The beguinage

Hoogstraten

The Beguinage at Hoogstraten is one of 13 protected by Unesco and one of 26 left in Belgium. There used to be some in what is now the French side of Flanders and also in the Netherlands but there is little left of most of these. This Beguinage was also in a bad state until the early 90s, when some townspeople decided to restore what was left of this cultural heritage and made it happen. The houses are now in an excellent condition and lived in, while a couple have been made into a museum. The director of the museum is a friend of Joëlle’s and explained many things to us.

For example, there used to be beguinages all over France but the king (or pope?) didn’t like the idea of independent women living their lives with no rules and ordered that they cease to exist. Unfortunately Belgium was a little too far north for the orders to be executed and a surprising number survived. The big one in Brussels ( about 1300 women, 3% of the population at its height) was built in the 13^th century but unfortunately totally demolished by the Calvinists during the wars of religion. The women worked during the day, supporting themselves in the drapery/tapestry industry.

The Beguinage was simply a community of single women in medieval times, who wanted to be economically and physically free, free to work and contribute in their own way. Women had separate apartments joined into a long row, though there were often two bedrooms, so people would in fact share facilities, such as they were and rent for a room would be paid. Usually there was some common land in front of the rows of houses and often a vegetable garden at the back. Here there is also a small house or a large shed at the back, used for drying turf for the fire.

In this beguinage there was a convent attached, but unlike other convents, the beguinage convent allocated a large cupboard to each woman, who looked after her individual needs, including the preparation of food. That is, each nun led an independent existence.

The beguinage would have some sort of church attached, as life independent of the church was mot really conceivable at this point in history, and as numbers grew, the church might have to be rebuilt, as at Hoogstraten.

As society has changed it has become possible for women to live self-supporting lives free from male domination in other ways but for centuries this system was the only alternative to marriage or a convent, at least in this society. It’s good to be reminded.

At Hoogstraaten there was also an interesting exhibition on other communities, even that of Robert Owen in Scotland, New Larnark. All good food for thought.

Photos :

http://picasaweb.google.com/101628277989220379025/Hoogstraten