Cella Sankt Benedikt

The Cella Sankt Benedikt stands in a quiet street in Hannover’s List district. It is a small Benedictine outpost of the Abbey of Königsmünster in Meschede, housed on the third floor of a late 19th-century apartment building. Four monks live and work here today, continuing a tradition that began with a request from Bishop Josef Homeyer in 1984. The community was formally announced in the Hildesheimer Dom by Abbot Stephan Schröer two years later. Their mission is to adapt Benedictine life to a modern city environment.

The monastery’s church was completed in 2011 after a year of building work. Architects Gido Hülsmann and Dirk Boländer designed a calm, light-filled space. A translucent alabaster wall separates the altar area from the street, while a carved wooden cross by Brother Abraham Fischer focuses the room. The brothers also run a recognised speech therapy practice, offering breathing and voice therapy to the public.

Visitors step into a small, uncluttered chapel where the alabaster glows softly in daylight. The single cross above the altar is made from light-coloured wood and draws the eye forward. The monks provide spiritual guidance and occasional public events. Outside, the Voßstraße building looks like any other Gründerzeit block, yet inside it holds a place of quiet reflection.