Benedict Stolzenhagen, known in religion as Jacob, was born at Jüterbog in Brandenburg of poor peasant stock.
The abbey became extremely wealthy: its estates extended as far as Magdeburg, Jüterbog and Braunschweig.
Its territory comprised only some parts of the archdiocesan area, such as the city of Magdeburg, the bulk of the Magdeburg Börde, and the Jerichow Land as an integral whole and exclaves comprising about the Saalkreis including Halle upon Saale, Oebisfelde and environs as well as Jüterbog and environs.
The towns Ziesar, Bad Belzig, Niemegk, Treuenbrietzen, Jüterbog, Baruth/Mark, Dahme/Mark, Wittenberg, Loburg, Möckern, and Zerbst, as well as the municipalities Wiesenburg (Mark) and Rabenstein/Fläming, are situated in or at the border of the Fläming Heath.