Churches and Architecture
In Zahrensdorf and its district of Tempzin, two distinct church buildings take centre stage: the late Romanesque nave of the village church and the late Gothic Tempzin Monastery Church. The nave of Zahrensdorf Church is made of neatly laid fieldstone blocks. The monastery church dates from the 16th century and has a three-aisled nave. Different architectural features therefore come together: material and masonry in one, style and spatial layout in the other.
The nave is the main, lengthwise section of a church. “Three-aisled” means that this section is divided into three aisles. The term explains the spatial layout of the monastery church. “Fieldstone blocks,” by contrast, refers to the building material in its block form; the village church is also characterised by its neat courses. When comparing the two, you can therefore consider the church’s layout and the masonry material separately. The different features make the comparison tangible: the fieldstone masonry can be described in terms of material and courses, while the monastery church can be considered in terms of style, date and spatial arrangement. If you are interested in church architecture, these details offer several clearly distinct aspects to consider when planning your trip.
Tempzin Monastery and the Warmhaus
Tempzin Monastery, the former Antonite monastery in Zahrensdorf’s district of Tempzin, was founded in 1222. The monastery’s Gothic, two-storey Präzeptoreigebäude, known as the Warmhaus, dates from 1496 and is a listed monument. The dates refer to different things: 1222 marks the monastery’s founding, while 1496 is the date of the Warmhaus. Together with the monastery church, which dates to the 16th century, they represent several stages in the monastery’s history. The monastery’s early founding and the later dates of individual buildings describe different parts of that history.
Pilgrim Activities in Tempzin
Tempzin is also a pilgrimage centre in Mecklenburg. Ecumenical pilgrim hikes are held there regularly, as are Ora et Labora weekends. “Ora et labora” means “pray and work” and explains the name of the weekend format. Alongside the architectural history, there are therefore concrete religious activities. The planning considerations differ: for the architectural history, you can focus on style, material and dates; for a pilgrim activity, the specific date is important. If you want to plan your trip around a particular hike or weekend, check the relevant dates in advance.
Tour 2 to Zahrensdorf
Tour 2 reaches Zahrensdorf from the monastery church after about two kilometres and continues there along cycle route T 31 towards Lake Keezer. The route adds geographical orientation to the architectural and pilgrimage themes: it specifies the stretch to Zahrensdorf and then the direction of Lake Keezer. Tour planning can thus be considered as a separate aspect, alongside questions about architectural history and pilgrim activities.
Discover more destinations:
Blankenberg, BrĂĽel, Mustin, Kobrow, Weitendorf, Langen Jarchow, Borkow, Witzin
Back to the main travel overview: Sternberger Seenlandschaft Administrative District.
