Little Office of Our Lady

Marientiden is a low German expression. It means " Marie times" and called its own Marian hours prayer in honor of the Mother of God.

Officium beatae Mariae virginis

The core of the Marientiden was the Officium also many books of hours underlying beatae Mariae virginis with eight Tagzeiten in which the Psalms, Responsorien etc. were all based on Mary in a special way. Originally a replica of the Liturgy of the Hours Nebenoffizium, it became an independent Offizium in the second half of the 15th century a large popularity in western and northern Germany, especially among the educated lay people in the cities. In many cities, confraternities founded to his care. This often special Marientidenkapellen were established or grown and donated vicarages and sometimes whole choirs.

During the Reformation the Marientiden were sold; often not inconsiderable assets of the foundations was used to care for the poor and for the maintenance of churches and schools.

In the Roman Catholic Church the Offizium was no longer seen in the breviary reforms of Trent as mandatory. As Officium parvum but it was adopted by many recent female religious communities as obligatory prayer for their members. 1953 has been revised. A standalone Marian Liturgy of the Hours is still done by the Carthusians.

Marientidenkapellen

Following the example of the Lady Chapel in English cathedrals, the Marientidenkapelle was often the choir vertices, the east end of the church.

In St. Mary 's Church in Lübeck the Marientiden were established in 1462 with an endowment of 40 people. The corresponding chapel at the chorus apex, which was also known singer Chapel, received in 1491 a richly carved barriers Factory (1942 burned), and in 1521 a new stalls ( residues obtained ) and a remains largely intact in Antwerp altarpiece. The Marientidenkapelle the Lübeck Cathedral was rebuilt in the early 18th century the prince-bishop's grave chapel. Also the Agidienkirche and the Church of St. James were to private grave chapels, the latter later to the boiler room.

More Marientidenkapellen can be found in churches of many northern German cities such as in the Rostock Marienkirche ( at the Astronomical Clock ), the Stralsund Marienkirche (chorus apex Chapel ), and in Stendal and in Wismar. Here donated the Schwerin Bishop Nicolaus Böddeker 1464 richly decorated chapel in the tower of St. George's Church.