Heilgeist Monastery Stralsund

The church of the monastery dates back to the 14th century, and was built in brick. It belongs to the Heilgeisthospital Stralsund.

The building complex, which is not actually a monastery but rather a municipal hospital, was originally located on the part of Heilgeiststrasse facing the harbor, which is where its name comes from. In 1256 the city donated property at this location.
The Holy Spirit Monastery was managed by the city and was able to grow thanks to the citizens' willingness to donate money, goods and land. This is how e.g. B. around 1340 the island of Ummanz became the property of the monastery.The monastery served to accommodate, care for and provide for the poorer sections of the population and passing hikers. Through a financial contribution and by bequeathing the property to the monastery, people could live here in old age (so-called Prövener).In the 14th century, the city moved the Heilgeist monastery to its current location and a hall church was built a short time later.After destruction in the Thirty Years' War, which affected almost all of the monastery buildings, the church was rebuilt in its old form around 1650 and again after the siege in 1715.The wings immediately adjacent to the church were rebuilt around 1643 after they were destroyed. The interior of the building, which was used as a garrison church during the Swedish period, presents furnishings and the color-restored version of the Baroque period. After 1945 it became the parish church of the St. Jakobi-Heilgeist community.The sea-side end of the building complex is the so-called Elenden's (foreigner's) house, built between 1637 and 1641. The half-timbered houses arranged in rows date from the 18th and 19th centuries. (Source: website of the city of Stralsund)

The Heilgeisthospital in Stralsund, today often also called Heilgeistkloster or Kloster zum Heiligen Geist, is a listed building ensemble in the old town of Stralsund.