In 1042, Bishop Bruno (1036-1055) founded the Bendeictine monastery of St Mauritius on the Werde to the east of Minden. Due to the constant risk of flooding, it was relocated to a higher site adjacent to the parish church of St SImeonis in 1434. The Benedictines took over pastoral care here and built their own church from 1464. The two-aisled church with a long choir was initially used primarily for monastic life. After nationalisation in 1810, the nave was converted into an artillery armoury. Mauritius Church has been a Catholic parish vicarage since 1950.