The history of the monastery in Paradyż began on January 29, 1230, when Mikołaj Bronisz, the Voivode of Greater Poland, donated nine villages and the settlement of Gościkowo on the Paklica River to the Cistercian Order from the Brandenburg Abbey in Lehnin. The monks arrived in the area six years later and named the settlement Paradisus Matris Dei (Paradise of the Mother of God). They constructed wooden buildings, including a chapel, and around 1250, they commenced the construction of a brick church, completed in 1288. The Gothic-style church was consecrated in 1397.
In the subsequent years, the abbey became a significant center of intellectual life. Many scholars were associated with it, the most renowned being James of Paradyż, later a professor at the Academy of Kraków. The monastery's location on the western fringes of the country meant it held substantial political importance. It also contributed to strengthening the Polish character of these lands. The monastery's position was also reflected in its economic development. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Paradyż estate encompassed over 29,000 hectares of land, 4,000 hectares of forests, and 21 villages.
The abbey's development was interrupted by the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), during which it was plundered by the Brandenburg and Swedish armies. The destruction was compounded by a fire on April 10, 1633, which spread to the monastery buildings and church. King Ladislav Vasa, associated with Paradyż through his tutor, Abbot Marek Łętowski, contributed to the monastery's rebuilding. In 1722, another fire ravaged a significant portion of the buildings. The church was reconstructed in a late Baroque style.
Following the second partition of Poland, Paradyż fell within the borders of the Prussian state. Its authorities confiscated the monastery's property in 1796 and dissolved the abbey in 1834. Between 1836 and 1926, the buildings housed the Royal Catholic Teachers' Seminary. Post-World War II, the complex was transferred to the Catholic Church. It currently serves as the seat of the Zielona Góra and Gorzów Seminary and the Sanctuary of Our Lady Carer of Priestly Vocations.
