Essen Abbey - List of The Abbesses, Later Princess-Abbesses, of Essen

List of The Abbesses, Later Princess-Abbesses, of Essen

The dates of the rule of the abbesses are incompletely preserved. The sequence of the abbesses between Gerswid II and Ida is uncertain, particularly in regard to the Abbess Agana.

  • Gerswid I (about 850; relative of Saint Altfrid)
  • Gerswid II (about 880)
  • Adalwi (d. 895(?))
  • Wicburg (about 896–906)
  • Mathilde I (907–910)
  • Hadwig I (910–951) – it was probably under her that the abbey became reichsunmittelbar
  • Agana (951–965)
  • Ida (966–971)
  • Mathilde II (971–1011; granddaughter of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor)
  • Sophia (1012–1039; daughter of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor; Abbess of Gandersheim Abbey from 1001)
  • Theophanu (1039–1058; granddaughter of Otto II)
  • Svanhild (1058–1085) – founded Stoppenberg Abbey
  • Lutgardis (about 1088–1118)
  • Oda (of Calw?) (1119–1137)
  • Ermentrudis (about 1140–after 1154)
  • Hadwig von Wied (1154–about 1172; Abbess of Gerresheim Abbey)
  • Elisabeth I (1172–before 1216; Abbess of St. Maria im Kapitol (Cologne) and of Vreden Abbey)
  • Aleidis (1216–1237)
  • Elisabeth II (c. 1237–1241)
  • Bertha of Arnsberg (before 1243–1292)
  • Beatrix of Holte (1292–1327)
  • Kunigunde of Berg (1327–resigned 1337, died 1355; Abbess of Gerresheim)
  • Katharina of the Mark (1337–1360)
  • Irmgard of Broich (1360–1370)
  • Elisabeth of Nassau (1370–resigned nk; d. 1412)
  • Margarete of the Mark-(Arensberg) (1413–resigned 1426; d. 1429)
  • Elisabeth Stecke von Beeck (1426–1445)
  • Sophia von Daun-Oberstein (1445–1447)
  • Elisabeth von Saffenberg (1447–1459)
  • Sophia von Gleichen, sister of the Abbot of Werden (1459–1489)
  • Meina von Daun-Oberstein (1489–resigned 1521; d. 1525)
  • Margarete von Beichlingen (1521–1534) (Abbess of Vreden)
  • Sibylle von Montfort (1534–1551)
  • Katharina von Tecklenburg (1551–1560)
  • Maria von Spiegelberg (1560–1561)
  • Irmgard von Diepholz (1561–1575)
  • Elisabeth von Manderscheid-Blankenheim-Gerolstein (1575–resigned 1578 and married)
  • Elisabeth von Sayn (1578–1588) (Abbess of Nottuln Abbey)
  • Elisabeth von Manderscheid-Blankenheim (1588–1598)
  • Margarete Elisabeth von Manderscheid-Blankenheim (1598–1604; Abbess of Gerresheim, Schwarzrheindorf and Freckenhorst)
  • Elisabeth von Bergh-s’Heerenberg (1604–1614; Abbess of Freckenhorst and Nottuln)
  • Maria Clara von Spaur, Pflaum und Vallier (1614–1644; Abbess of Nottuln and Metelen Abbeys)
  • Anna Eleonore von Stauffen (1644–1645; Abbess of Thorn Abbey)
  • Anna Salome von Salm-Reifferscheidt (1646–1688)
  • vacant: Regency of the General Chapter (1688–1690)
  • Anna Salome of Manderscheid-Blankenheim (1690–1691; Abbess of Thorn)
  • Bernhardine Sophia of East Frisia and Rietberg (1691–1726)
  • Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach (1726–1776; Abbess of Thorn)
    • Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine (?) named abbess by her sister in law Maria Theresa of Austria
  • Maria Kunigunde of Saxony (1776–resigned 1802; d. 1826; Abbess of Thorn)

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