Hildegard founded a second women's convent at Eibingen across the Rhine from Rupertsberg.
In 1165, Hildegard founded a second monastic community at Eibingen, located across the Rhine from her established convent at Rupertsberg. This expansion demonstrated her continued institutional ambition even in advanced age, as she was in her late sixties at the time.
The founding of Eibingen allowed Hildegard to extend her religious and organizational influence, providing a home for additional women seeking the monastic life under her spiritual guidance. She reportedly traveled regularly between the two communities to oversee their governance, a testament to her enduring energy and commitment to her monastic vision even late in life.
This second foundation reinforced Hildegard's legacy as an institution-builder, not merely a solitary visionary or writer. The Eibingen community survived in various forms long after Hildegard's death and today the Abbey of St. Hildegard, located near the original Eibingen site, continues to house Benedictine nuns who maintain her legacy, including the cultivation of medicinal herbs and the practice of her music. The foundation of Eibingen stands as evidence of Hildegard's practical achievements in establishing lasting institutions for women's religious and intellectual life in the Rhineland.