Doberan Minster

The Doberan Minster is the main 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 is the remaining part of Doberan Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery dedicated in 1368. The first abbey in Mecklenburg, founded in 1171, which was also used as the burial site for the regional rulers, became important both politically and historically. Through the activities of its inhabitants, the abbey greatly contributed to the cultural and economic development of Mecklenburg and became the centre of Christianity in this region. No other Cistercian abbey in Europe can lay claim to such a large amount of the original interior remaining intact. Among the treasures are the main altar which is the oldest winged altar in art history, the monumental cross altar and the sculpted tomb of Danish Queen Margarete Sambiria. Even after the reformation and the dissolution of the abbey in 1552, the church continued to serve as the main burial place for the ruling Mecklenburg family as well as the place of worship for the Evangelical-Lutheran congregation. The Minster in Bad Doberan is an important medieval building in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and is considered an exemplary instance of medieval creativity. The abbey is a unique artistic monument in the coastal region of the Baltic Sea.