Klosterdämmerung ("The Twilight of the Monastery") – Part I

Lower Silesia is part of the historical region of Silesia, located in present-day Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Its borders roughly coincide with the former Prussian province of Lower Silesia with further areas in the north-west (parts of Upper Lusatia) and south, which also belonged to Silesia for a time, as well as part of the Voivodeship of Opole, which formerly belonged to the Duchy of Neisse. Its historical capital is Wrocław.

Upper Silesia (Polish Górny Śląsk, Czech Horní Slezsko) is the southeastern part of Silesia in modern Poland and the Czech Republic. The area lies on the Odra River and a part of the eastern Sudeten Mountains. Opole (Polish: Oppeln) is regarded as the historical capital of Upper Silesia.

Henryków is a small village in Lower Silesia. It is part of the municipality of Ziębice (Münsterbeg) and is inhabited by 1,400 people. There is a Cistercian monastery in the village.

Kamieniec Ząbkowicki (German: Kamenz, also Camenz) is a town in southwestern Poland populated by 4,200 people. It is located in the Dolny Śląsk Voivodeship (Lower Silesia) on the Eastern Neisse (Polish: Nizina Kłodzka).

Krzeszów is a part of the municipality of Kamienna Góra (Landeshut) in the Polish Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The locality is inhabited by 1,400 people and is located in the southwest of the country. The Grüssau Monastery is located in the municipality.

Trzebnica is a town inhabited by 13,300 people in the Polish Lower Silesia Voivodeship. It is located not far from Wroclaw, the main city of the region. A famous Cistercian monastery is located in the municipality.

Ruda is a small village in Upper Silesia, Poland. It belongs to the Racibórz municipality and is inhabited by about 2,700 people. There is a monastery in the village.

Jemielnica is a village in Opole Voivodeship in Poland. About 3,500 people live in the village, which since 2006 has been officially bilingual (German and Polish as official languages). There is also a famous monastery located there.

Gliwice is a large city in the Polish Voivodeship of Silesia in the south of Poland. The city is situated on the Klodnica River and is inhabited by about 177,000 people. It is part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region and is located between Opole and Krakow.