Benediktinerkloster Cismar

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Benedictine abbey of Cismar traces its origins to the St. John's monastery in Lübeck, whose monks were relocated to the countryside from the 1230s onward. In 1238 Count Adolf IV of Holstein gave the order his property in Cismar, and in 1256 the Pope ordered the final move. The Johannisquelle (St. John's spring), regarded as holy, attracted pilgrims as early as the Middle Ages.

The monastery reached its heyday in the 14th century: it owned numerous villages in Holstein and Mecklenburg, an important library and a church in the Lübeck early Gothic style, whose winged altarpiece is among the oldest surviving of its kind. After the Reformation the abbey was dissolved in 1561 and converted into a manor farm; the library ended up in Copenhagen by way of Gottorf.

In 1767/68 the western part was converted into a residence for the ducal bailiff, and the eastern choir area has served as a Protestant parish church since 1835. The complex later served as an administrative seat, youth hostel and refugee camp. After an extensive renovation from 1982 to 1987, the ensemble passed to the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landesmuseum (state museum), today the Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf.

For more than three decades, the state museum showed art exhibitions in the former bailiff's rooms. Since 2022 the Ostholstein-Museum Eutin has curated the seasonal special exhibitions at the monastery.

Highlights

• Abbey church in the Lübeck early Gothic style
• One of the oldest surviving winged altarpieces (accessible only on guided tours)
• Seasonal art exhibitions in the former bailiff's rooms
• Johannisquelle (St. John's spring), a historic pilgrimage site
• Monastery festival with crafts market in August

Founded

1201

Operated by

Ostholstein-Museum Eutin (Kreis Ostholstein) in Kooperation mit der Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen

Director

Dr. Julia Hümme

Admission & discounts

Prices valid from January 1, 2026. Different prices may apply for particularly elaborate temporary exhibitions. Tickets at the museum ticket desk.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The exhibition rooms in the monastery are not accessible. Information about the monastery in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) on the website.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A 1 (exit Lensahn) or the B 501.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Monastery café opposite (April to October, according to the tourist information office Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit