Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

• A development project in the town center of Borken, in western Germany, revealed the well-preserved remains of a monastery.
• The brick foundation was over five feet tall in some places, and it was buried under thick layers of rubble.
• An effort to find a destroyed Jewish synagogue thought to be near the monastery hasn’t revealed any artifacts.

Archaeologists working on a preventive dig ahead of a construction project in the German town of Borken, near the Dutch border, discovered a remarkable piece of history. In the town’s Brinkerhof neighborhood, archaeologists uncovered the remains of the 15th-century Marienbrink monastery church. The red brick foundations and thick walls of the church, which were bound by lime mortar, are well-preserved despite the passing of the centuries. The walls were four feet thick and over five feet tall, often buried beneath layers of thick rubble that helped preserve the ancient foundation as the city grew and expanded over it.

According to a report from the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL), which conducted the work alongside a specialist archaeological firm, the discovery unfolded in phases. Initial exploratory excavations and geophysical surveys were carried out in 2024, when investigators first encountered sections of the western and southern walls of the church. Those sections were measured and documented before further excavation at the end of 2025 confirmed just how well the foundations had survived.

The High Middle Ages site likely stood close to the parish church of St. Remigius, which was built around 800 C.E. The monastery was dissolved in the early 19th century, but parts of the complex were repurposed in 1818 for a Jewish center consisting of a synagogue, school, and ritual bath, or mikveh. The synagogue was destroyed during the November Pogroms of 1938 and demolished the following year. While no definitive remains linked to the synagogue have yet been identified, archaeologists say investigations are ongoing as planning for the new development proceeds.

The fact that the Marienbrink monastery was built in the center of Borken helped to preserve the hidden foundation of the monastery, even after its dissolution. “In Borken’s historic town center, one can generally assume excellent and extensive preservation of archaeological features with complex stratigraphy,” Andreas Wunschel of LWL said in a statement, according to Earth.com.

Geophysical surveys helped the archaeologists to know where to dig test trenches before intensive excavation, and archaeologists working with the regional association were able to identify the preserved outline of the building. Archaeological crews may learn more about the monastery and the area around it as they uncover additional components of the foundational stones and work continues at the modern development. The use of lime mortar, a calcium-based binder with heated limestone, was key in helping preserve the site, Wunschel added.

Beyond the monastery walls, crews discovered a mix of artifacts reflecting Borken's continual use from the Middle Ages through today: filled-in cellars from earlier buildings, an animal carcass pit, numerous pits and postholes from the early modern period, and ceramic fragments dating from the late High Middle Ages through modern times—demonstrating continuous, dense occupation of this part of Borken's town center over centuries. The team also located a World War II air raid shelter southwest of the church remains. Preliminary assessments indicate the bunker occupies a considerable portion of the development area.