De Begijntjes
This image of the Beguines, created by Hans Bayens, is located at the Beguinage.
Divided between the first and second courtyard, you will find 29 small houses where beguines once lived. These 'devout, Roman Catholic women' are sometimes confused with nuns, but one of the differences was that beguines were allowed to keep their own possessions. The last beguine, Sister Frijters, passed away in 1990. Even today, only unmarried ladies reside at the Begijnhof.
At the edge of the large herb garden, used by the beguines for their work in healthcare, stands a statue of two beguines engaged in conversation. It was created by Hans Bayens and placed in the courtyard in 1971 to mark the silver priest jubilee of Pastor Ooms, the pastor of the Begijnhof Church.
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