▁in ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia , ▁Germany . ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁half - do zen ▁self - r uling ▁pr inc ely ▁ab be ys ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁until ▁ 1 7 9 2 ▁when ▁Cor vey ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁a ▁prince - bishop ric . ▁Cor vey , ▁whose ▁territory ▁extended ▁over ▁a ▁vast ▁area , ▁was ▁in ▁turn ▁sec ular ized ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁med iat isation ▁and ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁newly ▁created ▁Princi p ality ▁of ▁N ass au - O range - F ul da . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁former ▁ab bey ▁church ▁was ▁listed ▁as ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁ab bey ▁ ▁Foundation ▁and ▁early ▁years ▁In ▁the ▁Sax on ▁Wars ▁which ▁last ed ▁more ▁than ▁thirty ▁years ▁after ▁ 7 7 2 , ▁Char lemagne , ▁king ▁of ▁the ▁Fran ks , ▁was ▁eventually ▁vict orious , ▁adding ▁the ▁Sax on ▁territory ▁to ▁his ▁emp ire ▁and ▁starting ▁the ▁Christian isation ▁of ▁the ▁Sax on ▁people . ▁To ▁that ▁end , ▁bishop rics ▁were ▁established ▁( at ▁H ild es heim ▁and ▁Hal ber stadt ). ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁setting ▁up ▁an ▁ab bey ▁in ▁Sax ony ▁was ▁first ▁mo oted ▁during ▁Char lemagne ' s ▁reign . ▁However , ▁the ▁plan ▁was ▁only ▁implemented ▁under ▁his