Monastery from the 14th century is an eye-catcher on Open Monument Day in Harelbeke

Sister Martine is 91 and spent four years in the Augustinian monastery in the 1950s. She is the last surviving sister. She cherishes the beautiful memories. “If there was a high day, or a party, a sister’s birthday or a profession, we always came here for lunch and celebration. We had a nice costume, we really did. The white skirt was for Sunday and when there was a party .Otherwise it was a black skirt we wore.” (read more below the photo)

In 1341, a noble couple founded a hospital in Harelbeke, also for poor people. 50 years later it became a monastery where care for people was central. In one of the salons there is now a museum with the monastery’s rich collection.

Extensive collection

“We have paintings of the prioresses of the monastery from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century,” says chairman Tom Nuyttens of the Sister Augustinessen Harelbeke. “We have a very beautiful silver collection and a beautiful collection of eighteenth century porcelain from the Far East. And then we also have a remarkable eighteenth century monastery library with, how could it be otherwise, mainly religious works.”

City monastery project

The owners of the monastery and the non-profit organization De Bron that operates the site want to turn it into a city monastery project, like in the Netherlands. “That is already in full swing,” says Dean Geert Morlion. “We have the religion shop, the cafeteria, the library. We also want moments of monastic life, spirituality, silence. Around All Saints’ Day we have a week of painting icons. Things we want to develop even more.”