Medingen Abbey (referred to as Kloster medingen in German) was founded in 1228 in Rostorf am Hohbeck until it was settled in the modern day village of Medingen on August 24th 1336. Medingen abbey was a Cistercian monastery, meaning that they women who lived within it’s walls followed an intense reconstruction of the Rule of St. Benedict. These women committed to a simple and quiet life of labor, reading scripture, prayer, and obedience. In 1478, the monastery underwent a reform under the prioress Margarete Puffen who went on to become the first abbess. The provost in the late 15th century, Tilman von Bavenstedt, ordered books for his home as a way to begin the successful production of manuscripts.
Over 50 manuscripts are currently linked to having been produced from the Medingen monastery. These books are extremely interesting, however, as many of them were produced fort the use of the nuns themselves. The lay-sisters, or the female relatives who lived in the nearby town of Luneburg. The manuscripts demonstrated below were created for women by women.