The church, built in the 19th century, took over the location of the previous medieval building, which dates back to around 1235. The nuns of the Magdalene Order found this older church building, or at least parts of it, when they moved from Roebel to Malchow in 1298. They started building a monastery near this church. From the only two known images of the medieval church, historians assume that it had a four-bay nave with a recessed box chancel.

An unusual feature of both the original church building and its neo-Gothic successor, is their orientation to the north-east instead of directly to the east.

Schinkel’s student, Friedrich Wilhelm Buttel, first added a neo-Gothic church tower to the medieval church between 1844 and 1846, before a little later, in 1849, the new neo-Gothic nave was built in place of the medieval one.

In order to form the filigree neo-Gothic forms, around 170 different shaped stones were made for the construction. Thus, a truly unique masterpiece of neo-Gothic architecture was created at the end of the classicism era.

The building historians found clear evidence that the bricks on the wall surfaces were drawn, the actual joints not being visible. However, small traces indicate that a fine white grouting network was painted on selected areas.

Sadly, a fire completely destroyed the interior of the church in 1888, partially destroying the outer walls. The reconstruction was undertaken by the chief building surveyor Georg Daniel, taking until 1890. The structure, including the outer walls, was largely preserved. However, Daniel altered a number of details on the outside and created a completely new interior of the church. The original interior was flat-roofed, Daniel’s rebuilt interior was then given a ribbed vault. Additional changes to the openings and the terracotta decor lent a vastly different, more austere spatial impression.

The new pulpit was created by the Schwerin court carpenter, Reinhold, while Carl Andreä from Dresden was responsible for the altarpiece. The coloured apostle windows in the chancel and aisles were supplied by the Tyrolean glass workshop Neuhauser from Innsbruck.

The organ is the 100th work of the Schwerin court organ builder Friedrich Friese (III). It forms the basis for the Mecklenburg Organ Museum. Since 1997, this has dealt with the two-thousand-year history of the organ in general and with the Mecklenburg organ tradition in particular. The museum houses some organs that were threatened with dereliction and disrepair in their original location. They were retrieved from unused or structurally endangered churches, or those where they had had to make way for other instruments.

The monastery church hosts concerts on a regular basis and it is also used as a registry office. From the summit of the tower there is a wonderful view to be had over the convent complex and across Lake Malchow to the island town of Malchow. It is well worth the effort for anyone who can negotiate a few steps and is not afraid of heights.

An unusual feature of both the original church building and its neo-Gothic successor, is their orientation to the north-east instead of directly to the east.

Schinkel’s student, Friedrich Wilhelm Buttel, first added a neo-Gothic church tower to the medieval church between 1844 and 1846, before a little later, in 1849, the new neo-Gothic nave was built in place of the medieval one.

In order to form the filigree neo-Gothic forms, around 170 different shaped stones were made for the construction. Thus, a truly unique masterpiece of neo-Gothic architecture was created at the end of the classicism era.

The building historians found clear evidence that the bricks on the wall surfaces were drawn, the actual joints not being visible. However, small traces indicate that a fine white grouting network was painted on selected areas.

Sadly, a fire completely destroyed the interior of the church in 1888, partially destroying the outer walls. The reconstruction was undertaken by the chief building surveyor Georg Daniel, taking until 1890. The structure, including the outer walls, was largely preserved.  However, Daniel altered a number of details on the outside and created a completely new interior of the church. The original interior was flat-roofed, Daniel’s rebuilt interior was then given a ribbed vault. Additional changes to the openings and the terracotta decor lent a vastly different, more austere spatial impression.

The new pulpit was created by the Schwerin court carpenter, Reinhold, while Carl Andreä from Dresden was responsible for the altarpiece. The coloured apostle windows in the chancel and aisles were supplied by the Tyrolean glass workshop Neuhauser from Innsbruck.

The organ is the 100th work of the Schwerin court organ builder Friedrich Friese (III). It forms the basis for the Mecklenburg Organ Museum. Since 1997, this has dealt with the two-thousand-year history of the organ in general and with the Mecklenburg organ tradition in particular. The museum houses some organs that were threatened with dereliction and disrepair in their original location. They were retrieved from unused or structurally endangered churches, or those where they had had to make way for other instruments.

The monastery church hosts concerts on a regular basis and it is also used as a registry office. From the summit of the tower there is a wonderful view to be had over the convent complex and across Lake Malchow to the island town of Malchow.  It is well worth the effort for anyone who can negotiate a few steps and is not afraid of heights.

A model shows how the instrument works and at the same time offers visitors the opportunity to play the organ themselves. Several organs and their tonal peculiarities are presented in guided tours. 

The museum houses organs and organ parts that were threatened with dereliction in their original location. As a rule, they are given to the museum as loans. In this case, no restoration takes place, only cleaning and conservation. Depending on the state of preservation, the instruments are also made playable again. The acoustic conditions inside the monastery church are excellent for organ music. The museum offers the rare opportunity of hearing up to ten different organs in the same room. In the guided tours available, various organs are always demonstrated.

In addition to the main exhibition room in the monastery church, there are other exhibition rooms in the former parsonage on the opposite side of the street. The library, workshop and store are also housed there.

Organ research and the preparation of an organ inventory are concentrated on the historical area of Mecklenburg. The museum has an extensive specialist library. This also includes more than 1,000 different hymn books and a collection of around 600 vinyl records featuring the organ. These collections can be utilised by prior appointment.

Special highlights are the summer concerts from July to September with the series of Sunday organ matinees.

The Grand Duke was a sovereign who had a passion for building and thus, Buttel was able to quickly demonstrate his skills. He played a key role in countless building projects for the Grand Duke, Other state nobles subsequently commissioned Buttel with neoclassical new buildings and conversions. Some of his most famous buildings in Mecklenburg are the neo-Gothic St. Mary’s Church in Neubrandenburg, now widely known as the concert church, as well as the orangery and the palace church in Neustrelitz.

Buttel was not only interested in architecture from the artistic and design points of view. In addition to his work as a master builder, he busied himself with the solution of technical problems. He is regarded as the inventor of tarred roofing felt, which was then used for the first time on the flat roofs of classicist buildings in the mid-19th century. He also designed shaped stones and terracottas, developed a sludge machine and a reverberating furnace with two chambers, as well as the furnaces for the Grand Ducal kitchen in Neustrelitz Castle. Many bridges, fountains, locks and water pipes were built under his leadership.

Buttel was also very active in Malchow as an architect and master builder. He built the neo-Gothic monastery church, the new terraced houses for the nuns in the Malchow convent, and was also involved in the construction of the earth dam across Lake Malchow, which connects the convent area with the old town island.

As the industrious Buttel turned 70, his strength began to decline. His sight deteriorated and he was heavily overworked. Even so, his long overdue retirement was postponed again and again. After his wife died, Friedrich Wilhelm Buttel took his own life in 1869.