Augustinian convent church of St Mary and the holy cross, Diesdorf

Diesdorf convent church is built of brick. It was endowed by Count Hermann von Warpke- Lüchow in 1161.

The Diesdorf basilica and Arendsee convent church are among the best-preserved late Romanesque monuments in the Altmark. Their architecture is remarkable for the outstanding use of brick and thoughtful addition of decorative forms.

On the exterior, the restrained decorative elements – friezes and accentuated windows and porches – have survived. In the interior, the marked red/white contrast of brick, joints and vaults dominates. Only a few individual original works have survived from mediaeval times, including the late Gothic triumphal cross group from the second half of the 15th century. The interior also boasts a tomb slab with a carving of Count Heinrich von Lüchow (1273) and the Holy Tomb, containing a shrine with a carved figure of a recumbent Christ (1330).

Book tours in advance: Tel.: 03902-327 or 03902-939640