Dominican Monastery (Dominikanerkloster), Frankfurt

The Dominican Monastery in Frankfurt is the earliest church and Christian monastery in the city. Today, it serves as an exhibition hall and meeting place and is the seat of the Protestant Evangelical Association consisting of Evangelical Churches and Deaneries in the region. The Synod of the Evangelical Church in Hessen and Nassau is convened here, twice a year.

Established in 1233, the monastery was off to a humble beginning. The first Dominican brothers built a small house with four rooms and set about their task of providing religious instruction to the local people. The small house served as an entrance to the monastery.

By the 14th century, the sanctuary had evolved and accommodated numerous scholars, receiving generous donations from citizens in appreciation of the good work performed by the monks. With this, richly decorated monastery buildings, including a chapel, were constructed, featuring Gothic style and made of rubble stone. After the Reformation, the property was taken over by the Lutherans and then, during the secularization period, was apprehended by the municipal authorities and put to various non-religious uses.

The monastery was almost destroyed during WWII. After the war, architect Gustav Scheinpflug designed a new complex – also in Gothic style, but with modern interiors – based on the layout of the old monastery. Only the choir of the Holy Ghost Church remains from the old building.

Each summer, the monastery courtyard plays host to a folk theater show and concerts by the Frankfurt Church Music Association.