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Franziskaner-Klosterkirche
(Ruins of the Franciscan Monastery) |
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Index
Architectural
Centre
Babylon
Cinema
Anatomical
Theatre
The
Deserted Room
Luisenst.
Canal Gardens
Franciscan
Monastery
Künstlerheim
Luise
Lunch
Lecture Guggenh.
Ackerstr. Market Hall
Room
of Silence
Tajikistan
Tearoom
St.
Michael's Church
Nicolai
House
Mori-Ogai Memorial
Honigmond Hotels
Berlin
Teahouse
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The Church of the Franciscan Monastery, dating from the middle of the thirteenth century, is the oldest and most beautiful Gothic building in Berlin. In 1574 the monastery was converted to a grammar school. The school produced its own dynasty of teachers, the Bellermanns, and famous pupils like Friedrich Schleiermacher, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Otto von Bismarck.
The school continues to this day, and its legendary reputation is still cultivated elsewhere in the city. In 1945 the church was badly damaged, and after the war it was kept as a ruin. The proximity of Alexanderplatz heightens its dramatic impact even more. You can view the giant shape of the television tower directly through the open roof and the holes in the walls.
In 1992 the association ‘Church Ruins’ was founded, which campaigns for the highly atmospheric ruins to be utilised by the arts. In the summer months, musical and theatrical performances, plus readings and exhibitions, take place in the open air. One negative effect of this busy cultural programme is that what was once an undefined space you could stumble on and relish as a unique find, now creaks under the weight of the sheer amount of culture it offers. The city stroller will often find the gates closed.
From the monastery church, a pleasant path leads to Waisenstraße along remains of the old city wall, past the historic restaurant “Zur letzen Instanz” and over the cemetery of the Parochialkirche to that other magnificent church ruin. |
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Address:
Klosterstr. 73A, 10179 Berlin, +49 (0)30 28044676, www.klosterruinetheater.de
Hours of opening: daily 12.00-18.00, except Mon
Bus, Tube, Tram: U2 Klosterstr; Bus 248 Berliner Rathaus |
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