Neuzelle Abbey

Founded in 1268, Neuzelle was the only Cistercian abbey in the region to remain Catholic through the Reformation, because it lay in territory that stayed with Catholic Bohemia and later Saxony; the community survived until 1817. That continuity meant the abbey was rebuilt in the baroque manner in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, producing an interior of gilding, stucco and painted ceiling in a landscape where most churches are plain brick Protestant halls, which is why it is sometimes called the baroque wonder of Brandenburg. The abbey brewery was revived in the 1990s. A baroque garden has been reconstructed on the terrace.

History

The abbey was founded as Nova Cella in 1268 by Henry the Illustrious, Margrave of Meissen and Lusatia, for the soul of his late wife Agnes; the Hussites destroyed it repeatedly in the 15th century, killing or carrying off monks who refused their teaching, and it was rebuilt around 1500. It stayed Catholic through the Reformation, when most of the region followed Luther, its monks mostly coming from Bohemia and studying at the Charles University in Prague, and it carried on even after passing to Saxony through the Thirty Years' War, because the emperor kept it tied to Prague. In 1817, after the Congress of Vienna gave this part of Lower Lusatia to Prussia, King Frederick William III secularised it; from 1820 its buildings served schools and offices while the churches remained Catholic parish churches (Wikipedia, Neuzelle Abbey).

What to look for

• The baroque interior - full gilt and stucco decoration, unusual in the region.
• The Catholic survival - an abbey that kept its rite through the Reformation.
• The Easter theatre - painted scenery panels used in Holy Week displays.
• The terrace garden - a reconstructed baroque garden below the church.

When to go

April to October for the gardens; the church is open year-round and closes during services. The Easter scenery is displayed in the weeks before Easter.

What to expect

The village is small with limited services. The Easter display is seasonal. The area is remote by public transport.

Nearby

The Oder marks the Polish border east; Cottbus lies southwest.

Key facts