Franziscan monastery Gransee

The Franciscan Order, which spread rapidly throughout Germany in the 13th century, established a foundation in Gransee around 1270 or 1280, after the town received its charter in 1262. The friars, also known as "Grey Monks," built a church and a monastery in the northern part of the town. The community was first documented in 1302. The monastery belonged to the Custody of Brandenburg within the Saxon Franciscan Province and enjoyed the support of the regional lords, the Counts of Lindow-Ruppin. Before 1503, the convent adopted the Martinian Constitutions. The Gothic brick church was complemented by the eastern wing, which housed the sacristy on the ground floor and the dormitory above. In the 14th century, the western wing and a cloister were added. Around 1330, the town wall was erected north of the monastery, thus protecting the complex between the church and the wall. As a result of the Reformation, the Franciscans sold the monastic complex to the city of Gransee in 1541, and with the death of the last guardian in 1561, the monastery ceased to exist. By order of Elector Joachim II, the buildings were preserved by the city and converted into a school, which operated until 1963. A town fire in 1604 destroyed the monastery church, and another fire in 1711 destroyed the western wing and the cloister. The less damaged eastern wing was restored as a school building.

The former Franciscan Monastery is situated in the town of Gransee in the Oberhavel district, Brandenburg, Germany. It is located at today's Klosterplatz/Klosterstraße.

The preserved eastern cloister wing of the monastery served as a school until 1963 and was subsequently used for storage. Today, the building is publicly accessible through guided tours and occasional exhibitions.

• Gransee Town Fortifications (town fortifications, approx. 250 m away)
• Rauschendorf Castle (castle, approx. 3936 m away)
• Meseberg Castle (castle, approx. 5559 m away)
• Badingen Castle (castle, approx. 6415 m away)