St. Niklaus Hospital - Kues

The late Gothic St. Nikolaus-Hospital , also known as the Cusanusstift , was founded in 1458 by Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus), a cardinal, philosopher and theologian, with the aim of providing shelter for 33 needy men of different social backgrounds, symbolically referring to the life years of Christ.

Since 1967, women have also been admitted, and the complex still functions as a senior citizen's residence.

The Cusanusstift is one of the most impressive late Gothic buildings in the Moselle region . The buildings are grouped around a monastic cloister, with a chapel, refectory and living quarters. The chapel, built between 1453 and 1458 and consecrated in 1465, is designed as a single-column space with a star vault resting on a central octagonal column. This architecture was inspired by examples from Bohemia and Austria and in turn influenced other churches in the region.

In the chapel is a late Gothic winged altar by the Cologne "Master of the Life of Mary" , on which Cusanus himself is depicted in cardinal's robes, kneeling under the cross. Under the altar is his heart buried in a lead capsule, covered with a brass plate.

One of the greatest treasures of St. Nikolaus-Hospital is the Cusanus Library , housed in a late Gothic room above the chapel. This library contains over 300 manuscripts from the 9th to the 15th centuries, including works by Cusanus himself. The collection includes texts on theology, philosophy, law, medicine and astronomy, as well as rare incunabula and early prints

Willem Vandenameele