Description of the attraction
The Monastery of the Holy Spirit is one of the important historical monuments in the city, located in the old center of Aalborg in the area of Gemmel Torv and Obel-Place street.
At the beginning of the 15th century, Aalborg was one of the largest cities in Europe. The inhabitants of the city at that time were considered rich enough, for this reason a large number of people - Danes and foreigners - sought to get to Aalborg to work. This contributed to the emergence of poor people who do not have a roof over their heads, no food, or medical care. Maren Hemmings was a fairly wealthy woman and decided to help disadvantaged people by organizing a shelter at her own expense.
On August 20, 1431, on the inherited paternal land, Maren began construction of the future monastery of the Holy Spirit, but already in 1434, during a great fire, the temple burned down. Over time, a new monastery was rebuilt in the form that we can see now. In the monastery in 1451, the monks of the Order of the Holy Spirit opened a hospital and a shelter for the poor and orphans.
The temple was built of red brick in the Gothic style; inside the church, the walls and ceilings are decorated with unique frescoes depicting biblical subjects. On the territory of the monastery there was a magnificent garden and a fountain.
In the early 16th century, the monastery of the Holy Spirit transformed from a poor orphanage into a thriving organization. On the territory of the temple, their own farm, a mill was built, and additional income was brought to the temple by the production of bricks and fishing. During the Reformation in the 16th century, the monastery of the Holy Spirit lost its religious component, remaining an ordinary shelter and hospital. The monastery church was destroyed by the inhabitants of the city.
In 1953, the monastery of the Holy Spirit was returned to its spiritual status, and a nursing home was located here. Today the monastery is open to the public.
