Duchy of Münsterberg
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The Cistercian presence in Henryków dates back to 1227 when the first monks arrived from Lubiąż. Soon after founding the abbey, it was devastated by Tatar incursion of 1241, and later looted during Hussite Wars at the beginning of the 15th Century, and during the Thirty Years’ War in the first half of the 17th Century.
Between 1268 and 1273, Abbey Peter wrote in Latin the famed “Book of Henryków”, continued by his successor until 1310. The Book contains the oldest written sentence in Polish: “Day ut ia pobrusa a ti poziwai” (Here, let me grind and you take a rest). Understandably, the abbey is today sometimes referred to as the Monastery of the Book of Henryków.
The high point of Henryków abbey’s history was at the turn of the 17th and 18th Century when it underwent extensive remodelling in Baroque style. The history of the Cistercian abbey in Henryków came to an end at the hands of the Prussians who in 1810 dissolved all monastic orders. The Cistercian property was sold to Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen of Netherlands and the sister of Frederick William III, King of Prussia. In 1836, the Cistercian property in Henryków and in the area, along with the castle in nearby Witostowice, were acquired by the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar who turned the monastery facilities into a residence and lived in Henryków until 1945.
After World War II, the church and a small portion of the monastery was given to Polish Cistercians from Szczyrzyc and Mogiła, but most of the monastery buildings was given to the local State Agricultural Farm and later to agricultural school. Some facilities were turned into residential buildings. Since the beginning of the 1990s, most of the monastery facilities are owned by the Archdiocese of Wroclaw.
The Cistercians of Henryków had profound impact on the history of the Land of Münsterberg. Travelling the former Duchy of Münsterberg, you can find plenty of traces of their activity. Also, take a walk in the gardens and large English landscape park, surrounding the Henryków abbey, which are home to a number of rare specimens, mostly trees.
The tour of the monastery complex will take approx. 1 hour (not including the church, the gardens and the park). To visit the church, please make an appointment with the parish priest (entrance to the presbytery on the back of the church; phone no. 74 8105069). A convenient parking lot for cars and coaches is located at the regional road no. 395 leading out of Henryków and to Münsterberg. From the parking lot, take the path through the park to the monastery (ca. 200 m).
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