The Birgittenkloster (Convent of Saint Birgitta) is a

Bridgettine The Bridgettines, or Birgittines, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Savior (; abbreviated OSsS), is a monastic religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Birgitta or Bridget of Sweden in 1344, and approved by Pope Urban ...

convent in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

, Germany, founded in October 2002. The first convent to be founded in Bremen since the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, it has adopted an

ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

role in line with the teachings of Saint Bridget.

Description

The idea of creating a new convent in Bremen was born in 1998 during the Deanery Pastoral Conference (''Dekanatspastoralkonferenz'') thanks to the inspiration of Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad who had established the new order in 1911 and the synergy between the Abbess General Mother Tekla in Rome and

Franz-Josef Bode Franz-Josef Hermann Bode (16 February 1951) is German prelate of the Catholic Church who has been Bishop of Osnabrück, Germany, since 1995. He has been a bishop since 1991 and Deputy Chairman of the German Bishops Conference since 2017. Within th ...

, Bishop of Osnabrück. Bremen was specifically chosen as the location for Germany's first Bridgettine convent. Designed by Ulrich Tilgner, the convent is located in the

Schnoor Schnoor is a neighbourhood in the medieval centre of the German city of Bremen, and the only part of it that has preserved a medieval character. The neighbourhood owes its name to old handicrafts associated with shipping. The alleys between the ho ...

district of the city on the site of a former bakery. In addition to the chapel and living quarters, there is a guest house with 12 rooms. The nuns take care of the guests and prepare their meals. Seven nuns from Mexico, India, Italy, Poland and Germany currently live in the convent, headed by Sister Giovanna Gonzalez from Mexico. The day begins with morning prayers at 6.15 am and finishes at 8.50 pm with evening prayers.

Architecture

Set in one of the picturesque streets of the Schnoor, the complex consists of three interconnected structures: the tower-like building overlooking the street with guest rooms, the two-storey nuns' wing set back from the street with a forecourt, and the chapel which is accessed through a small garden. The location of the living quarters between the chapel and the guest accommodation provides for optimal functionality while supporting a life of ''ora et labora'' (prayer and work) defined by the order. While the chapel can be reached directly from inside the convent, visitors can enter via the garden (except during daily prayers). In contrast to the vivid

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

-coloured exterior, the chapel interior is finished in a bright white facing, exuding Scandinavian simplicity. The rear glazed wall takes the form of a cross, reflecting the order's motto: ''Amor meus crucifixus est'' (My love is the crucified one). On the occasion of the convent's 10th anniversary, Ulrich Tilgner, the architect, explained that it had been no easy matter to design the building within the of free space, given the heritage restrictions regulating the surroundings and the rather limited funding.

Hospitality

With 12 rooms accommodating up to 18 guests, the convent welcomes both individuals and groups wishing to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

References

Literature

* Wilhelm Tacke: ''Klöster in Bremen. Über 800 Jahre Konfessionsgeschichte der Freien Hansestadt Bremen.''. Edition Temmen, Bremen 2005, . * Rudolf Matzner: ''Der Bremer Klosterochsenzug. Bremer Kloster- und Kirchengeschichten. Interessantes, Unbekanntes und Kurioses.'' Druckerpresse-Verlag, Lilienthal 2011, pp 29-.

External links

Birgitten-Kloser Bremen website
(German and English) {{Bremen landmarks

Monasteries in Bremen (state)

Roman Catholic churches in Bremen (state) Churches in Bremen (city)