Quia sic fert consuetudo? The enclosure in the Cistercian Monasteries of Cistercian Nuns in the Early Modern Era: Rules, Perception and Practice

Abstract

The study deals with the development of monastic enclosure and with legislative rules, which are connected with it, with emphasis on the situation of Early Modern Era. It describes the situation at first in the framework of the whole Roman Catholic Church and of the Cistercian Order, then on the example of the Cistercian province Bohemia-Moravia-Lusatia.

It follows then the putting into practice of general regulation on the concrete examples of the monastic communities of St. Marienthal and St.

Marienstern in Upper-Lusatia.

Keywords

• monastic enclosure
• Early Modern Era
• hierarchy of rules
• cistercian province Bohemia-Moravia-Lusatia
• monasteries of St. Marienthal and St. Marienstern
• everyday life in a monastic community