Ruins in Mitte? Berlin may have an infinite amount of history to offer, but we don’t often hear about ruined houses and ghostly monasteries in the middle of the city. But they do exist: we’re talking about the ruins of the Berlin monastery . More precisely, the Franciscan monastery church in Berlin-Mitte, near Alexanderplatz and the Rotes Rathaus. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and an impressive mixture of medieval Gothic architecture and a war memorial. And that’s not all: the ruins are also said to be the scene of dark Berlin legends. ..
800 years of history in the middle of Berlin
The Berlin monastery ruins date back to the 14th century. This makes it one of the oldest surviving buildings from Berlin’s founding period! Its construction began around 1250, which is also reflected in its architectural style. The monastery church is characterized by the architectural style of Brick Gothic.
In 1574, the monastery became home to the Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, one of Berlin’s most famous schools. Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Otto von Bismarck, for example, went to school here. Before the school was founded, a personal physician set up Berlin’s first print shop there. Today’s monastery ruins also housed a botanical garden and a laboratory with exotic animals. In the Middle Ages, the monastery also served as an important princely burial place.
Like so many things in Berlin, however, the monastery did not survive the war. It was largely destroyed in an Allied air raid in April 1945. Today, however, the surrounding walls of the Berlin monastery ruins still stand and serve as a memorial against the war. In the middle of the metropolis, the ruins bear witness to a bygone era – a piece of the Middle Ages in the big city.
The dark legend of the Berlin monastery ruins
Today, the Berlin monastery ru ins are an exhibition venue, concert hall and theater stage all in one. You can experience medieval Berlin up close on tours. Artists and curators are constantly redesigning the space – the former monastery has seen everything from film projects, art exhibitions and readings to interactive performances. And the unglazed Gothic window openings offer an impressive view of modern landmarks such as the Berlin TV tower.
But these are just the official details about the Berlin monastery ruins. It has long been the scene of a medieval legend, which makes the ruins perfect for a Halloween excursion and always excites friends of lost places in Berlin. This is where the former knight Roderich is said to have walled up a younger monk alive in the cellar of the monastery complex out of revenge or jealousy.
Roderich himself was later beaten to death by the angry crowd. Legend has it, however, that his ghost still haunts the ruins at night. It is said that his wailing can still be heard from underground… With or without a ghost: The ruins of Berlin Abbey are a fusion of the Middle Ages and the present.