DA, Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst

Not far from the town of Hörstel, idyllically situated at the foot of the Teutoburg Forest, surrounded by moats and orchards, lies Gravenhorst Monastery. The almost completely preserved 13th century monastery annexe now houses the DA, Kunsthaus (Denkmal-Atelier), which addresses not only a specific art audience but a broad regional public and invites active participation. In addition to numerous exhibitions, events, workshops and open art projects, the project scholarship KunstKommunikation represents the heart of the house, in the framework of which up to four participatory art projects and interventions in rural areas are promoted on an international level every year.

Gravenhorst Abbey looks back on a history of almost 600 years, during which it has always been in the hands of religious women's communities.

In 1256, the Cistercian abbey was founded by the Tecklenburg knight Konrad von Brochterbeck and his wife Amalgardis von Budde and endowed with several estates. The first abbess was the only daughter Oda, who subsequently succeeded in increasing the wealth of the monastery. The ten to 14 women from the lower nobility who lived here together with lay sisters and secular servants prayed as it were professionally for their benefactors and patrons. Their lives were characterised by a strict daily routine of prayer, reading of the Holy Scriptures, meditation and manual work. Time and again they circumvented the commandment of strict enclosure and conducted business in the world on their own as well as on monastic account. The history of the monastery was also marked by disputes with secular rulers and with the General Chapter of the Cistercians.

In 1764, a school was founded in the monastery for high school daughters of both confessions. Relics of the teaching material can still be found in the valuable monastery library, which also contains treasures from the 12th and 13th centuries.

After secularisation, the monastery continued to be run by secular authorities for another 5 years. This was followed by numerous changes of ownership and conversions. Before it was bought by the monastery's sponsoring association in 1986, it was a mushroom farm. In the 1990s, the district of Steinfurt took over the monastery and developed a cultural use concept.

Today, contemporary art is presented here in historical walls. Exhibitions, project scholarships, open art projects and workshops as well as festivals, concerts, readings or theatre performances take place at DA, Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst.

A tour of the interior of the Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst is possible during opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays. A tour of the exterior is possible at any time.