Beinhaus

The Beinhaus in Bad Doberan stands on the monastery grounds in the town of the same name in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is one of only two surviving octagonal charnel houses in northern Germany, the other being in Hardehausen. Built around 1250 in early Gothic style, it originally stored the bones of deceased monks whose graves were reused. The building was added to the list of nationally significant monuments in 2002. The chapel’s exterior features a striking pattern of glazed and unglazed brick layers around its base. Inside, vivid murals by Karl Christian Andreae from 1879 depict Christ, apostles, saints, and the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The lower level shows the foolish virgins with red outlines, while above them the wise virgins appear in classical robes with flaming lamps. The ceiling holds seven apostles and Christ, and over the door is a crucifix flanked by allegorical figures of Church and Synagogue. Visitors enter through a door topped by a blind rosette and see the painted walls and vaulted ceiling. The altar relief and windows were restored between 2002 and 2010. The eight-sided brick structure sits on a raised platform above the ossuary below, its slender windows and corner pilasters giving it a quiet, contemplative presence.