Chorin Abbey, Cistercian monastery in Chorin, Brandenburg, Germany
Chorin Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Chorin, Brandenburg, built from red brick in the Gothic style. The complex displays pointed arches, steep gables, and towers rising above the sprawling ruins.
Margraves Johann I and Otto III of Brandenburg founded the monastery in 1258 for the Cistercian order. The monks left the site after the Reformation in 1542, and the buildings fell into decay over the following centuries.
T he na me der iv es fr om a Sl av ic word me an ing "bl ack" or " dar k, " re fer ring to the fore sted lands where mon ks set tl ed in the 13th century . Vis it ors can walk through the cl oister and the ru in ed ch urch where som mer con cert s now fill the open sky with mus ic .
The site sits at the edge of a wooded area and is easily reached on foot from the village of Chorin. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear as parts of the grounds feature cobblestones and uneven surfaces.
Karl Friedrich Schinkel championed the ruins in the early 19th century, turning them into an early example of Prussian monument care. The monastery church has no roof, so visitors today walk through the nave under open sky.
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