The Monasteries of Basel
12 March 2026
Almost 500 years ago, between 1525 and 1529, the ten monasteries in Basel ceased to exist. The city became the new owner. The bishop, too, left the town and went to Porrentruy. The Reformation reached Basel, marking the end of 450 years of history.
The first monastery, St. Alban, was founded in 1083. The second monastery, St. Leonhard, was consecrated around 1133.
The St. Alban Monastery, unknown artist, 19th century. Photo: Wikipedia
Today’s complex of the St. Alban’s monastery
The Leonhardskirche and the Museum of Music
The number of monasteries increased in the thirteenth century due to the rise of the new mendicant orders. Between 1231 and 1279, Dominicans (also known as Preachers because preaching was their primary occupation) founded Franciscan and Augustinian monasteries, all of which had both male and female convents. The last monastery, the Carthusian order, was established in 1401.
The Predigerkirche
The mendicant orders had three male monasteries (Barfüsser or Barfoot (Franciscans), Prediger (preacher) and Augustiner) and four female monasteries (Gnadental, St. Clara, Steinen Monastery and Klingental).
The complex of the Carthusians and the St. Theodorkirche
The complex of the Carthusians is the best preserved; other monasteries have been completely lost, including the Steinen Monastery (on the site of the Tinguely wells). Only the walls of the Gnadental and Augustiner monasteries have survived the fate of history.
The Barfüsserkirche
The Martinskirche and the Martinsplatz
The Peterskirche
The Clarakirche
The Preacher’s Church (Predigerkirche), consecrated in 1269, has undergone thorough renovation with an eye for detail, preserving the medieval original. This includes a reconstruction of the Dance of Death (Totentanz) on the cemetery’s walls, which was destroyed in 1805.
The Barfüsserkerk is Basel’s historical museum. St. Clare is the monastery church of the Clarisses, the female Franciscans, and it is still in use.
The monastic life of Basel depended on the bishop’s presence. He was the head of the diocese, the prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and the most important secular lord of the town until the 15th century.
The Reformation changed monastic life forever.
(Source: F. Ackermann, Th. Wollmann, Klöster in Basel, Basel 2009).
Webergasse, wallpainting.
The former monastery in Klein-Basel