Das Heiligengeist Hospital / The Hospital of the Holy Ghost

History

1227

The Hospital of the Holy Ghost was founded in Luebeck. It is located at the corner of Pferdemarkt/Marlesgrube.

1263

Bishop Johannes III of Traulau confirmed "the rules of the order". This meant that the monks and nuns of the Hospital of the Holy Ghost had to take an oath of chastity, poverty and obedience towards the head of the Hospital and have to wear the robes of the order, white or grey sheep wool.

1276

After a big fire in the city, space became available for a new building at Koberg (Cow Hill) but the construction work probably started even before this date.

1286

Completion of the new building ( the church and the hall to the nursing home) at Koberg.

1300

Construction of the choir-screen in the church, supported by six pillars.

1350

Construction of the cloister.

1495

Addition of the star-studded vault in the central nave of the church. The vault intersects the upper part of the window of the western facade and divides the murals on the eastern wall.

1517/18

The character of the Hospital of the Holy Ghost comletely changed and it became a retirement home, which was entirely secular. The administration of the institution and the assets of the Holy Ghost foundation had always been in the hands of the two most senior of the city's mayors, who acted as the chairmen of the foundation. In 1602, the council also appointed four co-chairmen who were ordinary citizens.

1806

Cessation of public services in the church.

1820

The beds which were previously in rows of four in the Longhouse, one section of the Holy Ghost Hospital, are removed and replaced bye the wooden chambers which are still there today.

1939

The Council of the Hanseatic City of Luebeck took on the responsibility for the administration of the foundation. This means that the Holy Ghost Hospital foundation lost itīs high degree of independence and autonomy.

1964

The Senate of Luebeck decided that no further patients would be admitted to the Hospital of the Holy Ghost. From here, the hospital had accommodated 170 elderly people. In addition to the chambers in the Longhouse there were single rooms in the gabled houses at Koberg and in the other sections, the Schrankhaus and Kammerhaus.

1970

The remaining residents of the retirement home were moved to other retirement homes or nursing homes, which were in the Dornbreite or Kleine Burgstraße.

1973

Reconstruction work commenced on the Hospital of the Holy Ghost.

1976

Reconstruction work was completed. Since then, a maximum of 85 people have been accommodated in single rooms and a few in twin-bed rooms outside Longhouse. For the first time, the retirement home was given to the city council which now runs the hospital.

2001

The Hospital of the Holy Ghost was converted into a modern retirement home.



Construction

The facade of the Hospital of the Holy Ghost consists of a three gables construction with four-6-asiled pile works, a roof rider with bell frame and roofing from clay tiles. Only the south side of the roof was made of copper. On the northwest corner the building has a small protrusion compared with a joining building. In this protrusion, there is a pipe for the roof drainage.



Usage today

Nowadays the Holy Ghost Hospital is a retirement home. The hospital is administered by Luebeck and it is financed by the rent and lease income of the big the Holy Ghost Hospitalīs property . For more than eleven days, a Christmas fair takes place in the hospital.