monastery
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monastery
A complex of buildings in which members of a religious community (monks or nuns) live together according to fixed rules.
Das alte Kloster auf dem Berg kann besichtigt werden.
The old monastery on the mountain can be visited.
monastery / community
The community of monks or nuns who live in a monastery.
Das gesamte Kloster versammelte sich zum Morgengebet in der Kapelle.
The entire monastery gathered in the chapel for morning prayer.
The prepositions 'in' and 'ins' are important. 'Im Kloster leben' (to live in the monastery) describes the location. 'Ins Kloster gehen' (to go into the monastery) can mean entering the building, but often also means becoming a member of the religious order.
Er lebte viele Jahre als Mönch im Kloster.
He lived in the monastery as a monk for many years.
The verb in the sentence often reveals whether the building or the community is meant. Verbs that refer to places (e.g. 'besichtigen' (to tour/visit), 'liegen' (to be located)) point to the building. Verbs that describe actions by people (e.g. 'beten' (to pray), 'entscheiden' (to decide)) point to the community.
Wir haben gestern ein berühmtes Kloster besichtigt.
Yesterday we toured a famous monastery.
When the building is meant, 'Kloster' is often used with verbs such as 'besichtigen' (to tour/visit), 'besuchen' (to visit), 'bauen' (to build), or 'restaurieren' (to restore). Adjectives are often 'alt' (old), 'berühmt' (famous), or 'verlassen' (abandoned).
Das verlassene Kloster wurde zu einem Hotel umgebaut.
The abandoned monastery was converted into a hotel.
medal / order
Kloster and Orden can both refer to a religious community. Kloster tends to mean the specific building or the community living there, whereas Orden refers to the religious community as such, organized according to rules. Use Kloster for the specific place and Orden for the community with its shared rules.
Die Nonnen des Klosters treffen sich jeden Morgen im Innenhof.
The nuns from the monastery meet in the courtyard every morning.
Sie trat dem Orden bei, dessen Mitglieder nach gemeinsamen Regeln leben.
She joined the order, whose members live according to shared rules.
