The beginnings of the convent in Trzcińsko, which moved from Cedynia, are connected with the fact that Bishop of Kamieniec, Wilhelm, granted the patronage over churches and tithes from a few villages to the Cistercian nuns from Schónbeck (Piękny Potok near Trzcińsko Zdrój). The nuns from the convent in Złoty Potok which was probably founded by Prince of Szczecin, Barnim I, came from the convent in Szczecin.
After taking up this territory Brandenburgian margraves moved the convent of Grey Nuns to Cedynia which was on the premises of an old stronghold which existence is certified by the documents from 1235-1249.
Some of the nuns stayed in Trzcińsko, whereas some moved to Cedynia in order to supervise the construction of the cloister. Probably the cloistral church and the part of the eastern wing were erected before 1278. Most probably at the end of September, 1278 the church was consecrated. The first reference to the convent of Cedynia comes from this year, too. The nuns from Trzcińsko finally came to the new convent in 1281.
In 1295 Pope Boniface VIII issued a papal bull which the functioning of the cloister.
At the beginning the cloister of Cedynia was in a bad economic situation. There were not many grants apart from the foundation grant and the one from 1306 which was quite poor. This difficult situation is confirmed by the fact that in 1311 one member of the convent, Mettha was sent to the bishop of Kamieniec, Henryk von Wachholtz, in order to ask for financial help. The bishop, however, refused any help as the convent was pro-brandenburgian in its politics. In this situation, the Cistercian nuns asked for help the knights from Pomerania and New Mercia.
With the passing of time the cloister became the patron of a few churches and villages. In 1350 the convent gained the right to collect feudal rent from the town fields in Trzcińsk, and in 1356 the patronage over Cedynia. At the end of the 14th century the income from the properties was big enough to live peacefully. Nuns had their income from villages, rents, fees and from swine, sheep and cattle breeding as well as from crops cultivation and running mills and taverns. The products were kept in stockrooms in the western wing of the cloister and other buildings.
Due to the lack of sources the knowledge we have about the Cedynia convent is poor. What we know is that in the middle of the 15th century the cloister was burnt down and the buildings were soon renovated.
In 1699 the next fire broke out in Cedynia and the cloistral complex, the results of which were disastrous. The church was not rebuilt and was gradually pulled down, only the mansion was rebuilt.
The mansion and the electoral domain stopped functioning in 1812. The mansion and the grange were sold, and in 1812-1816 the grange was parceled out.
In 1850 the mansion was bought back from the private owners and a post office was set up in there. It acted as a post office until Poland's twenty years of independence after War World I period when once again it became a private mansion.
In 1945 at the end of the World War II the post-cloistral buildings were burnt down. In the 1970s, after the archeological and architectonical research, it was decided that it was a very important and the oldest and the only of this type of construction in Pomerania and it needed renovation and reconstruction which soon took place.
At the beginning if the 1990s the ruins became private once again. The new owner started to rebuild the object which would serve touristic and cultural purposes.

↑ Top

Today of the abbey


There is only the eastern wing preserved as far as the church and cloister are concerned. It is restored, and a hotel and a restaurant are situated there. It is private.

↑ Top

↑ Top