The abbey was founded in 1245 by the Margravine Irmengard von Hohenbaden. The convent was founded as a burial place for her family. In 1248 the abbey was incorporated into the Cistercian order (Wienand, 336).
In 1345 the community had eighty nuns and an abbess. On July 8, 1366 Abbess Adelheid and the convent, at the advice of their visitor, Abbot Gottfried of Neuburg, set the number of inhabitants at 60 (actually 51 nuns and 9 servants). The only exceptions would be made for members of princely families. (McDonnell, 93).
Many of the nuns came from comital and other noble families by the fourteenth century.
In order to provide a better existence for the nuns of the community and to relieve them from "pressing need," Pope Clement VI incorporatd the parish church at Malsch on November 21, 1345. The ius patronatus of the parish church belonged to the abbey, with all income and appurtenances. (McDonnell, 93).
Several manuscripts from this community are held in Baden-Baden in the convent archives and library. The convent archive preserves a Missal, #1, from the thirteenth century. The convent library preserves a Gradual of the Cisterican order, #2, written in 1494 and illuminated by Johannes de Mogstat. It also preserves two Antiphonals from the fifteenth century, # 3-4; a Lect. written in the thirteenth century by a Conradus, #7; a manuscript from Maulbronn, #29; Charta cartiatis from the thirteenth century, #92; Decr. Gratiani from the thirteenth century, #102; #108, a Director. chori, written in the fifteenth century by Margaretha dicta Regula; a professions record from the fifteenth century, #117; and a Psalter from the fifteenth century, owned by Ursula Roederin, sine numero. The cathedral library in Eichstätt preserves a Gradual from the fourteenth century, sine numero. The Generallandesarchiv in Karlsruhe possesses a Martyrology from the thirteenth century from the convent, # 64/19; a necrology, # 64/47; and a copy of the Cistercian customs, # 65/323. The Landesbibliothek in Karlsruhe possesses four Miscellanies from the fifteenth century # K. 1269,K. 1270, K. 1272, and K. 1273. It also preserves several works owned by the convent: Lictent. 1, Lect., thirteenth century/ Lictent. 2, Gradual, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 3, Missal, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 4, Vitae b. Bernhardi, thirteenth-fourteenth century/ Lictent. 5, Antiphonal, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 6, Vita b. Hedwigis, fifteenth century, owned by Abbess Maria von Baden (1496-1519)/ Lictent. 7, Ordo Cist., sine datum/ Lictent. 8, OP (fem.) "Adelhausen," sine datum/ Lictent. 9, Off. defunct., fourteenth-fifteenth century/ Lictent. 10-14, Biblia, thirteenth-fourteenth century/ Lictent. 15, manuscript from Lützel, sine datum/ Lictent. 16, Director. OCist., 1378/ Lictent. 17, Breviary, fourteenth century/ Lictent. 18, Breviary, 1472/ Lictent. 19, Antiphonal, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 20, Breviary, 1472/ Lictent. 21-22, Antiphonal, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 23-24, Breviary, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 25, Psalter/ Lictent. 26, Psalter, thirteenth-fourteenth century/ Lictent. 27, Collectar., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 28, Hymnar., thirteenth-fourteenth century/ Lictent. 29, Breviary, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 30, Evangeliar, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 31, Aristoteles, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 32, Hymnar., thirteenth-fourteenth/ Lictent. 33, Psalter, c. 1493/ Lictent. 34, Hymnar., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 35, Meditationes, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 36-37, Psalter, fourteenth century/ Lictent. 38, from Herrenalb, sine datum/ Lictent. 39, Off. tria brev., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 40, Psalter, c. 1459/ Lictent. 41, Diurnal, 1472/4 / Lictent. 42, from Fremersberg, sine datum/ Lictent. 43, Psalter, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 44, Diurnal, written in the fifteenth century by Margaretha dicta Regula and Elisabeth Entzberg/ Lictent. 45, Horar, written in 1523 and owned by Abbess Anna von Mörsberg (1544-1551)/ Lictent. 46, Gradual, thirteenth century/ Lictent. 47, Breviary, 1480, written by Margaretha dicta Regula and Elisbeth Entzberg/ Lictent. 48, Horar, c. 1490/ Lictent. 49, Diurnale, 1477, written by Nic. Hirszmann/ Lictent. 50, Diurnal, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 51, Psalter, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 52, Diurnal, thirteenth-fourteenth century/ Lictent. 53-54 manuscripts from Herrenalb, sine datum/ Lictent. 55, Horar., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 56, Blumen des Psalters (German and Latin), fifteenth century/ Lictent. 57, Diurnal, 1491, written by Johannes Zurn/ Lictent. 58, Off. defunct., 1512, written Johannes Widmann/ Lictent. 59, Antiphonal, fifteenth-sixteenth century/ Lictent. 60, manuscript probably from Ebersheimmünster, sine datum/ Lictent. 61, Sermons for Lent, 1492, written by Bernhard Hüsslin/ Lictent. 62, Hymnar. fifteenth-sixteenth century/ Lictent. 63, Nic. de Lyra, 1465, written by Cuonr. Gantz/ Lictent. 64, Blackforest Sermons, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 65, Bonaventura, Soliloqu., 1460, written by Margarthea dicta Regula/ Lictent. 66, Jac. de Voragine, Golden Legend, 1450/ Lictent. 67, Mechthild v. Hackeborn, Liber spir. gratiae, 1470, written by N. Knör/ Lictent. 68, Ps-Heinr. Tauler, Book of Spiritual poverty, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 69, Book of holy maidens and women, 1460, written by Margaretha dicta Regula/ Lictent. 70, Evangeliar, c. 1450/72, written by Margaretha dicta Regula/ Lictent. 71, Psalter (German-Latin), 1441/ Lictent. 72, Manuscript from Herrenalb, sine datum/ Lictent. 73, Vocab. "Ex quo", 1456/ Lictent. 74, Life of the Fathers, 1461, written by Margaretha dicta Regula/ Lictent. 75, Thomas Cantimprat., 1485/ Lictent. 76, Bartholomaeus, Practica, 1462/ Lictent. 77, Theological Sayings, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 78, Marqu. von Lindau, De exitu, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 79, Ps-Albertius M., Paradisus anime, 1450, written by Margaretha dicta Regula/ Lictent. 80, Sermons, 1452/ Lictent. 81, Der Altväter Leben, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 82, Raym. de Capua, Katharina de Senis, The spiritual rosegarden, 1450, written by Margartha dicta Regula/ Lictent. 83, Marqu. von Lindau, De reparat. hom., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 84, Jordan. von Quedlinburg, Meditat. de pass. Christi, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 85, manuscript from Herrenalb, sine datum/ Lictent. 86, Thomas Ebendorfer, Sermons, fifteenth century, owned by Reinbolt alias Veringen/ Lictent. 87, Joh. Brugman, Life of holy Lidwina von Scheidam, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 88, Gramm. lat., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 90, Meditation and Prayers concerning the suffering of Christ, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 92, Liber precum, fifteenth-sixteenth century/ Lictent. 93, Graduale et sequentiale, sixteenth century/ Lictent. 94, Liber precum, 1512/ Lictent. 95, Sermons, fifteenth-sixteenth century/ Lictent. 96, Meister Eckhart, Betrachtungen, 1507/ Lictent. 97, Horarium, fifteenth century/ Lictent. 98, Liber precum (German-Latin), fifteenth century/ Lictent. 99, Liber precum (German), fifteenth century/ Lictent. 100, Antiphonal (German), fifteenth century/ Lictent. 104, Liber precum (German-Latin), fifteenth century/ Lictent. 105, Liber precum (German), fifteenth-sixteenth century/ Lictent. 107, Liber precum (German), fifteenth-sixteenth century/ Lictent. 108, Off. brev., fifteenth century/ Lictent. 109, Liber precum (German-Latin), fifteenth century/ Lictent. 136, Von sant Ursulen Schiffelin, 1496/ Lictent. 141, Antiphon, fifteenth century. The State Library in Munich also preserves a manuscript, #Clm 28639, and the Pierpont Morgan library in New York may contain a Psalter from this house, #M. 280. The Chapter library of S. Paul in Lavanttal holds a Martyrology from the twelfth-thirteenth century, #31/1, and the Bibliothque Nationale et Universitaire in Straßburg contains a Legend aurea written by Margaretha dicta Regula in the fifteenth century, #2542.
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The community was secularized in 1803.
The convent of Lichtenthal had an extensive library (see Manuscript sources). It possessed several Psalters, Breviaries, Graduals, Sermons, and lives of the saints. Several works were produced by a "Margaretha dicta Regula" during the course of the fifteenth century, including a Diurnal, Breviary, Solioquies of Bonaventura, Book of holy maids and women, Evangeliar., Leben der Altväter, Paradisus anime, The spiritual rosegarden, and Legend aurea.
More research necessary