New Urban Relics
februari 13, 2026
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The original priory was founded on this site as early as the end of the twelfth century by three brothers and their mother, a widow, who wished to lead a religious life. One of the brothers became the first prior and would remain so for over 40 years…
Meanwhile mother led a community of beguines in the vicinity of the priory. One of the beguines was Mary, who was later beatified. Her reputation for ecstasy and visions made a great impression on her contemporaries. She was one of the three people who ensured that the priory became an established institution. A second was one of the nuns who would later become a bishop. And finally there was the goldsmith who created the church treasure.
Unfortunately the priory was not spared from misery. Fires repeatedly ravaged the buildings, which had also suffered from the wars in the Southern Netherlands. With the abolition of ecclesiastical institutions as a result of the French Revolution, the curtain fell on the priory. The new owner of the buildings had the church and the priory demolished in 1836.
A few years later, an entrepreneur had a glass factory installed here, which employed about a thousand people and remained active until 1931. Today, no trace of this industrial activity can be seen. Since 2018, a project has been underway on the site to transform the now empty buildings into a retirement home and service flats for seniors. At the time of my visit, the works appeared to have stalled for quite a while, and the grounds and part of the buildings were being used by a shepherd.
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