Come In

Linus Gelber

While it is neither as central nor as dramatic as the Gedächtniskirche in the Western part of the City, the ruins of this 14th-century Franciscan monastery near Alexanderplatz are evocative and full of the long marks of time.

The last of the resident Franciscans died out in the 16th century, and the building was refigured as a school; by the end of World War Two it was so badly damaged that it was left , with its broken walls and long empty windows, as a ruin and a reminder of the cost of war.

The Klosterruine is used in the temperate months for concerts and plays; the red sign on the gate in this picture advertises a production of Medea. I wandered around inside for a good half an hour after spending a stretch up inside the Fernsehturm, and when I left they raced to lock the gates after me; apparently the ruins aren't generally open during the day.

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