Erfurt Protestant Augustinian Monastery
The Protestant Augustinian monastery in Erfurt is a unique testament to Lutheran tradition, Protestant faith, and contemporary church life. With its completeness and unity, comprising a church, three enclosed courtyards, convent buildings, and farm buildings, the monastery is a rare example of medieval monastic architecture. The church and monastery complex of the Augustinian hermits was built around 1300.
Martin Luther, who had been living in Erfurt since 1501 and studying at the university, entered the Augustinian monastery on July 15, 1505, to become a monk. In 1506, he took his vows in the Augustinian church and was accepted into the Augustinian order as a monk. A year later, he was ordained as a priest in Erfurt Cathedral. He celebrated his first Mass, his primacy, in the Augustinian Church on May 2, 1507.
However, this was not only the beginning of Martin Luther's search for a liberating faith, it was also a place where democratic history was made. The new exhibition "Frustration and Freedom" provides information about important events associated with this place.
The gardens on the monastery grounds are small islands of tranquility: lavender bushes, colorful roses, and Mediterranean-style oleanders create an amazingly green, relaxing atmosphere—quite different from what one would expect in the city center.
In summer, the garden blooms in all its glory and becomes the perfect place to take a break, simply breathe deeply, let your gaze wander over the plant landscape, or enjoy a good book in the shade.
Since 1988, the monastery has served as an ecumenical event and conference center. Between 2000 and 2010, the buildings and premises of the monastery complex were extensively restored, renovated, and rebuilt, and converted into a contemporary meeting place.
The Augustinian monastery bears the "European Cultural Heritage" seal, is a "place of democratic history," an official monument, and a Luther memorial site. It is also a member of "Wege zu Luther" (Paths to Luther), the cultural tourism initiative in central Germany, and a member of the Nagelkreuzgemeinschaft (Nail Cross Community).
Today, the Protestant Augustinian monastery in Erfurt is one of five large conference centers in central Germany and is sponsored by the Protestant Church. The Augustinian monastery is known far beyond the state borders as an exceptional conference venue due to its very special atmosphere. Historic and modern conference rooms and deliberately simply furnished guest rooms invite visitors to hold events and stay overnight. Despite its central location in the old town, the conference center is experienced as a place of inner reflection and security.
Distance to Public Transport
200 Meters ( Streetcar )
Parking Facilities near by
Bechtheimer Straße 1
99084 Erfurt
info@stadtwerke-erfurt.de
+49 361 5640
Anger 1
99084 Erfurt
servicecenter@q-park.de
+49 2181 8190290
General Information
Free Wlan Souvenir Shop Seating Possibilities Rest Area Baggage Storage Pets Allowed is Accessible for Free Public Access
Digital offers
Audio Guide App for Mobile Devices
Mobility offers
Electric Vehicle Car Charging Station Bicycle Stands
Accepted payment
Cash Payment EC Visa MasterCard Invoice American Express
Sanitation
Toilets Disabled Toilets Family and Child Friendly Nappy Changing Area
Photography
TakingPicturesPermitted PhotoLicenceFeeRequired
Architecture
Gothic Art
Opening hours
01.01.2026 - 31.12.2026
Special Opening hours
01.01.2026 - 31.12.2026
Offers
Experience the monastery with cloister, chapter house, Luther cell, monastery garden, new exhibition and more. Find out more about the history of the Augustinian church, the monastery complex and its buildings. Guided tour times: daily at 11 a.m. Duration: approx. 1 hour | no registration required
House guests
Individual group tours (by appointment) - Price: € 7.50 p.p. plus € 25 tour fee (German); minimum price € 100.00 - Price: € 7.50 p.p. plus € 40 guide fee (foreign language); minimum price € 115.00
Child from 12 years
"Book treasures of the monastery" Guided tour of the library of the Protestant Ministry Duration: approx. 1 hour, price: €5 p.p. "Here I stand, it was completely different" The guided tour of the monastery focuses on the misconceptions about Luther Duration: approx. 1 hour, price: €6.50 p.p. plus €25 tour fee "Books of a bygone era" The 700-year-old windows in the Augustinian Church and the fascination of medieval stained glass (with binoculars show) Duration approx. 1 hour, price: € 6.50 p.p. plus € 25 guide fee "Bread and roses" The life of St. Elisabeth. Guided tour of the monastery, Elisabeth Chapel and rose garden Duration: approx. 1.5 hours, price: € 6.50 p.p. plus € 25 guide fee
You can visit the new exhibition "Frustration and Freedom" at the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt. It provides information about important events associated with this place. Not only did Martin Luther's search for a liberating faith begin in the Protestant Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, but the history of democracy also took place here: In the spring of 1850, when the Erfurt Union Parliament demanded a united Germany and more civil rights, and in the fall of 1989, when the Augustinian monastery became a place of commitment to democracy and freedom in society. The exhibition can be visited as part of - the daily guided tour of the monastery at 11 a.m. Price: 8,50 € p.p. a monastery tour with audio guide [available at reception] Monday - Friday: 10 am - 4 pm Saturday + Sunday: 11 am - 2 pm Public holidays: 11 am - 12.30 pm Price: 8,50 € p.p. for an individual group tour Registration at: fuehrungen@augustinerkloster.de
Guided tours by candlelight in the Augustinian monastery with goodnight drinks in the monastery cellar/monastery garden The tour takes place in very large parts open-air (cloister, Renaissance courtyard, monastery garden, Luther Gate) and in very large rooms (church, chapter house). Guided tour times on Fridays: April 1 - September 30: 9 p.m. October 1 - March 31: 8 p.m. Duration: approx. 1.5 hours No registration required, but please call 0361/57660-0 or 0163/2564506. This tour can also be booked for groups on another day.
Issue at the reception: Monday to Friday: 10.00 am - 4.00 pm Sat./Sun.: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Public holidays: 11 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. Audio guide with (the voice of) Margot Käßmann
In the footsteps of Luther, Bismarck, Benedict XIV and others in the Augustinian monastery with "tasty" snacks. Tour times: Saturdays at 11 a.m. Dates: July 19 | Aug. 09 + 16 | Sept. 13 + 20 | Oct. 11 + 18. Duration: approx. 1.5 hours | no registration required Start: Reception of the Augustinian monastery
Family offer: each additional child free
Individual group tour after registration [minimum price € 195.00] by phone 0361/57660-0 or by e-mail fuehrungen@augustinerkloster.de
The Elisabeth Chapel in the Nikolai Tower of St. Nikolai Church is an early testimony to the veneration of St. Elisabeth in Erfurt. The tower is located in the immediate vicinity of the Lutheran Augustinian monastery in Erfurt. During a thirty-minute guided tour of the Elisabeth Chapel, you can view the impressive paintings of the Elisabeth cycle. These are among the few remains of a mural painting in Erfurt from the 14th century. The painters have immortalized the story of St. Elisabeth with great artistic skill and attention to detail. Guided tour times: Mondays 12.30-13.00 (only April to September) Please note: Please register at the reception of the Augustinian monastery (phone: 0361/57660-0).
The historic monastery library was built at the beginning of the 16th century. As the book collection it contained was largely destroyed due to the Reformation, the theological service library of the Protestant ministry moved into the building in 1646. In 1945, the library building was almost completely destroyed in a bombing raid. Today's collection comprises a total of around 60,000 volumes and is one of the most important ecclesiastical book collections in the whole of Germany. Visit the historic monastery library and its centuries-old cradle prints, Reformation writings and Luther editions! The 45-minute guided tours of the library are by appointment only. To arrange a guided tour, please contact library director Dr. Michael Ludscheidt by phone: 0361/57660-22 or by email: ludscheidt@augustinerkloster.de Library opening hours: Monday: 08:00 - 16:00 Tuesday: 08:00 - 16:00 Wednesday: 08:00 - 16:00 Thursday: 09:00 - 12:00 Friday: 09:00 - 12:00 Guided tours are possible by appointment.
Sensory tour of the Augustinian monastery and other Luther sites Martin Luther spent decisive years on the path to the Reformation in Erfurt: here he was a student at the university and a monk in the Augustinian monastery. Guided tour to authentic Luther locations: through the Augustinian monastery with Renaissance courtyard, Luther cell, chapter house, cloister and church, past the Georgenburse (student residence), Collegium Maius (university) and St. Michael's Church to the cathedral square. With student food and bitter liqueur. Guided tour times: Saturdays: 11.00 a.m. July 26 | Aug. 02 + 23 + 30 | Sept. 06 + 27 | Oct. 04 + 25 Duration: approx. 1.5 - 2 hours | no registration required Start: Reception of the Augustinian Monastery, where tickets are also available. End: Cathedral Square
Family offer: each additional child free
Individual group tour after registration [minimum price € 180.00] by phone 0361/57660-0 or by e-mail fuehrungen@augustinerkloster.de
You may also find the following of interest
Cathedral of St. Mary
The late Gothic cathedral with its high-Gothic choir and Romanesque tower replaced the church built on this site for Bishop Boniface in 742.
Martin Luther
Erfurt was the young Luther's spiritual home. In 1505 he graduated with a Masters from the university's faculty of philosophy.
Martin Luther in Erfurt
Erfurt is Martin Luther’s spiritual home. He was a student at Erfurt’s famous university between 1501 and 1505.
Georgenburse
It is widely accepted that Martin Luther, moved into the Georgenburse (student living quarters) as a seventeen-year-old student in April 1501.
