The oldest Cistercian cathedral in Bohemia dates back to the middle of the 12th century, the time of the largest expansion of the Cistercian Order. The first community of monks came from the Waldsassen monastery in Bavaria. In contrast to the then tradition of linking the establishment of the monastery with the colonization of the adjacent territory, the Sedlec monastery was established in a heavily populated area. The founder’s settlement was established in the centre with several smaller churches around whose brickwork is still preserved as part of the baroque convent to the present day.