Podominikanski Abbey

Sobre

In 1602, Dominican monks from Lithuania founded a fortified church in the classic Renaissance style. Shortly after it was completed, the invading Swedish army sacked the town and damaged the monastery. After the war ended, the monks returned to repair the monastery, and were granted the privilege holding a weekly market, which helped repopulate the town. While the order was expelled by the Prussian authorities in 1804, never to return, the monastery still played an integral role in the community, hosting a seminary, gymnasium vocational school, a cultural house, a municipal library, before ownership finally returned to the church. The proud, two-towered silhouette of the Church of St. Mary still dominates the town, though now sports a regional Baroque facade. The interior is surprisingly sumptuous for a small town church, with its Rococo decor. The monastery houses several exhibitions about the history of the town and church. Please note the monastery is currently undergoing renovations.