Himmelpforten Monastery

The monastery was founded in 1253 by the Lords of Hartesrode. They chose a forest valley northeast of their moated castle Hasserode as the location, as Wilhelmine brothers were already settled there. The Augustinian Hermits engaged in fish farming and viticulture, among other activities. In 1516, Martin Luther visited the monastery to meet with his fellow friar and Vicar General Johann von Staupitz. A memorial stone erected in 1917 commemorates this event. During the Peasants' War in 1525, the monastery was stormed and plundered by rebellious peasants, and the monks fled. However, the buildings were not destroyed but only damaged. The expelled monks later returned, but the complex fell into disrepair over the centuries and was largely dismantled for building material until the mid-19th century. Today, several trout ponds and remnants of foundation walls remain. Recent geophysical investigations since late 2022 and archaeological excavations since July 2023 have uncovered the foundations of the church and convent buildings and revealed numerous finds, including gold coins, weapon parts, and burials, which showed an unusual, asymmetrical layout of the complex.

The former Himmelpforten Monastery is located in the Harz Mountains, in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated in a sheltered forest valley near Hasserode, a district of Wernigerode, at an elevation of approximately 364 meters above sea level.

The remains of the monastery are now a cultural monument. The valley where the complex was located serves as the start and finish point for the annual Harz Mountain Run in October. Additionally, an ecumenical service is held annually at the former monastery site on Ascension Day. The remains of the monastery are situated along the Harz Monastery Hiking Trail.

• Palais Wernigerode (residence, approx. 3306 m away)
• Kloster Drübeck (sacred building, approx. 3451 m away)
• Erbprinzenpalais (residence, approx. 3668 m away)
• Schloss Wernigerode (castle, approx. 3680 m away)