Preetz monastery guide: Secrets and history in a new edition!

Preetz monastery guide: Secrets and history in a new edition!

A sensational comeback for the Preetz monastery guide! The popular book “The Noble Monastery of Preetz” has undergone an impressive transformation and is now appearing in a greatly expanded new edition. The number of pages has grown from 96 to a whopping 176 pages - a real heavyweight in the world of monastic literature. The magic behind this work? A congenial collaboration between Dr. Christian Stocks and the couple Ene and Bernd Perlbach. "The three are long-time monastery residents who know and love this gem. You can feel and see it in all disciplines, in text, images and layout. That gives this monastery guide a soul," says Prioress Erika von Bülow, praising the extraordinary achievement.

Did you know that the first printed Preetz monastery guide saw the light of day 50 years ago? Back in 1974, it was a modest 16-page booklet. But times change, and in 2012 the monastery guide was turned into a real book. Otfried Kohl, the then chairman of the Society of Friends of Preetz Monastery, had the brilliant idea. "As a bookseller, he contributed his know-how. Among other things, it was important that the price remained below 10 euros," remembers Stocks. The new edition now offers the opportunity to provide deeper insights into the fascinating history of the monastery, beyond the monastery church and the convent hall.

Historical revelations and photographic masterpieces

Research never sleeps, and old theories about the building history of the monastery church have been refuted. The architectural historian Dr. Ulrich Knapp examined the roof structure down to the outermost corners and determined that it was a continuous work from 1325. This finding makes it clear that the church was rebuilt after the fire of 1307 much earlier than previously thought. The assumption that the Holy Spirit Church in Kiel, which was destroyed in the Second World War, served as a model, has also been refuted. Instead, the design ideas can be traced back to St. Mary's Church and the Holy Spirit Hospital in Lübeck.

Bernd Perlbach, a master of photography, has achieved true miracles with his camera. In coordination with the residents, he was allowed to take interior photos of the historic buildings in the monastery courtyard. These unique insights would otherwise have been denied to outsiders. Using a special recording technique, he was able to perfectly capture even the narrowest of spaces. “The pictures I took for the monastery guide show the monastery in an idealized, timeless state,” explains Perlbach proudly. His wife Ene Perlbach designed the book's layout and added graphics and plans that will probably last for the next 100 years.

The new monastery guide is now available for 14.90 euros in Preetz bookstores and in the monastery itself. A must for anyone interested in the fascinating history and architecture of the noble monastery in Preetz!