Agnetendal Peer
THE ABANDONED SCHOOL IN BELGIUM
This is ‘Agnetendal’ in Peer. The building is an old monastery that housed a secondary school, a boarding school and two primary schools, the ‘Kloostertuin’ and the ‘Preud’homme’ school.
The history of these school grounds dates back to 1384 with the construction of a monastery for the Sisters of Saint Agnes. A chapel followed in 1439, and by 1461, a new monastery and church were erected. The sisters began a school in 1660. Over time, these buildings were either demolished or destroyed by fire. A new complex arose in 1690.
In 1797, under French rule, the sisters were expelled by the government, which also liquidated the monastic inventory. The chapel and other structures fell into disuse. After the French left, the remnants were transferred to the municipality of Peer in 1821. By 1827, the buildings had been restored for use as a vicarage and chaplaincy. Then, on May 15, 1871, the Sisters of Mary of Leuven took ownership, establishing a new monastery and girls’ school named Agnetendal.
Kloostertuin
The Kloostertuin Catholic primary school occupied the ancient monastic building from 1698. Agnetendal resided in a different wing constructed in 1911, which was expanded with a third floor in 1947. The remaining wings, including the boarding school, were built post-World War II, with additions made in 1950 and 1959. The girls’ boarding school, erected in 1964, was designed by architect A. Nivelle.
By 2016, the schools had relocated to a different area of the city. In 2018, most of the structures were demolished, except for the original monastery wing. It was in that year I captured these photographs of the deserted school.
