Begijnhofmuseum

Begijnhofmuseum is a small, intimate museum located at the heart of the beguinage in Turnhout, a town in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The beguinage itself, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998, was for centuries home to beguines – lay women who lived a communal, semi-religious life without taking permanent monastic vows. The museum was established in 1953, when the local parish priest and the last remaining beguines began collecting objects, artworks and memorabilia connected to the community's history, wary that this heritage might otherwise be lost or scattered once the last inhabitants were gone.

How did the beguinage of Turnhout come into being?

The beguinage of Turnhout was most likely founded in the 13th century and grew over the following centuries into one of the more significant centres of beguine life in the region. Its peak came in 1675, when the community counted as many as 370 beguines. During that period the beguinage functioned almost like a self-contained town within the town, complete with its own church, chapels, houses, gardens and infrastructure that allowed women to live independently while still belonging to a religious community. The last beguine of Turnhout, Joanna de Boer, died in 2002, symbolically closing a centuries-long chapter of this way of life in the town.

What can visitors see inside the museum?

The exhibition occupies ten rooms of a former beguine house, complemented by an indoor courtyard garden and a herb garden that echoes the community's tradition of cultivating medicinal plants. The collection includes paintings by anonymous Flemish masters from the 16th and 17th centuries, sculptures, reliquaries, and prints and engravings depicting the devotional daily life of the beguines. The oldest pieces date back to the first half of the 15th century, making the collection a record of nearly six uninterrupted centuries of the community's presence on this site. The display traces both the spiritual and the practical dimensions of beguine life – from prayer and devotion to everyday work and household management.

Which architectural landmarks are worth seeing?

Beyond the museum itself, the beguinage grounds contain several valuable architectural monuments. The most striking is the Baroque beguinage church, built between 1666 and 1667, which remains the spiritual centre of the former community. Next to it stand the Chapel of the Holy Face and the restored Calvary chapel – small, intimate places of worship typical of beguinages across the Low Countries. Despite the passage of centuries and numerous alterations, the entire complex has preserved a coherent, picturesque character of low-rise buildings clustered around inner courtyards and gardens.

Who is this place for?

The Begijnhofmuseum will appeal to anyone interested in the religious and social history of the Low Countries, sacred architecture, or the history of women's lives in early modern Europe. Its modest scale means a visit doesn't take long, yet it still offers a thorough introduction to the unique phenomenon of the beguine community – a way of life without a real equivalent in many other parts of the continent.

Frequently asked questions

What was a beguine and how did women live in a beguinage? Beguines were lay women who led a religious communal life without taking permanent monastic vows – they were free to leave the beguinage at any time, for instance to marry.

When was the Turnhout beguinage added to the UNESCO list? In 1998, as part of a joint inscription of Flemish beguinages on the World Heritage list.

When did the last beguine of Turnhout die? Joanna de Boer died in 2002, marking the symbolic end of the living beguine tradition in the town.

What is the oldest object in the museum? Artworks dating from the first half of the 15th century, including religious paintings and sculptures.