Museum Kloster Zinna

About the museum

In 1170, Archbishop Wichmann of Magdeburg founded the Cistercian monastery of Zinna to develop the newly acquired Jüterbog land; Flemish settlers also arrived in this period, and the Fläming region owes its name to them. The monastery grew into one of the most powerful abbeys east of the Elbe until the last monks left in 1553. Afterward it was an office of the territorial lord and later a Prussian crown domain.

Today the museum consists mainly of the abbot's house, which was built around 1435 with its striking stepped gable and contains valuable Gothic frescoes in the abbot's chapel. The first group of visitors to be guided there was an association from West Berlin, on May 10, 1956; the frescoes have been on view since 1959. Later a local history museum was established, and in 1998 the monastery museum and the weaving museum were separated. The restoration of the abbot's house has been completed since 2025; a new exhibition is in preparation, and it can currently only be visited on registered guided tours.

The infirmary (Siechenhaus) from 1360, known as the Infirmarium, is accessible without registration. A small exhibition there shows the significance of the monks' hospital and the monastery's history, and in the monastery distillery the herbal liqueur "Zinnaer Klosterbruder" is produced. Admission includes a liqueur tasting.

Highlights

• Gothic abbot's house from about 1435, with stepped gable and frescoes in the abbot's chapel (guided tours only)
• Infirmary (Siechenhaus) with an exhibition on monastery history
• Monastery distillery producing "Zinnaer Klosterbruder," with liqueur tasting
• Monastery shop
• Cistercian monastery from 1170, with monastery church and cloister nearby

Permanent exhibitions

• Siechenhaus mit Klosterdestillerie – Small exhibition on the significance of the infirmary and the monastery's history, plus a look into liqueur production.
• Historisches Abtshaus (Führungen) – Late Gothic residence of the abbot with 15th-century wall paintings, accessible only on registered guided tours; a new exhibition is in preparation.

Founded

1956

Operated by

Stadt Jüterbog

Admission & discounts

Admission to the infirmary and the monastery distillery includes the liqueur tasting.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Zinna monastery lies about 60 km south of Berlin, directly on the B 101 between Luckenwalde and Jüterbog.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Monastery shop in the infirmary.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit