Michaelstein Monastery Festival

A Monastery Becomes a Festival Stage

Michaelstein Monastery near Blankenburg in the Harz is a former Cistercian monastery from the 12th century — today the seat of a music academy and a museum of the Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt. With its preserved cloister buildings, the baroque church garden, the monastery church, and the extensive meadows, it is one of the most beautiful monastic complexes in the northern Harz foothills. Once a year, on a Sunday at the end of August, the monastery opens its doors for the grand Michaelstein Monastery Festival.

Concerts, Theatre, Green Market

The concept combines high-calibre concerts with a family-friendly programme. On several stages in the monastery, in the gardens, and on the meadows, classical music, acoustic pop, gospel, organ music, French chansons, and rock 'n' roll alternate. The puppet theatre performs for children, Taizé services and gospel choirs open up spiritual space, and theatre groups occupy the cloister. The Green Market brings together artists, craftspeople, direct producers, and regional specialities to the monastery. Regional restaurateurs provide culinary accompaniment — from bratwurst stands to monastery beer.

Cistercian Silence — and its Dissolution

The Cistercians traditionally conceived of their monasteries as places of silence, secluded, with farmland and workshops. At the monastery festival, this silence is deliberately turned into its opposite — yet the architecture carries the loud programme with dignity. Those who wish to withdraw from the hustle and bustle can find a place of contemplation in the monastery church during the organ concerts.

Blankenburg, Harz, Saxony-Anhalt

Blankenburg is located in the Harz district in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, on the northern edge of the low mountain range. Blankenburg Castle, the historic old town, and the Teufelsmauer trail attract tourists from all over Germany. The monastery festival adds a cultural highlight to the summer and attracts a mixed audience of classical music lovers, families, and medieval enthusiasts.