Church @museum.de

F 2: What’s most striking about this church is its simplicity and lack of decoration. It’s built of brick throughout. The forms are clear, and it’s easy to understand how the space is structured. These days, we may see such an austere, almost abstract design as the epitome of religious contemplation and a focus on what’s essential. But in the Middle Ages, during the time of the canons, it didn’t look like this at all.

In those days, the interior of the church was awash with colour, richly furnished and above all: darker. It had stained glass windows, and some parts of the walls were decorated with frescoes. The nave and the choir contained a great many altars. These would have been donated by people from outside the monastery, to ensure that the canons prayed for them after their death. In medieval times, nothing was more terrifying than the idea of ending up in purgatory. Perhaps the prayers of the Premonstratensian canons could save them from that fate? At least they hoped so.

During the monastic period, only the canons and up to 80 lay brothers lived here. Lay brothers were members of the collegiate community who weren’t ordained priests. They carried out most of the daily work at the monastery. We don’t know the exact number of canons and lay brothers who lived at Jerichow. The archive and library were lost after the dissolution of the monastery.

But the actual space requirements don’t explain the enormous size of the church. This was virgin land beyond the River Elbe. It had barely been opened up, so the church wanted to provide a conspicuous demonstration of its power.

Nevertheless, the church was widely used by local people during the time of the monastery. The canons held services in the choir, on the upper level. They kept to the Liturgy of the Hours, of which there were seven: the first at three in the morning, the last at ten o’clock at night. Meanwhile, the lay brothers prayed downstairs in the nave.

These days, morning prayers are held in the high choir every weekday at 8 a.m. Of course, you’re very welcome to attend!