Siegfried III of Mügeln founded the Cistercian monastery in 1241. The rules of the order were poverty, chastity and obedience. Ora et labora = pray and work.
The nuns introduced fruit growing, planted medicinal herb gardens and bred fish in the monastery pond. Here too, discipline began to crumble during the Reformation. Six Sornzinger nuns fled after they heard of Katharina von Bora's successful escape from Nimbschen Monastery. The person who helped her escape had his head chopped off.
Today, the lavishly renovated sisters' house is a comfortable place to live. Events such as the flower festival and the annual Christmas market in the monastery courtyard are a magnet for visitors.