Norbertine Buildings
Throughout and beyond its 875 year existence, Norbertine abbeys, priories and convents have been established throughout the world in Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Canada, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Australia, India, Peru, Zaire, and the United States. A number of abbeys once existing behind the Iron Curtain were physically suppressed by the communist governments. Today those properties are being returned to the Order and the Norbertine presence is being felt in those territories once again.
The earliest foundation attempts in the United States date back to 1842 when Norbertines from Wilten Abbey in Innsbruck, Austria did considerable apostolic work in the southwestern part of Wisconsin. Suppression of religious orders in the home country caused this pioneer band of Wisconsin Norbertines to die out about 1890.
The first permanent foundation in Wisconsin, in fact, in the United States, was made by Father Bernard H. Pennings, O. Praem. (who would later become the first Norbertine Abbot in America) who had come to the so-called "Belgium Peninsula" in 1893 from Berne Abbey in Holland. Five years later, Father Pennings established St. Norbert Priory and St. Norbert College in West De Pere, Wisconsin. The Priory was raised to the status of an Abbey in 1925. Abbot Pennings served as the first Abbot until his death on March 17, 1955, at the age of 93.
Source: http://www.norbertines.org/our_history_norbertines.html