Grey Brother Abbey Church

Grey Brother Abbey church is the perfect church for Christian students in Odense. Here are held Højme prices on Sundays along the afternoon. This means you can still get your weekly dose of the church without having to miss out on social events on Saturdays.

About Franciscan monastery

Franciscan monastery in the middle of Odense is an old Franciscan monastery - the largest in Denmark - founded by King Erik Klippinge who in 1279 donated his royal courtyard, with associated buildings for the Franciscan monks.

The Order's founder, St. Francis of Assisi, had decided that the brothers should be shared poverty and penance, and then they should be zealous preachers of the gospel.
After the color of their habit was Franciscans called Grey Brother.

The basis for the establishment of a monastery was originally gifts from women and men who belonged to the upper walks of life - in Odense, it was mentioned the king.

The monastery's possessions were centuries significantly increased with estates. The royal support of Graabrødrene culminated with the pious Queen Christine, King Hans' wife, who even before the king's death in 1513 preferred to stay on Næsbyhoved Castle, which was her livgeding. She was gripped by Francis of Assisi 'thoughts and the monastery was a good patron.


Royal burial ground

The royal couple decided that the Franciscan monastery church was to be their final resting place and Twelfth chapel in Roskilde. In 1511 the royal couple's youngest son, Prince Francis, buried in front of the high altar in the abbey church, and two years later became King Hans buried next to her son. A fierce conflict with Roskilde Cathedral clergy of the king resting place was first settled when Pope Leo X established that the king's funeral in Odense should be respected. The queen did furnish a goodly gravkor with a number of memorial plaques, a large stenepitafium with the royal couple and Prince Francis in full figure and a unique triptych. The decoration was carried out by Queen's court artist Claus Berg of Lübeck.

In 1521 became Queen Christine buried in the choir, and in 1559 followed his son Christian II. his parents. From burial choir is there still a commemorative plaque for Prince Francis, the great stenepitafium and the splendid late Gothic altarpiece with the royal family depicted on predellaen.
These parts are now in Sct. Knud's Church, and residues from the royal funerals set up under the floor of the cathedral's crypt.


The church was hospital church

At the Reformation surpassed the monastery to the crown, and by a gift letter dated 27 October 1539 upheld the Christian III., The monastery should be "a meenigt Hospital and Health-house in Our Country Fyen", and as such it came to work for 250 years . The abbey church was the exception, since, even before the deed of gift was issued, were left to Albani parish to parish church.