Former Cistercian Abbey Church of St. Mary and St. John the Baptist, Schulpforte

former Cistercian monastery church of St. Mary and John the Baptist school gateconstruction time
12th Century, 13th Century, 19th Century,
20th century,
1136/1137 (start of construction), 1160 to 1170s (extension),
1240s, 1251 (beginning of choir), 1260s to 1268,
until around 1300 (construction of the west facade),
1854 to 1860 (completion, restoration),
1958 to 1967 (restoration), after 1989 (restoration)
architectural style
Romanesque, Gothic, Historicism, Modern
Builder / Architect
–
Condition
The former monastery church in Schulpforte has been renovated.
Todays use
School
Access
The grounds of the Pforta monastery near Naumburg are accessible. The former monastery church in Schulpforte cannot be visited.Description
type
The former monastery church in Schulpforte is a cruciform basilica.
structure
Natural stone building, richly decorated west facade (19th century), tracery window
inner space
Ribbed vault, high altar, three kings altar, triumphal cross, wooden sculpturestombs
Alabaster tomb of Margrave George of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia (1401),
Tombstones and Epitaphs: Knight Reinhard Varch (after 1294),
Knight Thimo von Hagenest (1356),
Citizen and a woman (3rd quarter of the 14th century),
Abbot Balthasar Geier (1515),
Pastor Abraham Milius (1586),
Rector Bartholomäus Walther (1590),
teacher Jonas Ekard (1590),
Pastor Wolfgang Cunad (1625),Source: architektur-blicklicht.de/kirchen/schulpforte-kloster-pforta

The abbey church was originally (1137-1150) a cruciform Romanesque pillar basilica with a four-bay nave and two low aisles, with a flat beamed ceiling directly above eight round-arched windows above the arcades on either side of the nave, "for Germany the oldest example of a Cistercian church from already distinctive type" (Georg Dehio), made of large square masonry. The interior was divided into the chorus monachorum (monks' choir) and the chorus conversorum by a simple rood screen at the height of the first pillar of the nave. Various entrances led from the cloister directly into the church, which was not accessible from the outside. In the eastern parts the church was built according to Saxon customs. To the left and right of the apse were two smaller barrel vaults. The two left ones facing the cloister have been preserved and bear the inscription: "Patroni sunt St. Petrus ...", which is why they are called Peter and Paul chapels. The north wall of the church and the two above-mentioned vaults are still preserved from this old basilica.
Source and further information: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zisterzienserabtei_Pforte

An impressive church that was certainly much more impressive when completed than it is today. Beautiful stained glass windows and some splendid rose windows give a stately building size.