Augustinian monastery

The Augustinian hermits monastery in Stargard was built between 1267 and 1289/91 as the first of the four Augustinian monasteries in the Duchy of Pomerania. Aside from the monastery complex with the church, the friars also owned farm fields within the town boundaries and purchased the nearby villages of Dalewo, Skalin and Storkówko. The hermit friars were allowed to preach, hear confessions and grant absolution, as well as to bury the dead inside and around the church. The church altars were adorned with a number of valuable relics. One of the friars, named Augustine of Stargard, wrote the oldest Pomeranian chronicle. The monastery also had a school for junior monks. The monastery church was dismantled at the turn of 1819 and 1820. The Griffonet presents the burning heart which is the attribute of Augustine of Hippo, Catholic bishop and Doctor of the Church, who penned a number of monastic rules, including for the Augustinian order. Another attribute of St Augustine is the crozier which represents the power to serve the faithful, but is also a symbol of strength and leadership. The image of St Augustine from the Augustinian church in Stargard can be seen in the church of St John – the picture is the side enclosure of a stall originating from ca. 1450, hanging on one of the pillars of the nave.