its existence, the monastery was presided over by a total of 51 abbots. It gained cultural importance through its library, the affiliated school, a hospice, its workshop for book painters and bookbinders, and important church treasures. In addition, the monastery was for a long time a landowner in the Weser region and on the Lower Rhine as far as the Netherlands. Today, the church is an Evangelical Lutheran parish church.