Kamp Abbey

It was founded in 1123 by Friedrich I, Archbishop of Cologne, and settled from Morimond Abbey.

As the first Cistercian foundation in the region it attracted great endowments and became very wealthy and powerful.

It was extremely active in the foundation of daughter houses: Kamp was largely rebuilt in the 15th century but suffered extensive damage in the Reformation.

The abbey was abandoned early in the Cologne War (1583–1588); many of the monks went to the city of Neuss, where they underwent the siege and bombardment of July 1586; another portion went to Rheinberg, which was the focus of three battles to take the city, the last in 1589.

The abbey was secularised during the German mediatisation of 1802 and the buildings were sold, and mostly demolished.