During the French Revolution almost all monasteries and abbeys were suppressed and their possessions seized. Yet after the French Revolution many religious institutes were very successful in reestablishing themselves, sometimes accumulating large patrimonies, against the background of often hostile political force. This book deals with the question of how the religious orders and congregations rebuilt their patrimony, a necessary prerequisite for the growth of the number of religious, educational, and charitable services. The authors discuss the (real or supposed) wealth, the financial...