Similar to the Bishops’ Priest Seminar, the Bishops’ Convent dates back to the ‘St. Banti Seminarium’ whose aim was ‘as many young men should be accepted as finances could support’. In 1806 Bishop Karl Mannay established the Cathedral School that he later on named ‘Little Seminar’.

As the original funds were not sufficient a new private organisation was set up in the early 19th century. Its purpose was ‘to consider ways of funding less well off young men for the clergy’. The convent finally began its educational work with 16 boys at Easter in 1840.

The Bishops’ Convent owns about 40 hectares of vineyards on the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer with the following individual vineyard sites: Piesporter Goldtröpfchen and Trier-Avelsbach on the Mosel, Ayler Kupp and Ayler Herrenberger on the river Saar, Eitelsbacher Marienholz and Kaseler Kehrnagel on the river Ruwer.

The vineyards originated mostly from foundations and donations. The oldest property is the Eitelsbacher estate ‘Eitelsbacher Gut’ near Ruwer which belonged to the Bishop and Prince Elector Philipp Christoph von Sötern (1623-1652).

In 1653 the estate was donated to the Cathedral chapter. After the secularization, it belonged to Bernhard Johannes Endres, the director of the Bishops’ Convent who donated it to the Bishops’ Convent with the obligation it should serve to aid grammar school education of children in need.