Freckenhorst - St. Bonifatius

A monastery was founded here by some Everward and his wife Geva around 854 as a house of secular canonesses, unmarried daughters of the saxonian nobility. There are parallels to the abbey in Gandersheim, - only a few years younger - and as well a secular house for noble unmarried ladies.

The abbey existed upto 1812, and during centuries had a very colourful history. After Luther´s reformation the canonesses favoured to be "Lutherians" in future, so that some Anabaptists of the Muenster rebellion could find a secret asylum here for some years. Catholicism returned finally to Freckenhorst during the 17th century.

In 1116 the collegiate and the church burnt down. A new church was built. This new church got consecrated in 1129 by Egbert, bishop in Muenster, a relative of and advisor to Lothair III.


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The most valuable jewel within this great romanesque collegiate church is this baptismal font. Quoting late Georg Dehio, one of the great german art-historians, this is "the most important baptismal of the 12th century" in Germany, "a goldwork in stone".

Over a "greek" base, two carved bands going all around. Inbetween is written:

+ ANNO AB INCARNAT(IONE) D(OMINI) M C XX VIIII EPACT (IS) XXVIII CONCURR(ENTIBUS) I P(OST) B(ISSEXTILEM) INDICT(IONE) VII II NON(AS) IBN(II) A VENERAB(ILI) EP(ISCOP)O MIMIGARDEVORDENSI EGBERTO ORTDINAT(IONIS) SUE ANNO II CONSECRATU(M) E(ST) HOC TEMPLUM

In the year 1129 after the incarnation of the Lord, 28. Epakten, 1. Concurrenten, after a leap year, 7. Indiktion, on the 2. nones of june, the adorable bishop of Muenster Egbert in his second year of ordination this church was consecrated

The inscription gives us the exact date of the consecration

- 04. June 1129 -

Epakten, Concurrenten and Indikations were all used in medieval calenders, Mimigardevordensi is a very old name for Muenster.

Sorry for the bad quality of the photos. To take them on a afternoon in winter was not a really good idea, but I could not wait for better light in spring.

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More interesting details can be found in:

Kirche und Stift Freckenhorst,
Jubilaeumsschrift zur 850. Wiederkehr des Weihetages der Stiftskirche am 04. Juni 1979, Warendorf 1979