Placed in the monastery of Helfa, in Upper Saxony, at the age of five, Gertrud began having Visions and writing at twenty-five. Book 1, written by a nun of Helfta, reveals the personality and virtues of Gertrud. Avoiding hagiographical commonplaces, the writer reveals both the strengths and the shortcomings of

Gertrud the Great (1256–1302) entered the monastery of Helfta in eastern Germany as a child oblate. At the age of twenty-five she underwent a conversion that led to a series of visionary experiences. These centered on “the divine loving-kindness,” which she perceived as expressed through and symbolized by Christ’s divine

Gertrud the Great (1256-1302) entered the monastery of Helfta in eastern Germany as a child oblate. At the age of twenty-five she underwent a conversion that led to a series of visionary experiences. These centered on "the divine loving-kindness," which she perceived as expressed through and symbolized by Christ's divine

Gertrud the Great (1256–1302) entered the monastery of Helfta in eastern Germany as a child oblate. At the age of twenty-five she underwent a conversion that led to a series of visionary experiences. These centered on “the divine loving-kindness,” which she perceived as expressed through and symbolized by Christ’s divine

Covering the whole history of the order, but focusing overwhelmingly on the medieval period, this companion offers an accessible synthesis of current scholarship on the Cistercian order. After a preliminary section tracing the history of the order, and in particular its rapid expansion throughout medieval Europe, topics are addressed such