DA, Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst

At the foot of the Teutoburg Forest, not far from the town of Hörstel, lies Gravenhorst Monastery, a former abbey of the Cistercian nuns. Surrounded by moats and orchards, the former monastery with its church, convent buildings, mill and mill pond, bakery and brewery, imposing wall and historic bridges offers the image of an almost completely preserved monastery complex: an absolute rarity in the more northern part of Germany.

Origin in the Middle Ages

The history of this picturesque ensemble of buildings goes back a long way: in 1252, Konrad von Brochterbeck was granted permission by Osnabrück Bishop Bruno von Isenberg to found a convent for nuns of the Cistercian Order in the farming community of Gravenhorst. In the following centuries, the small convent managed to run a successful business and became an important spiritual centre for the surrounding area. The community life of the Cistercian nuns was to continue for over 500 years. After numerous changes of ownership and conversions, the district of Steinfurt took over the monastery in the 1990s and developed a cultural concept for its use: in 2004 the former monastery was reopened as "DA, Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst".

From monastery to art house

Contemporary art is presented within historical walls: Here you can create art, design art, experience art and communicate art. Workshops, exhibitions, idea workshops, art projects and cultural events such as concerts, readings and theatre performances invite children, young people and adults to think, participate and experience.