Eppenberg Charterhouse

The total number of canonesses in Ahnaberg was set at 40, and the remainder moved to a newly established daughter-house at Eppenberg.

The newly independent priory rapidly flourished, mostly because of gifts and acquisitions of land in the nearby villages of Altenbrunslar, Böddiger, Besse and Gensungen.

Growing prosperity however led to a decline in morals and discipline, and eventually to prodigality, mismanagement, and economic collapse.

Landgrave Ludwig I of Hesse, greatly offended at the conditions in the priory, the neglected estates and buildings, and the loss of discipline, rigour and order, obtained a papal bull in 1438 to dissolve the Premonstratensian priory and replaced it by a charterhouse, which was settled by hermits from Erfurt in 1440.

In the Seven Years' War (1756–63) French troops were holed up there for seven weeks after losing the Battle of Grebenstein; two dugouts on the slopes of the Heiligenberg remain as a reminder of their camp.