According to Cistercian tradition, the Łódź abbey dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint. Nicholas was founded by Mieszko III the Old, Duke of Greater Poland, in 1145. The tradition refers to the location document, allegedly signed on April 23, 1145. The author of the article proposes a new solution to the problem of the date of foundation of the abbey in Ląd. His findings confirm W. Kętrzyński's suggestion that the monastery must have been built around 1175. The preserved text of the founding act comes from the mid-13th century. Its version "A", according to Z. Kozłowska-Budkowa, could have been created before 1251, but not earlier than 1248-9. Version "B" - the argument continues - dates back to around 1261. The idea of founding a monastery cannot be earlier than the 1250s. It seems that the sponsor, Mieszko III, obtained the approval of the Archbishop of Gniezno, Jan, and his successor, Zbigniew, in the following decade. Originally, the monastery was probably located in the abandoned city of Ląd. Only some time after 1232 the monks moved to a new place, which became their permanent residence. The first monk came to Ląd probably from the Łekno Abbey in 1175. The monk from the Altenberg Abbey could not have come to Ląd earlier than 1193, i.e. as a result of the crisis of the Ląd foundation. The second foundation of the monastery, supported by significant grants, took place in the years 1193-96. Since the monastery was built in an area that, from a legal point of view, was the area of the city where there was already an existing church, there was no need to create a new plan. The old one was simply reconsecrated. It is probable that the first statute of the foundation was written down around 1175 and was probably lost or destroyed some time later. The monastery was moved to its current location after 1232, when the monks became the owners of this strip of land. This move was probably related to the destruction of the city of Ląd, which - according to archaeological research - took place in the first half of the 13th century. As soon as they moved to a new place, the monks began building a church and a monastery. The latter was consecrated before 1255. Large grants listed in the false foundation statute may result from an attempt to backdate all grants and privileges that have accumulated over a long period of time.
References
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