▁the ▁building ▁complex ▁was ▁located ▁within ▁its ▁walls ▁and ▁in ▁later ▁centuries ▁many ▁canon esses ▁lived ▁outside ▁the ▁monaster y . ▁ ▁The ▁abb ess ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁Lady ▁of ▁Mun ster bil zen , ▁but ▁also ▁had ▁rights ▁over ▁the ▁villages ▁of ▁W ellen , ▁H acc ourt , ▁Hal lem b aye , ▁and ▁Kle ine - Sp ouwen . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁prin cess ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁regarded ▁herself ▁as ▁so ver eign ▁r uler ▁over ▁these ▁five ▁villages . ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁this ▁right ▁was ▁disput ed ▁by ▁the ▁Saint ▁Lam bert ' s ▁chapter ▁of ▁Li ège ▁and ▁the ▁prince - bishop , ▁and ▁after ▁many ▁processes ▁the ▁abb ess ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 3 ▁definit ively ▁recognized ▁the ▁so vere ig nt y ▁of ▁the ▁bishop . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 4 , ▁after ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁following ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution , ▁the ▁chapter ▁was ▁dissol ved ▁and ▁the ▁ab bey ▁goods ▁were ▁sold . ▁In ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁buildings ▁were ▁demol ished , ▁including ▁the ▁ab bey ▁church . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁De ▁Lam berts ▁de ▁Cort en bach ▁family ▁owned ▁the ▁ab bey . ▁Since ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁in ▁the ▁remaining ▁buildings ▁a ▁n urs ing ▁institution ▁for ▁psych iat ric ▁dis orders ▁has ▁been ▁established , ▁initially ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁con greg ation