Our House

12 monks
Foundation of the Cistercian monastery Campus Sanctae Mariae – today Marienfeld.

37 years of construction
After 37 years of construction, the monastery church was consecrated in 1222 under the sixth abbot of the monastery, Winricus, by Dietrich III of Isenberg, Prince-Bishop of Münster, Cathedral Provost of Cologne, and nephew of the Cologne Archbishop Engelbert the Saint. The monastery reached its intellectual peak from the 12th to 15th centuries, particularly through the participation of the monk Hermann Zoestius in the Council of Basel for calendar reform. The Old Abbey was built from 1699-1702 as a residence for the abbot of the Cistercian monastery.

100,000 Reichstaler
A total of 48 abbots lived and worked in Marienfeld. On March 21, 1803, the Royal Prussian Government informed the Marienfeld convent of the monastery’s dissolution, which was carried out just eight days later. On the day of dissolution, the monastery possessed approximately 600 morgen of land, 400 dependent properties, cash assets of 100,000 Reichstaler, as well as a monastery library with 7,000 volumes, 320 paintings, and numerous copper engravings and vestments.

200 years of interruption
After the monastery’s closure, the premises stood empty for a long time. Later, the monastery was used as a rural year camp, in 1942 as a command bunker for the airfield, and after the war as a refugee camp and recovery home for malnourished children.

After more than 200 years of interruption, monastic life returned to Marienfeld at Pentecost 2004. Two religious members moved into the former outbuildings of the monastery courtyard and lived there according to the rules of Saint Benedict until 2021.

72,000 marks
From the tavern to the Hotel-Residence Klosterpforte: April 10, 1953, a historic day! The Austermann family, along with Reinhold Frie senior and Anneliese Frie (née Austermann), acquired the Klosterpforte at auction. 72,000 marks – that is what it cost to take over the Klosterpforte, which had fallen into financial difficulties under its previous owners. With an uneasy feeling but great motivation, they started the venture “gastronomy” that very same day.

10 guest rooms
Reinhold Frie Senior remembers the first day as chaotic. 34 marks in revenue at the end of the day. Frie takes it directly to the bank – and doubts his plan: “Will this work out?” But just a few weeks later, the situation looks completely different. The Klosterpforte becomes a meeting place and regular haunt for numerous clubs. Cozy, Westphalian, warm: The good reputation of the Klosterpforte spreads quickly. Not only among local guests, but also among visitors from afar. The ten guest rooms are well booked!

107 beds
Restoration of the historic monastery courtyard: A first major change to the Klosterpforte grounds was made in 1984: Where a fire destroyed part of the monastery in 1915, which was only partially rebuilt, a suitable new building now emerges. After the opening, an additional 37 beds in double and single rooms are added to the existing 70 beds. Additionally, seminar rooms and an apartment are created in the new building.

43 meters
Expansion of the grounds: In the following years, the grounds are steadily expanded. In 1988, the Fries acquire the Meier-Viehmeyer farm. Unfortunately, a fire destroys 43 meters of the building just one year later. Today, the grass pitches, the Sporthotel 11, and the Landhaus are located on the grounds. In 1990, the first event takes place in the barn, which has since become a popular venue for celebrations!

1990s
The late 1990s are marked by transformation: In 1997, Reinhold Frie Junior takes over management. After training as a chef and hotel manager, as well as a stay in Brighton, England, he joins the family hotel business with many ideas and visions.

1,000 individual parts
His first act is significant: the demolition of the old main building and the construction of the “Abbey” including the now iconic tower. In the following years, the grounds are steadily and carefully expanded. Smaller extensions are implemented just as carefully as major projects.

One of these major projects was certainly the construction of the “Rincklake.” The listed half-timbered house was dismantled into thousands of individual parts at its original location and faithfully reconstructed on the Klosterpforte grounds. Like a puzzle!

In 2004, the Fisherman’s Hut was fundamentally renovated and has since served as an idyllic event venue. Five years later, the Klostercafé reopened its doors after fresh renovation.

U21 national team
Klosterpforte and football: an inseparable team!
Photos from the 1930s, when Juventus Turin was a guest, prove that there is an inseparable connection between the Klosterpforte and football. However, the year 2001 was pivotal for the hotel’s development as a sports hotel and training camp: In this year, Reinhold Frie junior officially applied to the DFB as a team headquarters for the 2006 Football World Cup. In the same year, the German U21 national team was one of the first teams to stay at the Klosterpforte and use it as a training camp.

In April 2006, coinciding with the World Cup start, the Sporthotel 11 opened and definitively sealed the close symbiosis between the Klosterpforte and sports.

35 professional teams
A selection of our guests from the last 20 years:
FC Bayern München | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Borussia Dortmund | VfL Wolfsburg | FC Schalke 04 | Hamburger SV | DSC Arminia Bielefeld | Besiktas Istanbul | Galatasaray Istanbul | AS Monaco | Lazio Rom | Ajax Amsterdam | Glasgow Rangers | Athletic Bilbao | FC Porto | FC Valencia | PSV Eindhoven | Beijing Guan | Al Shabab | Al Wahda | Al Ain | Al Nasr | West Ham United | Norwich City | Manchester City | Aston Villa | Brentford FC | Royal Antwerpen | RB Salzburg | Shaktar Donetzk | Turkey National Team | Portugal National Team | Germany National Team U19, U21, Women’s A-Team

2 summer fairy tales
2006 the highlight: The Portuguese national team establishes its World Cup headquarters at the Klosterpforte. The beginning of a Marienfeld summer fairy tale! For weeks, a state of emergency prevails: fans and journalists besiege the strictly guarded grounds. Portugal remains focused and finishes third in the World Cup – the starting signal for a great football celebration around the Klosterpforte.

2024 the continuation: For UEFA EURO, Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. once again choose the Klosterpforte as their base. Again, numerous media and fans flock to Marienfeld, which becomes the center of a European Championship hype. With the Sporthotel 11 as a base, two football pitches, a tennis court, fitness rooms, saunas, ice bath, and rooms for doctors and physiotherapists, the Klosterpforte remains a popular destination for tournament preparations to this day – not only for football teams.

450 sqm
The landmark of the Klosterpforte: In 2007, Reinhold Frie junior fulfills a dream: He acquires the Old Abbey, the landmark next to the old monastery church. For three years, the 450 sqm historic building is renovated. Not only was an old fireplace uncovered and restored, but also old wall paneling, which was also preserved.

While event spaces are created on the ground floor that can be used for meetings and celebrations, a luxurious suite is set up on the upper floor. The combination of the historic setting, antique furniture, and modern art creates a unique, inspiring ambiance.

6,400 hectoliters
In old monastic tradition, “Marienfelder Klosterbräu” has been brewed since 2009. A dark and a light beer are produced in two 3,200 hectoliter kettles. There is even a laboratory to regularly test the barley juice!

1 new era
The third generation of the Klosterpforte: In 2014 – once again in the history of the Klosterpforte – a new era begins. Carina, the eldest daughter of Reinhold junior and Barbara, and her husband Christopher join the management of the Klosterpforte. With this change, what had already been prepared in previous years becomes official.

Carina and Christopher Schemmink, both trained in the finest hotels, have many plans for the Klosterpforte – and actively implement them in the following years. The first act: the expansion of the breakfast room with a cozy winter garden in 2017, which offers a beautiful view of the greenery.

600 people
Already in 2018, a great dream of Carina and Christopher, but also Reinhold junior and Barbara, is fulfilled. After years of planning and one year of construction, the Klosterforum opens. With space for up to 600 people, the new event hall now serves as a venue for trade fairs, conferences, weddings, and numerous other events.

4 generations
In 2020, the wellness garden is built. With an outdoor pool, relaxation areas, an outdoor sauna, and lounging areas, the new wellness area is an exclusive oasis of tranquility in the middle of the Klosterpforte grounds – connected to the main building by a tunnel.

And that is not all: Over the next two years, not only the conference rooms but also some rooms and suites as well as the Klosterstübchen are fundamentally renovated. Thus, the Klosterpforte continues to evolve and each generation leaves its mark.

3 culinary pillars
The KlosterKÜCHE is the new culinary heart of the Klosterpforte. The all-day dining restaurant delights with stylish ambiance, live cooking stations, and a winter garden. Three product areas shape the culinary offering:

Heimatliebe: Regional dishes with ingredients from the neighborhood that celebrate sustainability and freshness.
Mediterranean: Seasonal specialties from the Mediterranean region.
Vegetarian: Creative dishes that even convince meat lovers.

Live cooking, a signature dish, and a diverse buffet make every visit a special experience.