Doberan Abbey (''Kloster Doberan'') is a former

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monastery in

Bad Doberan Bad Doberan () is a town in the district of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It was the capital of the former district of Bad Doberan. In 2012, its population was 11,427. Geography Bad Doberan is situated just west of Rostock's city c ...

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; ), also known by its Anglicisation, anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a Federated state, state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's States of Germany, sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpom ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (, , ) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Baltic region, Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resources of standing rock (though Glacial erratic, ...

church continues in use as

Doberan Minster The Doberan Minster is the main Lutheranism, Lutheran Church of Bad Doberan in Mecklenburg, Germany. Close to the Baltic Sea and the Hanseatic city of Rostock, it is the most important religious heritage of the European Route of Brick Gothic. It ...

(''Doberaner Münster''). After the conversion to Christianity of the Wendish prince Pribislav, Doberan was the first monastery founded in

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

, in 1171, as a daughter house of

Amelungsborn Abbey Amelungsborn Abbey, also Amelunxborn Abbey (''Kloster Amelungsborn''), is a Lutheran monastery in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located near Negenborn and Stadtoldendorf, in the ''Landkreis'' of Holzminden in the Weserbergland. It was the sec ...

. The abbey was refounded at Doberan in 1186 after the original community, at Althof, was killed in 1179 during the upheaval after Pribislaw's death. It quickly became a political, social and spiritual centre in the region. The abbey church, which continues in use as Doberan Minster (''Doberaner Münster''), is one of the most important

buildings in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Until the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, during which it was secularised in 1552, the abbey possessed great estates, and was the burial place of the Princes of Mecklenburg. The premises were badly damaged in 1637 during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, when the minster was used as a storage depot, and some buildings were destroyed. During the French occupation of Mecklenburg under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

from 1806 to 1813 more damage was sustained, and the church was again used as an ammunition dump. Between 1883 and 1896 the church was "restored" in an inappropriate 19th century

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style, which was undone in a further restoration in the 1960s and 1970s.

Burials

Albert of Sweden Albert (, – 1 April 1412), also known as Albert of Mecklenburg (), was King of Sweden from 1364 to 1389 and Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1384 to 1412. Background He was the second son of Duke Albert II of Mecklenburg and Euphemia ...

Margaret Sambiria Margaret Sambiria (, ' or '; c. 1230 – December 1282) was Queen of Denmark by marriage to King Christopher I, and regent during the minority of her son, King Eric V from 1259 until 1264. She is the first woman confirmed to have formally rule ...

Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow (1441 – 20 November 1503) was duke of Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1477 until his death. Biography He was the son of Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg, Henry IV, Duk ...

References

* Bülow, Ernst von, 2006: ''Doberan und seine Geschichte''. Godewind Verlag. * Compart, Friedrich, 2004: ''Geschichte des Klosters Doberan'' (reprint of the original edition of 1872). Godewind Verlag. * Erdmann, Wolfgang, 1995: ''Zisterzienser-Abtei Doberan. Kult und Kunst'' (Die blauen Bücher). Königstein/Taunus. * Fründt, Edith, 1987 (2nd ed. 1989): ''Das Kloster Doberan'', with photographs by Thomas Helms. Berlin. * Gloede, Günter, 1960 (2nd ed. 1965, 6th ed. 1970): ''Das Doberaner Münster. Geschichte, Baugeschichte, Kunstwerke''. Berlin * Minneker, Ilka, 2007: ''Vom Kloster zur Residenz – Dynastische Memoria und Repräsentation im spätmittelalterlichen und frühneuzeitlichen Mecklenburg''. Münster: Rhema-Verlag

External links

Doberaner Münster website
{{Authority control Monasteries in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Cistercian monasteries in Germany Brick Gothic Bad Doberan Buildings and structures in Rostock (district)