July 31, 2021, 4:18 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The former Franciscan monastery on Klosterstraße in Berlin-Mitte is one of the city’s eeriest and most historic places. The ghost of a murderous monk is said to still haunt here. TRAVELBOOK tells a true urban legend.
Anyone walking through Klosterstraße in Berlin-Mitte can’t miss the building—or rather, what’s left of it. It’s the ruins of the old Franciscan monastery, which was established here at the end of the 13th century. It’s also quite spooky, as the ghost of a cruel monk is said to still haunt the old walls.
The full story is told by author Lars Franke in his book “In the Footsteps of Old Monastery Legends.” According to him, a wicked monk named Roderich once lived in the Franciscan monastery in Berlin. Previously a knight, he joined the convent due to a disappointed love. Fleeing from the enraged father of his former lover, he broke a leg and limped, earning him the nickname “the limping monk.”
Criminals Hired for Murder
Physically limited, Roderich grew increasingly bitter until he eventually went so far as to pay two criminals to murder another monk in the Franciscan monastery in Berlin. He then blamed the crime on the rival Templars, leading to the execution of several of them. But Roderich’s misdeeds would soon catch up with him.
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Shortly before the trials against the Templars, a young monk named Bernhard joined the Franciscan monastery in Berlin. He, too, did so out of disappointed love, as he wanted to marry a woman who later turned out to be his sister. What no one knew: Bernhard was the son of Roderich, conceived with his lover before he became a monk. Such connections were highly improper at the time, so the identities of both father and son were kept secret.
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The Final Misdeed
Bernhard signs his own death warrant when he bluntly tells Roderich during a conversation that he doesn’t believe in the guilt of the executed Templars. The Franciscan monastery in Berlin then becomes the scene of another murder. Roderich has Bernhard arrested and imprisoned in the dank cellar to cover his tracks.
Fate turns when one of the murderers hired by Roderich finally confesses what really happened. An angry mob storms the monastery in search of the true culprit, Roderich. He is eventually found in the cellar, weeping beside his now-dead son—he had just learned from a letter from his former lover that he was Bernhard’s father. Roderich confesses his crimes and is killed on the spot without trial.
The Franciscan Monastery in Berlin – A Place of Culture
Even today, one might hear his lamentations at night when passing by the Franciscan monastery in Berlin. The city magazine “Tip” lists the site as a spooky destination in the city. However, the former monastery, of which only the church ruins remain today, was much more a place of learning and scholarship. According to the official site, it housed Berlin’s first printing press, among other things.
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There was also once a botanical garden with exotic animals here. Additionally, in 1574, the “Gray Monastery” in the Franciscan monastery in Berlin became the city’s first high school. Notable students over time included architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, “Father of Gymnastics” Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, and Otto von Bismarck. Heavily damaged during and after World War II bombings, only the church ruins of the old Franciscan monastery in Berlin remain today.
In 2016, the Mitte district breathed new life into the ruins by inviting artists to exhibit and/or perform concerts at the historic site. There is currently a diverse program. However, the dark legend of the monk Roderich is not mentioned on the site. Admission to the ruins is free and barrier-free, and tours offered in the summer months are also free.