Located not far from the center of Güstrow, the Gothic Gertruden Chapel was opened in 1953 as the first Barlach Museum in Güstrow. The chapel houses about 30 sculptures and reliefs by Ernst Barlach, all of which were created during the Güstrow period.
The chapel is a single-nave late Gothic brick building from the 15th century with a three-sided east end. Until the middle of the 16th century it was used as a hospital chapel, later as a cemetery chapel, from 1936 as an ancestral hall by the National Socialists.
In 1953, after extensive restoration, a memorial to Ernst Barlach - sculptor, graphic artist and playwright - who lived in Güstrow from 1910 until his death in 1938, was erected. In the exhibition room, in addition to sculptures and sculptures such as "Reading monastery students" and "Tied witch", the figures of the "Community of Saints" or "The doubter" can be seen. The installation of the exhibition in the Gertrude Chapel corresponds to a wish expressed several times by the artist, who could well imagine his works in the sacred space. During the summer months, the Gertrude Chapel is also used as a venue for concerts.
