If all goes well, the Mariakerk in Ruinen will be covered in scaffolding this autumn. The municipality of De Wolden will grant the necessary permits for making the church more sustainable, restoring the Kloostertuin and converting the presbytery and meeting room De Bron.
With the permit in the offing, the most important hurdle seems to have been taken. The church will have an extension, which will serve as a meeting space. Now part of the presbytery still serves as a meeting room, which is a stone’s throw away. The preference of the church board is for a room attached to the church.
De Bron and the presbytery, a monument, can then be converted into living spaces. The rental assures the church of income.
Due to the increased energy costs, making the church more sustainable is also a spearhead of the renovation. The College of Kerkrentmeesters wants to make the building more sustainable by using geothermal heat and preventing draughts. There should be a new glass door through which you can view the church without a volunteer present. A balustrade is also planned that is freely accessible for tourists, for example, who want to admire the organ and the Marian fresco.
The pastor also looks at a different space in the future, because the necessary changes are going to take place in the church. The space must be made suitable for multifunctional use by means of a different layout. Among other things, the large men’s sofas are being adjusted. These have a prominent place in the church, but in terms of seating comfort and place in the church, they leave a lot to be desired. They are actually just in the way, so two of the three benches with monumental values are shortened and moved.
The Mariakerk is the monastery church of the first monastery in Drenthe and dates from the twelfth century. The Protestant Municipality of Ruinen has had plans to modernize the church for some time. The area around the church is also being renovated. The monastery garden is being restored and enlarged. There will be room for reflection, but the layout also focuses on organizing open-air performances.