Altforst

Title

Altforst

Also Known As

Alevosi, De Woerd, Monnickwordium, Munnikenwoerd

Dates

Founded mid-12th century; dissolved 14th century; later a grange; seized by state in 1646

Dedication

Nicholas; Mary

Affiliation

Berne

Medieval Diocese

Cologne

Circary

Frisia

History

Altfort was founded as a Premonstratensian women's community in the 1130s by Bescela van Zummeren, wife of Fulco, lord of Teisterbant. The community was laid waste by war in the mid-14th century. Altforst afterwards became a grange of Berne.

Part of the former monastic complex is now incorporated into the structure of a largely 17th-century farmhouse on the site, known as De Munnikenwoerd.  

Heads of Community

Magistra

Bescela van Zummeren, fl. 1130s

Priors

Andreas van Broechoven, fl. 1419

Status

Women's community; later grange.

Bibliography

Kwekkertje: Dorpsblaadje van Altforst. “Historie van Altforst: boerderijen.” May 2018. https://altforst.info/images/altforst/kwekkertje/Kwekkertje-4-mei-18-def.pdf.
Schulte, A. G. “Woerd: Voormalige proosdij Munnikenwoerd.” In Het Land van Maas en Waal, 313–17. De Nederlandse monumenten van Geschiedenis en kunst. ’s-Gravenhage: Staatsuitgeverij, 1986. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/schu211land02_01/schu211land02_01_0018.php.

Image Credit

Exterior, 1977. Wikimedia.

Last Updated

Oct. 2026.

Files

Collection

Frisia

Citation

“Altforst,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/423.

Geolocation

Item Relations

This Item DependentOn Item: Berne