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The State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt is currently conducting excavations at the former Himmelpforte Monastery near Wernigerode. The four-week investigation, carried out with the support of the city of Wernigerode, is transforming the now-vanished monastery into a living historical site. Around 40 volunteers, aged 12 to 77, are working on the excavations under expert guidance. The citizen science project was made possible thanks to funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and the State of Saxony-Anhalt as part of the commemorative year "Justice: Thomas Müntzer & 500 Years of the Peasants' War."
500 years ago, the old order was overturned. Tens of thousands of people rebelled against the traditional authorities, to whom they were obliged to pay taxes and provide services, and with whom they often also competed economically. For the first time, the "common man" made demands for fair treatment and self-determination across borders, demands which many today understand as a plea for inalienable fundamental rights. As the Reformation gained momentum, the atmosphere was heated and critical of church institutions. Thus, not only aristocratic residences but above all monasteries became targets of insurgent attacks. With the parallel conflicts that flared up in the spring of 1525 in numerous locations in central and southwestern Germany, as well as Tyrol, the Peasants' War 500 years ago can be considered the largest popular uprising before the French Revolution.
Since 2023, the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology has been conducting archaeological research excavations at selected authentic Peasants' War sites in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. The former Augustinian Hermitage of Himmelpforte near Wernigerode (Harz district) is one of these sites. The third research campaign is currently taking place at Himmelpforte with the support of the city of Wernigerode. Citizen science is being implemented here in a way that benefits everyone involved. In addition, the daily guided tours of the excavation site led by volunteers are very popular with interested locals and tourists.
The image of a lost monastery emerges: The results of the current excavations in Himmelpforte
The monastery, founded in the mid-13th century, destroyed in the spring of 1525 during the Peasants' War, and subsequently abandoned, had been so thoroughly demolished that even its exact location had been forgotten. The archaeological research led by Prof. Dr. Felix Biermann, which includes excavations, geophysical surveys, and metal detector prospecting, will enable a comprehensive reconstruction of the shape and structural development of the convent's stone buildings. Excellently preserved foundation walls of the monastery, some of which are over two meters high, are currently being uncovered. The eastern end of the church, dating from the second half of the 13th century, is particularly impressive: the Augustinian hermits had chosen an architectural form that appeared stately and imposing, yet at the same time lacked pomp and expressed their humility and modesty in stone – a simple, unrecessed rectangular choir articulated by mighty Gothic buttresses.
Similar pillars are found in the building later added to the south of the church, which we preliminarily associate with St. Catherine's Chapel, first mentioned in writing in 1478, which was also intended to house the monastery library. To the north, the three-winged enclosure complex adjoined the church. Its cloister surrounded a small courtyard that only approximated the usual rectangle shape. The reason for the enclosure's asymmetrical floor plan is unknown. Other buildings also raise questions, such as a semicircular, conch-like foundation structure on the north wall of the church that protrudes into the cloister. Possibly this can be interpreted as a niche for a side altar. The excavation sections through the north and east wings of the enclosure also provide detailed insights into the building's design and history where geophysical surveys had not provided a clear picture.
In and around the church, as well as in the cloister, numerous graves from the 13th to 16th centuries have come to light. The area around the rectangular choir of the church, which contained the main altar, was particularly sought after for burial – its proximity to the spiritual heart of the monastery promised the faithful salvation of their souls and hope of resurrection. Here, the graves of children, women, and men, mostly residents of the monastery's estates, are concentrated. High-ranking members and noble benefactors of the convent rest in the church. Those laid to rest in the cloister are likely to have been Augustinian hermits. Some of the dead wear bronze buckles, on which remnants of their leather belts have also been preserved. Iron nails in several graves indicate coffins.
The majority of the dead remain anonymous to us. An exception is the grave of Gerrun von Königstein, who died in 1520. Her richly decorated gravestone was discovered last year and has now been lifted. In the unusually deep grave pit below lie the remains of the noble girl who died prematurely 505 years ago, her hands devoutly folded in prayer.
More than a dozen silver coins, iron tools, earthenware and stove tiles, book fittings made of non-ferrous metal, writing styluses, and even a delicately elegant ear pick made of bone as a personal hygiene utensil shed light on many aspects of monastic life. Layers of rubble, burned debris, collapsed cellar vaults, and roof tiles melted by fire testify to the destruction and devastation of the monastery during the Peasants' War and the centuries that followed. The diverse archaeological findings now provide a vibrant and multifaceted picture of Himmelpforte, about which until recently only a few written sources could provide information.
The Decentralized State Exhibition and outreach activities at authentic Peasants' War sites
From June 28 to November 30, 2025, the cabinet exhibition "Monasteries. Plundered. In the Turmoil of the Peasants' Revolts" offers visitors to the State Museum of Prehistory Halle (Saale) insights into ongoing research conducted by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology since 2023 at three authentic Peasants' War sites in present-day Saxony-Anhalt: the former monasteries of Himmelpforte near Wernigerode (Harz district) and Kaltenborn in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, as well as the Mallerbach Chapel near Allstedt (also Mansfeld-Südharz), which was rediscovered only in 2024. The show is part of the decentralized state exhibition "Justice 1525." The focus is on finds and findings that shed light on the history and everyday life at these sites, as well as on the violent events that took place there 500 years ago.
The cabinet exhibition is accompanied by two corresponding exhibitions at the Harz Museum in Wernigerode and the Spengler Museum in Sangerhausen. The presentations "Between Heaven and Revolt. Himmelpforte Monastery and the Peasants' War" at the Harz Museum (March 14 to August 10, 2025) and "Destroyed. Forgotten. Excavated. Kaltenborn Monastery near Emseloh" (April 30, 2025 to January 6, 2026) in Sangerhausen each focus on the sites and events in the region and will feature, among other things, selected finds from excavations at the aforementioned monasteries.
From the end of July to mid-October 2025, thanks to funding by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and the State of Saxony-Anhalt as part of the commemorative year "Justice: Thomas Müntzer & 500 Years of the Peasants' War," and with the support of the cities of Wernigerode and Allstedt, research excavations can continue at Himmelpforte, the former Kaltenborn Monastery, and the Mallerbach Chapel. After the investigations have already enjoyed great public interest and were supported by numerous volunteers in previous years, volunteer participation in the research excavations is once again possible at all three locations this year. In addition, interested parties can learn about the history, prosperity, and decline of the sites being explored, as well as the latest research findings, during guided excavation tours.
Aerial view of the excavations at Himmelpforte monastery
Quelle: Robert Prust
Copyright: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
Buttresses at the presumed St. Catherine's Chapel
Quelle: Felix Biermann
Copyright: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
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