Stedelijk Museum Ieper

Stedelijk Museum Ieper was the former municipal museum of Ypres, housed in the historic Sint-Jansgodshuis complex in the heart of the city — one of the few structures in Ypres that survived the First World War in a condition good enough to be restored to its original form rather than rebuilt from scratch. The building itself dates back to 1555, when it served as a godshuis (almshouse) attached to the Saint John's Hospital, long before it became home to the city's museum collection.

What did the museum show?

The exhibition traced the centuries-long history of Ypres through paintings, prints, maps and original photographs. Alongside this, visitors could see fine and applied art dating from the 16th century onward, including sculpture, graphic works, and objects crafted from tin, silver and other metals. A particularly notable part of the collection was dedicated to the Ypres-born painter Louise De Hem (1866–1922), whose extensive body of work formed one of the museum's highlights.

How did the building survive the war?

Ypres was almost completely flattened during the First World War, yet the 16th-century wing of the Sint-Jansgodshuis, though damaged, remained standing well enough to be restored rather than replaced. Between 1920 and 1922, architects Ernest Richir and Guillaume Veraart rebuilt the remaining parts of the complex — the chapel, service buildings and entrance gate — on their original foundations. As a result, the site today combines genuine pre-war fabric with a careful post-war reconstruction that respected the historic layout of the almshouse.

Why is the museum no longer here?

The Stedelijk Museum operated in the Sint-Jansgodshuis until the end of 2017. In the summer of 2018, a large part of its collection — including material on the city's history and the Louise De Hem works — was transferred to the newly opened Yper Museum, located in the famous Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) in the centre of Ypres, next to the well-known In Flanders Fields Museum dedicated to the First World War. Since September 2019, the former Sint-Jansgodshuis buildings have housed a socio-artistic project called 'Dienst der Gedroomde Gewesten', giving the historic site a new, contemporary purpose.

What should visitors to Ypres know?

Although the museum no longer exists under its original name, the Sint-Jansgodshuis building remains a significant landmark in the history of Ypres' architecture, standing as evidence of how the city rebuilt itself after being almost entirely destroyed during the Great War. Visitors hoping to see the former municipal museum's collection should instead head to the Yper Museum in the Cloth Hall, where the paintings and artefacts documenting the city's history are now presented in a new setting.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still visit the Stedelijk Museum Ieper? No — the museum in this form closed at the end of 2017, and its collection was moved to the Yper Museum in the Cloth Hall.

What was in the collection? Paintings, prints, maps and photographs, plus applied art from the 16th century onward, including an extensive collection of works by painter Louise De Hem.

Did the building survive the First World War? Partially — the 16th-century wing survived well enough to be restored, while the rest of the complex was rebuilt between 1920 and 1922 following the original plans.

What is in the former museum building today? Since 2019 it has housed the socio-artistic project 'Dienst der Gedroomde Gewesten'.