The Monastery of the Holy Cross is a significant early work of architect Hermann J. Gaul, a renowned ecclesial architect of the early 20th century. Recognized for its complex high-vaulted ceiling, the church was constructed between 1908 and 1909 for the German-speaking "national parish" of the Immaculate Conception. The church is an example of the German Gothic Revival style incorporating high-Gothic design elements such as a high gabled triple-arch entrance, expressive gargoyles and 14 Gothic-arched, highly decorated Stations of the Cross. Additionally, the church has magnificent acoustic qualities. The parish was closed in 1990, and the Benedictine monastic community was invited to make the building into a unique urban monastery the following year. While some of the original furnishings were lost after the closure, the monks have added religious treasures, including altarpiece icons produced in the traditional Byzantine egg tempera method by internationally renowned iconographer Vladislav Andrejev.
