Memleben Abbey

Imperial Abbey of Memleben
Reichskloster Memleben
Imperial Abbey of the Holy Roman Empire
late 10th century – 1015
Ruins of St. Mary's Church
Capital		Memleben Abbey
Government		Theocracy
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Founded by Otto II	c. 979
•	Gained Reichsfreiheit	Uncertain 10th century
•	Granted market, mint and customs rights by Otto III	994
•	Privileges confirmed by Henry II	1002
•	Dispossessed in favour of Hersfeld	1015
•	Abbey dissolved	1548
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Saxony Hersfeld Abbey
Today part of		Germany

Memleben Abbey (German: Kloster Memleben) was a Benedictine monastery in Memleben on the Unstrut river, today part of the Kaiserpfalz municipality in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The convent, now ruined, was established by Emperor Otto II and his consort Theophanu about 979.

The settlement of Mimilebo was already mentioned in an urbarium register of Hersfeld Abbey under the rule of Archbishop Lullus of Mainz (died 786). A Hersfeld tithe register, compiled about 881/899, again documents the locality of Mimileba in the Saxon shire (Gau) of Friesenfeld, west of the Hassegau.

Memleben acquired considerable importance under the Saxon dukes of the Ottonian dynasty about 900. Duke Otto the Illustrious (d. 912) served as Hersfeld abbot, his son Henry the Fowler married Hatheburg, a daughter of Count Erwin of Merseburg and heiress of large estates in Hassegau und Friesenfeld. Her brother-in-law, Count Thietmar of Merseburg was one of Henry's tutors. In 909 the couple separated and Hatheburg again took the veil, nevertheless Henry retained her Eastphalian estates. He spent much time in this area; when he succeeded Conrad I as King of East Francia in 919, he had a royal villa in Memleben. Later greatly enlarged, this Royal Palace (villa regia or Königspfalz) became his favourite residence next only to Quedlinburg.