Aalborg monastery

Aalborg Monastery (Danish: "Aalborg Kloster") or the Holy Spirit Monastery of Aalborg ("Helligåndsklostret i Aalborg") is a former monastery in Aalborg, Denmark. The monastery buildings are the oldest buildings in north Jutland. Today they harbour a retirement home with independent apartments for the elderly, as well as meeting and exhibition rooms.

Aalborg Monastery is the oldest social institution in Denmark and one of the best preserved medieval monasteries. It was founded in 1431 by the wealthy woman Maren Hemmings as a Holy Spirit House, a term for charitable instututions of spiritual nature. On 20 August 1451 it became a monastery, as a chapter of the Orders of the Holy Ghost, an order which originated from Montpellier, France and had the aim of caring for the sick, the old and orphans. Aalborg Monastery specialised in caring for lepers. The monastery rose to a high status within the order and the Catholic Church, the prior in Aalborg being the grand master's deputy in Scandinavia.

By the Reformation in 1536, the Holy Spirit Monastery was dissolved, monks were expelled, but it continued its tasks as a diocese hospital. For 300 years the latin school of Aalborg was also located in the buildings. During the Second World War, Denmark's first resistance group, the Churchill Club, was created in the buildings.

Aalborg Monastery is lead by a board consisting of the bishop of the Aalborg diocese, a representative for the North Jutland Region, the mayor of Aalborg, the Chief of Police and two other church representatives.

External links

* [http://www.visitaalborg.com/international/en-gb/menu/tourist/oplevelser/attraktioner/produktside.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished?id=13946&CallerUrl=/international/en-gb/menu/tourist/oplevelser/attraktioner/attraktioner.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished Tourist presentation at VisitAalborg]