St. Magdalena

The monastery's origins lie in a community of penitents that emerged in St. Leon around 1227 and moved to Speyer in 1228. The monastic complex was built on donated land north of Speyer Cathedral. In 1304, the penitents joined the Dominican Order, a move approved by Pope Benedict XI. During the Palatinate War of Succession in 1689, the monastery burned down, but the sisters returned ten years later and rebuilt it. The wars following the French Revolution forced the nuns to flee multiple times between 1792 and 1795. Although they were able to return in 1797, secularization occurred in 1802. The buildings were sold by the state, but in 1807, the Dominicans managed to repurchase the complex with family support. They initially lived there secretly as a spiritual community. In 1811, the Freising Cathedral Canon Count Damian Hugo Philipp von Lehrbach moved into the monastery as a pensioner and became an important benefactor. After his death in 1815, he bequeathed a chalice to the convent and contributed to the re-establishment of the Diocese of Speyer. King Ludwig I of Bavaria officially re-established the monastery in 1828, with the condition of promoting Catholic girls' education. During the Nazi era, all monastery schools were closed, prompting some sisters to found schools in Peru and Brazil. In Germany, all schools had to be closed or transferred to other operators by 2010 due to a lack of new recruits.

St. Magdalena Monastery is located in Speyer, a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The complex is situated in the northwest of the city, not far from Speyer Cathedral to the south.

The extensive monastery district is protected as a monument zone. At the entrance stands a gatehouse from 1889 with a coat of arms relief and the inscription "Veritas". Old grave crosses from the 18th century are embedded in the historic city wall. The former school building from 1832 now serves as the church music center of the Diocese of Speyer and houses the editorial office of the diocesan newspaper "der pilger". The monastery church of St. Maria Magdalena dates back to the 13th century. In August 2013, the Dominican sisters opened a full-day primary school with a musical focus.

• Speyer Cathedral (sacred building, approx. 315 m away)
• Speyer City Fortification-Heidentürmchen (city fortification, approx. 332 m away)
• Eremitage Castle (castle, approx. 8894 m away)
• Schwetzingen Palace (palace, approx. 11640 m away)