History of the abbey

The founder of this cloister was the brandenburgian margrave Albrecht III who on 22nd May 1300 granted the Cistercians from Kołback 15 villages in order to found a new abbey. The privilege encompassed deposits of gold, silver, iron and salt, mills, fishery, and hunting regalities, judicial and economic immunities.
Although, the document of 1345 mentioned monks and cloister, the process of foundation still continued. In 1351 margrave Ludwik Rzymski freed the monks from fares and duties they had to pay for taking timber to towns and villages. In 1368 margrave Otto confirmed the Cistercians of Kołback the grant from 1300 with his letter of attorney for building a new cloister and settling the monks as well as he took this branch of the cloister in his care and excluded it from the jurisdiction of his clerks. Soon, the cloister came into being.
The Cistercians argued with the neighbouring knights and wanted to take into possession the income that was mentioned in the foundation document. However, they did not manage to achieve everything. In 1389 they managed to obtain by persuasion the examination of their complaint by Pope Bonifacy IX. Perhaps, in the same year, in order to compensate for their loss, margrave Jan Luksemburski granted them a wide strip of boggy land north-east of the cloister on the right bank of Kłodawa River.
In the 15th century they had the right to settle craftsmen in their properties, free trade without any fees and duties at all fairs of New Marcia, duty-free trade of firewood and lumber.
The properties of the cloister were plundered in 1433 during a Polish-Czech excursion to New Marcia as a part of the war with the Teutonic Order. In 1445-1448 there was an argument with Kołback's Metropolis participation with the Teutonic Order which ruled New Marcia (1402-1454). They planned to move the abbey to Prussia and when they resigned from these plans, they tried to join it with Bierzwnik which, however, due to the Cistercian's opposition resigned.
In 1515 during the inspection, the abbot of Kołback, Walentyn Ludovici, ascertained the decline of the cloistral life and violation of the observance. Liturgies were conducted sluggishly. In his regulations the abbot ordered to remove women from the cloister, and banned leaving the cloister late at night, drinking with lay people in taverns etc. Soon, the cloister was suppressed.
After converting to Lutheranism, margrave Jan Kostrzyński (1535-1571) started to create his own domain on the grounds of the great church property. Jan Kuna, the last abbot of Mironice, was sympathetic towards these actions. Peacefully, on 26th June 1539 he handed over Mironice, Kłodawa, Santocko, Chrościk, Łupowo, Baczyna, Chwalęcie, Mosina, Witnica and the fourth part of Jenin, for the compensation of 200 guilders, receiving a hereditary parish in Baczyna with branches in Łupowo and Chróścik and a mansion in Chróścik. He became a first Lutheran pastor in Baczyna based in Chróścik. The monks got dispersed. Margrave's domain received Małyszyn, Wysoka, Pyrzany, Racławand the remaining part of Jenin.

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Today of the abbey

Unfortunately, the church and cloister have not survived to these days. After the fire in 1872 the ruins were removed.

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