Old Cistercian Monastery in Gardelegen Neuendorf

Neuendorf Monastery was first documented in 1232 and was a Cistercian nunnery. It belonged to the Diocese of Verden and developed into one of the largest landowners in the Altmark region in the 14th century. The nuns cultivated extensive lands and contributed significantly to the agricultural development of the region.The monastery church of St. Mary, Benedict, and St. Bernard, a North German Brick Gothic building, was built in the 13th century and later remodeled several times. Today, it serves as a Protestant parish church and is occasionally used for cultural events. In addition to the church, the former monastery complex also includes various outbuildings and the listed estate park.After the Reformation, the monastery was secularized by the Elector of Brandenburg in 1579 and converted into a Protestant convent for nuns, which existed until 1810. Subsequently, the buildings were used for various purposes, including as a manor house.