Kloster Malgarten

Kloster Malgarten is a former Benedictine monastery in Bramsche, Germany, with a west wing built around 1230 and the St. Johannes church that features Baroque interior decoration and ceiling paintings. The buildings showcase different construction periods that shaped the site over the centuries.

The monastery was founded in 1175 in Essen and moved to Malgarten in 1194 after a fire destroyed its first home. It continued as an active religious community until 1803 when secularization ended monastic life at this location.

The church shows how religious practices changed over time, from its Romanesque start to later Baroque additions you can see in the decoration. Walking through the rooms, you notice how each period left its mark on the spaces.

The complex is now open to visitors and houses an art gallery along with restaurants and dining venues that regularly host cultural events and programs. It is worth checking ahead to see what exhibitions or activities are running during your visit.

Archaeological excavations on the monastery grounds have uncovered settlement evidence from the Roman Imperial period. These findings show that the area held importance in ancient times, centuries before the monastery was built on this location.