Klosterkirche

The monastery was likely founded in 1260 by the Bohemian noble family of Leipa, who had previously owned Zittau Castle for several years. In the following decades, the monastery complex was built, and the high altar of St. Peter and Paul was consecrated in 1293. The monastery, belonging to the Franciscan Order founded in 1210, was part of the Custody of Goldberg within the Saxon Franciscan Province and was led by a guardian. The convent benefited from financial and material donations from the town's citizens, who in return were permitted burial in the monastery church or cloister. Disputes with the town led to the acceptance of a municipal procurator in 1511 and subordination to a minister of the Bohemian king in 1522, after reformist movements gained influence in Zittau. This resulted in some brothers leaving and a halt to new admissions. In 1543, the buildings were handed over to the town council, though the remaining residents were allowed to continue living there. With the death of the last resident in 1554, the monastery ceased to exist. After a period of decay and use as building material, a wing, the Heffterbau, was restored around 1650. The church was re-consecrated in 1662 and thereafter served as the town's second Protestant parish church. From 1705/06, parts of the former cloister buildings were used as residences for elderly single women and later as a poorhouse until 1928. Since 1934, the former Franciscan Monastery has housed the Zittau Municipal Museums.

The monastery complex is situated in the south of Zittau's medieval old town, directly adjacent to the historic town wall. Zittau was located on a branch of the Via Regia and an important trade route to Prague, and in the Middle Ages, it mostly belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Today, the former monastery buildings are utilized by the Zittau Municipal Museums. The former monastery church of St. Peter and Paul serves as the parish church for the Evangelical-Lutheran Congregation of Zittau. Its distinctive tower is an important landmark in the townscape.

• Althörnitz Castle (Castle, approx. 3729 m away)
• Karlsfried Ruin (Hartau) (Ruin, approx. 7077 m away)
• Hainewalde Moated Castle (Castle, approx. 7203 m away)
• Hainewalde Castle (Castle, approx. 7291 m away)