The Crosier Monastery or Monastery of the Crutched Friars ( nl, Kruisherenklooster) is a former

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

of the

Order of the Holy Cross The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict. History The order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Huntington, an Episcopal priest, in New York City. The order moved to Mar ...

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The well-preserved convent buildings house a five-star hotel, the Kruisherenhotel. Having survived more or less in its entirety, it is a rare example in the Netherlands of a Gothic monastery.

Ter Apel Monastery Ter Apel Monastery ( nl, Klooster Ter Apel) is a former monastery in the village of Ter Apel in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen. It is the only monastery in the larger area of Friesland and Groningen that survived the Reformation in ...

, also a Crosier monastery, has preserved three of its four Gothic wings. Other monasteries like Middelburg Abbey and St Agatha's Monastery in

Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...

are partially Gothic. See also on Dutch Wikipedia. The buildings from the 15th and 16th century constitute three listed buildings (''

Rijksmonument A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...

s''). The more or less intact monastery archive is unique in the Netherlands.

History

Foundation

The Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Ordo Sanctae Crucis'', OSC) was founded around 1210 in the city of Huy, some 30 km south-west of

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

in present-day

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. The initiator was

Theodore of Celles The Crosiers, formally known as the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross ( la, Canonici Regulares Ordinis Sanctae Crucis), abbreviated OSC, is a Catholic religious order of canons regular of Pontifical Right for men.canon of

Liège Cathedral Liège Cathedral, otherwise St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège, in Liège, Belgium, is part of the religious heritage of Liège. Founded in the 10th century, it was rebuilt from the 13th to the 15th century and restored in the mid-19th century. It beca ...

and a former crusader. The order was recognized by the pope in 1248. Initially, the order mainly spread in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Later, Crosier monasteries were founded in the Mosan region and elsewhere in the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, as in

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...

(ca. 1248), Liège (before 1270), Asperen (1314), Cuijk-Sint Agatha (1367),

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

(1372), Venlo (1399) and Roermond (1422). Around 1400 the Crosiers experienced a period of monastic decline. In 1410 the

superior general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...

of the order, Libertus van Bommel, made it compulsory for all

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

s to annually attend the

general chapter A chapter ( la, capitulum or ') is one of several bodies of clergy in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Nordic Lutheran churches or their gatherings. Name The name derives from the habit of convening monks or canons for the read ...

of the order in Huy. Thereafter, the priors of monasteries north of Maastricht would stay overnight in Maastricht on their way to Huy. In 1433 this proved to be problematic when all accommodation was booked because of the ''heiligdomsvaart'', a seven-yearly pilgrimage. A wealthy citizen, Gilles of Elderen, offered the Crosiers a place to stay in some houses that he owned at Kommel. In 1436 Gilles donated five houses with gardens at Kommel, as well as some money, to the superior general of the Crosiers, stipulating that this was to be used for founding a new monastery in Maastricht.The deed of this transaction of 6 September 1436 is kept in the Crosier archive in Maastricht, part of the ''Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg'' (RHCL). Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 126-127; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), pp. 127, 129-131: regesta nrs. 49, 56 & 60. The founding of the new monastery could only happen with permission of the bishop of Liège, the dean of St. Servatius' and the

parson A parson is an ordained Christian person responsible for a small area, typically a parish. The term was formerly often used for some Anglican clergy and, more rarely, for ordained ministers in some other churches. It is no longer a formal term d ...

of St John's, in whose jurisdiction the monastery was. The latter two gave their permission in October 1437.According to the charter of 8 October 1437 the dean Joannes de Novo Lapide and the priest Joannes de Valle gave their permission stipulating that the Crosiers gave six barrels of

rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...

to St John's and two barrels to St. Servatius'. Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 127-128; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 130: regesta nr. 57.

John of Heinsberg John of Heinsberg (1397–1459), was Prince-Bishop of Liège from 1419 to 1456. Life Heinsberg was the son of John II of Loon by his first wife, Margaret of Gennep. When Prince-Bishop John of Walenrode died suddenly in 1419, Heinsberg, despite hi ...

, bishop of Liège, did so in January 1438, allowing the Crosiers to build a walled monastery, including a church, a bell tower, a dormitorium, gardens and a cemetery.The bishop's charter of 4 January 1438 is also preserved in the RHCL archives. Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 129-131; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 131: regesta nr. 60. Initially the friars lived in houses donated by Gilles of Elderen. A small chapel was built for celebrating the

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), p. 18 In 1439 the

Fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...

of the Holy Cross was founded. Its goal was to promote the devotion to the Holy Cross, as well as to financially support the new monastic foundation.Van Rensch/Koldeweij/De La Haye/De Kreek (1990), pp. 39-41 The founding of the Crosier Monastery in Maastricht in 1438 was part of a wave of monastic foundations within the Order. The Crosier Monastery in Venlo was for most of these – including the Maastricht monastery – the mother monastery. After Maastricht, more monasteries were founded in the Mosan region:

Borgloon Borgloon (; french: Looz, ; li, Loeën) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, Borgloon had a total population of 10,697. The total area is 51.12 km2 (19.74 sq mi) which gives a population d ...

-Kerniel (1438),

's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...

(1468) and Maaseik (1474). In the case of the latter monastery, the Maastricht Crosiers were the mother monastery.

Construction history

The first stone of the monastery church was laid in 1440. Petrus Toom and Johannes van Haeren were mentioned as architects (or

master builder A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer). Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in the ...

s). In 1459 the choir was finished but it was not consecrated until 1470. In 1462 and again in 1480 the

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...

(or perhaps a ridge turret) was destroyed in a storm. It was replaced by a smaller ridge turret. After a prolonged break, construction continued in 1501 under prior Walterus Beckers of Herentals. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parl ...

s were finished in 1509. The first section of the new monastery, the east wing, was built in 1480-81. This part housed the

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

, the chapter hall and a temporary refectory. In 1495 construction of the west wing commenced. The ground floor with the new, permanent refectory was finished in 1500; the upper floor with cells for the friars around 1520. The old refectory became the library, as well as the prior's quarters and a guesthouse. The south wing was finished last by prior Mathias Mijnecom (1517–27) after the old brewery and bakery had been destroyed by fire. Around 1520 the church and monastery had the extent and the appearance that it would keep for the next 500 years.

Monastic life

The Maastricht Crosiers started in 1438 with four

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...

s. In 1468 there were 15; in 1483 this had increased to 23.62 names of Maastricht Crosiers are known in the 15th century, of which 54 had received holy orders. 27 of these had taken their vows in Maastricht. The others came from Crosier monasteries in Aachen, Asperen,

Tournai Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...

, Falkenhagen ( Lügde), Franeker,

Goes Goes () is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands on Zuid-Beveland, in the province of Zeeland. The city of Goes has approximately 27,000 residents. History Goes was founded in the 10th century on the edge of a creek: de Korte ...

, Huy, Hohenbusch (

Gangelt Gangelt is a municipality in the district of Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is on the border with the Netherlands and about 10 km east of Sittard and 10 km south-west of Heinsberg. Its most well-known resident was c ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, Kerniel, Liège, Namur,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Schiedam Schiedam () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands. It is located in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen, and south of Delft. In the south the city is connected with the village ...

, Sint Agatha (Cuijk), Schwarzenbroich (

Düren Düren (; ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the territory of the Eburones, a people ...

), Suxy ( Chiny),

Ter Apel Ter Apel (; Gronings: ''Troapel'') is a village with a population of 8,866 residents in the municipality Westerwolde in the northern Netherlands, in the province Groningen in the region Westerwolde. The town lies on the stream Ruiten Aa, which ...

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

, Yvoy (

Carignan, Ardennes Carignan () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is the seat of a canton. It was known as Yvoy or Yvois until 1662. History Carignan was, under the name ''Epoissium'', ''Eposium'', ''Epusum'' or ''Ivosium'', a militar ...

) and Venlo. Brasseur (2002), pp. 195-196. In 1500, the Maastricht monastery was among the larger foundations of the order. The fifth prior, Walterus of Herentals (1483-1517), accepted 24 new priests, many of whom came from Maastricht. The Crutched Friars were

friars A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...

, living a communal life according to the

Rule of St. Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, developed b ...

. Their first and foremost task was to pray and sing the Liturgy of the Hours. Several of them served as priests in

nunneries A convent is a community of monks, nuns, Brother (Christian), religious brothers or, Religious sister (Catholic), sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catho ...

or third order monasteries in Maastricht, such as the

Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre The Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre (CRSS), or ''Sepulchrine Canonesses'', are a Catholic female religious order first documented in 1300. They were originally the female branch of the ancient religious order of that name, the Canons Reg ...

(Bonnefantenklooster), the Third Order Grey Sisters (Grauwzustersklooster), the Third Order Sisters of St Andrew (Sint-Andriesklooster) and the Alexians (Cellebroedersklooster), or in parish churches in Maastricht or nearby villages, such as Vlijtingen, Bolbeek and Haccourt. Other friars worked as

copyist A copyist is a person that makes duplications of the same thing. The term is sometimes used for artists who make copies of other artists' paintings. However, the modern use of the term is almost entirely confined to music copyists, who are emplo ...

s and illuminators of manuscripts, or bookbinders, later also as

printers Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer ( fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * Jame ...

. Others worked in hospitality (the monastery offered accommodation to lay people; the elderly could 'buy themselves into the monastery') or nursing (as during the plague epidemics of 1529 and 1579). A further source of income were

mass stipends In the Catholic Church, a Mass stipend is a donation given by the laity to a priest for praying a Mass. Despite the name, it is considered as a gift or offering () freely given rather than a payment () as such. This is usually a small amount of ...

, as well as the sale of burial rights in the church (for which the church was known). Over the centuries the Crosiers got ever wealthier because of the accumulation of property that people left to them. Most of this property (or income from real estate) was located in the vicinity of Maastricht, mostly in the border region with

.In the inventory of the Crosier archive about 50 locations are mentioned where the Maastricht Crosiers possessed real estate, or had income from land. The more frequently listed villages are:

Bilzen Bilzen () is a city and a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2021, Bilzen had a total population of 32,536. The total area is 75.90 km² which gives a population density of 426 inhabitants per km². Bilzen consist ...

, Bolbeek, Eben-Emael, Gellik,

Heer Heer may refer to: People * Jeet Heer, Canadian author and journalist * Jeffrey Heer (born 1979), American computer scientist and entrepreneur * Kamal Heer (born 1973), Punjabi singer and musician * Oswald Heer (1809–1883), Swiss botanist and ...

, Herderen, Hoelbeek, Honthem,

Kanne Kanne (Limburgish: ''Kan'') is a village in the municipality of Riemst in the southeastern part of the Belgian province of Limburg. as of 2021, the village has 1,162 inhabitants of which a significant part have the Dutch nationality. Location ...

, Kesselt, Lanaken, Millen,

Mopertingen Bilzen () is a city and a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2021, Bilzen had a total population of 32,536. The total area is 75.90 km² which gives a population density of 426 inhabitants per km². Bilzen consist ...

Riemst Riemst (; li, Riems) is a small town and a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. Riemst is in the Flemish speaking area of Belgium. On January 1, 2018 Riemst had a total population of 16,665. The total area is 57.88 km² which gi ...

, Val-Meer, Veldwezelt, Vlijtingen, Wolder and Wonck. Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), pp. 23-27. The Fraternity of the Holy Cross seems to have existed from 1439 until 1579; after that there is no mention of it. Another fraternity was founded around 1510 and lasted till the dissolution of the monastery. It was devoted to the patron saint of the Crosiers, Saint Michael. The fraternities had their own altars in the Crosier church. The Fraternity of Saint Michael possibly ordered a wooden statue of Saint Michael from the famous wood sculptor

Jan van Steffeswert Jan van Steffeswert or alternatively Jan van Steffenswert or Jan van Stevensweert (c. 1460 – c. 1531) was an Early Netherlandish sculptor and wood carver based in Maastricht. Contrary to the customs of the time, he signed at least some of the ...

in 1512.

Decline

Maquette van Maastricht (kopie), omgeving Kommel

The monastery was frequently damaged during sieges due to its elevated location near the western city wall. The monastery suffered particularly during the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

. During the Siege of Maastricht (1579) many Crutched Friars died; those that survived perished during the ensuing plague epidemic. For a while the monastery remained uninhabited. In 1581 prior Hubertus of Stavelot sold some of the Crosiers' possessions in order to pay for the repair of the monastery buildings (including the partial renewal of the church's vaults). In 1582 the books that had been shipped to Aachen for safety, returned to Maastricht. After this, the monastery would not reach the same level of prosperity that it had enjoyed before. Where it had previously 25 or more friars, in 1615 it had only 9, and throughout the 17th and 18th century it would never exceed 15.Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 243 In 1629 a high ransom was paid for prior Martinus Pauli who had been captured by Dutch militia near Liège and was kept prisoner in

Emmerich Emmerich may refer to: Places * Emmerich am Rhein, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany ** Emmerich Rhine Bridge ** Emmerich station * Emmerich, Wisconsin, unincorporated community in the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, United States Other uses * ...

. More wartime hardship came with the Capture of Maastricht by the Dutch in 1632 and the Capture by the French in 1673. After the siege of 1673,

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

donated 2100 guilders to the monastery for repairs. After the French left in 1678, the monastery suffered from forced billeting of the Dutch

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

. Worldly influence entered the monastery in the 18th century. This became apparent with the wearing of wigs and more fashionable clothing (see drawing above). The enthusiasm of the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

had dwindled, as was the case in other monasteries in Maastricht. The spiritual influence of the Crosiers on their surroundings was negligible, both in Maastricht and elsewhere. Several monasteries were forced to close for lack of friars. In Maastricht, only ten Crutched Friars took holy orders between 1760 and 1796.

List of priors

From 1438 until 1796 around 30 priors were in charge of the Maastricht Crosier foundation. Initially, the monastery was not allowed to choose its own prior. Later, probably from the 16th century onward, priors were chosen by the so-called house chapter, made up of all priests (friars who had taken holy orders) and presided by the magister general from Huy. A sub-prior (

coadjutor The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...

) and a manager ( procurator) were appointed by the prior, after consulting with the house chapter. In some cases a prior would be procurator too.

Dissolution of the monastery; military use

The Capture of Maastricht by the French general Kléber in 1794 and the ensuing incorporation of the city in the

French First Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (french: Première République), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (french: République française), was founded on 21 September 1792 ...

meant the end of all monasteries in Maastricht. In 1796 the Maastricht Crosier Monastery was dissolved.The dissolution was a result of the law of 1 September 1796 (5

Fructidor Fructidor () is the twelfth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word ''fructus'', which means "fruit". Fructidor is the third month of the summer quarter (''mois d'été''). By the Gregorian calendar, Fr ...

an IV), that put an end to all monastic institutions in the conquered territories; in France this had happened in 1790. Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 10. The eight priests and two lay-brothers that remained were forced to leave the monastery within one year. Under French law, those that wanted to remain active as priests had to swear the so-called Oath of Hatred (towards the monarchy and anarchy). Apparently six Maastricht Crosiers refused to do so. As a result they were deported to the penal colony

Cayenne Cayenne (; ; gcr, Kayenn) is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Oc ...

. One fled to Germany, another was allowed to return home after he got sick during the voyage, and others were pardoned after interference by the Francophile barrister Charles Roemers. Prior Joseph Leurs withdrew to

Sittard Sittard (; ) is a city in the Netherlands, situated in the southernmost province of Limburg. The town is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen and has almost 37.500 inhabitants in 2016. In its east, Sittard borders the German municipali ...

but was then made prior of the Crosier Monastery Sint Agatha in Cuijk in 1804, where he died two years later. This monastery led a dormant existence with a few elderly friars until the mid-19th century, when it played a key-role in the resurrection of the Order. The dissolution of the Maastricht monastery met with few protests. The institution had outlived itself. Kruisherenklooster, Maastricht (A Schaepkens, 19e eeuw)

Kruisherenklooster, Maastricht (A Schaepkens, 19e eeuw)

The former monastery buildings were given a military purpose as an

arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

and

barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...

for the French troops. When the French left in 1814, the Dutch garrison took over the buildings. They were used as barracks, storage for military clothing and the garrison's bakery. Although the former monastery was owned by the city of Maastricht, it was the Ministry of War that decided how it was to be used. When the city housed a

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

clinic in one of the wings, it was told that this was not in accordance with the military purpose. In the 19th century the decaying complex – the only medieval monastery that had escaped destruction – inspired local artists as Philippe van Gulpen (1792-1862) and Alexander Schaepkens (1815-1899). 2017 Kruisherenklooster, wandschildering

2017 Kruisherenklooster, wandschildering

Gevel - Maastricht - 20373333 - RCE (cropped)

Agricultural testing station; other uses

In the late 19th century

Victor de Stuers Victor Eugène Louis de Stuers (20 October 1843, Maastricht – 21 March 1916, The Hague) was a Dutch art historian, lawyer, civil servant and politician. Widely regarded as the father of historic preservation in the Netherlands, he played a notabl ...

was concerned about the rapidly decaying monastery. Through his contacts with the government in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

he managed to find funding for the renovation of the building that was to be given a new purpose.'Kruisheren'
on website ''zichtopmaastricht.nl'' From 1897 onward, the National Agricultural Testing Station ("Rijkslandbouwproefstation") gradually moved into the monastery wings, after restoration by chief government architect Jacobus van Lokhorst. In 1906 part of the east wing collapsed during restoration work. The church was renovated in 1912-14 by chief government architect Daniël Knuttel. Under the church floor Knuttel discovered fragments of a Renaissance tabernacle tower (see description below). The church was then used for exhibitions, meetings and for registering the unemployed during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. During and after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the church was first used by the German occupiers, then by the American liberators and finally by a Dutch organisation that helped to recuperate lost possessions after the war (''Nederlandse Beheersinstituut''). The Maastricht testing station initially did agricultural research for the southern provinces of the Netherlands. It was gradually given additional tasks, as for example the national research on fertilisers and on cattle feed. In 1947 the Crozier church was added to its premises and in 1953 a wooden shed was built into the church, making extra room for laboratories. During the eighty years that the institution was based in Maastricht it always remained an outsider. Most of its personnel came from outside the region. The former monastery buildings were fenced off and remained an alien body in the city. In the late 1970s the institution was moved in phases to

Wageningen Wageningen () is a municipality and a historic city in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specialises in life sciences. The municipality had a population of in , of which many t ...

, closer to the agricultural university there.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), pp. 45-47 The city of Maastricht once again took charge of the buildings around 1980. From 1985-90 the church was used as a temporary

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

for the parish of St. Servatius, whose own church underwent restoration. The church was then used by Opera Zuid for storage and rehearsal studios. Parts of the monastery were briefly occupied by

squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...

. File:Overzicht zijgevel klooster en kerk - Maastricht - 20373340 - RCE.jpg, Restoration of the west wing, 1903 File:Noordoosthoek kloostertuin - Maastricht - 20373336 - RCE.jpg, Restoration of the cloisters, 1906 File:1ste instorting - Maastricht - 20373377 - RCE.jpg, Collapsed stepped gable, 1906 File:Interieur naar het oosten - Maastricht - 20147335 - RCE.jpg, Restoration of the church interior, 1913

Current destination: Kruisherenhotel

In 2000 the city of Maastricht sold the complex to local entrepreneur Camille Oostwegel, who already owned several luxury hotels and restaurants in the South Limburg region. In 2003-05 the buildings were renovated and re-purposed to house a luxury design hotel with 60 rooms. The renovations were led by Rob Brouwers of SATIJNplus architects. As the building is a

rijksmonument A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...

, all constructive elements such as the two

mezzanine A mezzanine (; or in Italian language, Italian, a ''mezzanino'') is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft ...

s in the church, as well as the entrances, walkways, glass elevators, reception areas and toilets had to be reversible ('box in box' principle). (2009): ''Architectural guide to the Netherlands'', p. 336
online text
Rob Brouwers added a modern

COR-TEN steel Weathering steel, often referred to by the genericised trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as corten steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rus ...

pavilion on the south side. German designer

Ingo Maurer Ingo Maurer (12 May 1932 – 21 October 2019) was a German industrial designer who specialised in the design of lamps and light installations. He was nicknamed "poet of light". Life Maurer was born in Reichenau Island, Lake Constance, Germa ...

added a copper tunnel entrance on the north side. Maurer also designed several light sculptures for the cloister yard and the church interior. At the opening ceremony of the Kruisherenhotel on 1 September 2005, the superior general of the Crosier Order, Rein Vaanhold, said in his speech that the new purpose of the building was consistent with its historical function: making guests feel welcome. The hotel received the bi-annual Monument Prize of the Municipality of Maastricht (the Victor de Stuers medal) in 2005. Also in 2005, interior designer Henk Vos received the

European Design Award The European Design Awards, also known as the ED-Awards, are annual awards presented to European designers for outstanding work in the communication design field. The ED-Awards is a joint initiative of design magazines from across Europe and endorse ...

for his daring design of the hotel interior. In 2011 it was named "hotel of the year" in the Dutch edition of the

Gault Millau Gault et Millau is a French restaurant guide. It was founded by two restaurant critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau in 1965. Points system Gault Millau rates on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. Restaurants given below 10 points ...

guide. In 2017 the hotel was officially recognized as a five-star hotel by European Hotel Classification, the only one in Maastricht and Limburg.

Architectural heritage

Monastery church

Exterior

The Maastricht Crosier Church is a spireless, three-, or rather two-

d monastery church (the south aisle is a pseudo-aisle). It was built between 1440 and 1509 in the local Mosan

Gothic style Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

, using local yellow

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

(''Limburgse mergel'') on a plinth of

bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge) * felds ...

from Namur (''Naamse steen''). The roofs are covered with sheets of

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

. The architecture is similar to that of other Gothic monastery churches in the Mosan region, like the Dominican and

Minorite The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

churches in Maastricht, which however are two centuries older. The west façade features a (secondary) entrance, as well as a large and a small window, both with pointed arches. The windows had been bricked up in the 19th century but were fitted out with new tracery and colourless leaded glass in the early 20th century. The bluestone

finial A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...

at the top of the west gable was replaced with a copy around 2004 (the original finial stands in a hotel corridor). The north aisle as well as the north

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

have five windows, with

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...

es in between. The window above the main entrance is blind. The modern entrance by Ingo Maurer has the shape of a tunnel made of copper. The

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

has the same height as the

. Five bricked-up windows of the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

, like the west windows, were reopened and reglazed in the early 20th century. The windows of the choir bays, between the apse and the nave, are blind. Most of the south (pseudo-)aisle is hidden from sight behind the cloisters. Three clerestory windows can be detected from the cloister yardVan Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), pp. 244-254Van den Boogard/Minis (2001), p. 65: 'Kruisherenklooster' File:2017 Maastricht, Kruisherenkerk 03.jpg, West façade File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, noordgevel 01.jpg, North façade and entrance File:Ingang Kruisherenkerk Rijksmonument 27253.JPG, Modern entrance tunnel File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, koor 02.jpg, Choir from the south-east

Interior

The length of the church (nave plus choir) is ca. 42.6 m (inside measurements); the choir measures 18.1 m and the nave 24.5 m. The total width of nave and aisles is ca. 17 m; the nave by itself 10 m. Both choir and nave are 14.85 m high, the aisles are lower. The choir consists of two

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

and a seven-sided

. Five tall apse windows with colourless glass make the space very light. The nave consists of five bays and has net vaulting, probably dating from shortly after 1579 (see 'History' above). The connection between the choir vaults and the nave is far from seamless and still very much visible. Only the north aisle is a full aisle, 4.5 m wide and 7.7 m high. The pillars between the aisle and nave are of Namur stone. The south aisle is a pseudo-aisle. It is only 2.4 m wide and consists of five side chapels that were built between the buttresses. Three of these chapels are still recognizable as such, the others have been walled off and are now part of the cloisters. In order to create more usable space for the hotel, two

s were constructed inside the church in 2003-05. The larger mezzanine runs parallel with the nave and part of the choir. It is connected to other parts of the hotel by glass walkways and elevators. On top is a restaurant seating 85. Below is a

wine bar A wine bar is a tavern-like business focusing on selling wine, rather than liquor or beer. A typical feature of many wine bars is a wide selection of wines available by the glass. Some wine bars are profiled on wines of a certain type of origin, ...

and a glass ' wine cellar'. The smaller mezzanine fills the north aisle. It has a reading room on top and lavatories and offices below. An egg-shaped office designed by Ingo Maurer is near the west entrance. All this can be removed without permanent damage to the building. File:Kruisherenhotel 13.jpg, Choir windows File:Kruisherenhotel 04.jpg, Glass elevator File:Kruisherenhotel 21.jpg, North aisle mezzanine File:Kruisherenhotel 07.jpg, Lounge corner in chapel

Murals

The choir vaults are decorated with murals from the 15th and 16th century that are partly in a poor state. Some of these were completed in 1461 by Master Gerardus but were altered by an unknown hand in 1571. The decorations consist of floral wreaths, the '' Arma Christi'', angels, busts of monks and knights with banderoles. The text on the banderoles is virtually illegible. A depiction of a cross with the coat of arms of the Crosier Order and two human figures – possibly a Roman and a female saint – may refer to the

Finding of the True Cross The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, although ...

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

. The south-west chapel contains a large mural, most likely from the second quarter of the 16th century. The main depiction portrays eight scenes from the life of Saint Gertrude: six within a pointed arch on the south wall of the chapel; the other two (originally four?) on the side walls. Depicted are: the birth of Gertrude, the taking of the vows, a bishop consecrating Nivelles Abbey, Gertrude saving a house on fire, and Gertrude saving a ship in a storm. The mural on the west wall shows "Saint Gertrude's love drink" (''Sint-Geerteminnedronk''), the ancient custom to drink to a healthy homecoming of someone who is undertaking a long journey. Saint Gertrude is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of travellers. File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, koorgewelf 1.jpg, Painted choir vaults with floral motives File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, koorgewelf 4.jpg, Painted keystone and ribvaulting File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, zuidelijke zijkapel, St-Gertrudisschildering 01.jpg, West chapel with Saint Gertrude mural File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, zuidelijke zijkapel, St-Gertrudisschildering 04.jpg, Detail mural with "Saint Gertrude's love drink"

Sculptures

2017 Kruisherenkerk, noordbeuk, kapitelen 3 (cropped)

Both the

architectural sculpture Architectural sculpture is the use of sculptural techniques by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, mausoleum or other such project. The sculpture is usually integrated with the structure, but freestanding works that a ...

in the church and the sculptural fragments that were recovered in 1913 from underneath the church floor, testify of a rich artistic tradition. The massive late-Gothic

capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

that adorn the composite columns between the nave and the north aisle, are impressive both in size and skill. The ribvaults are decorated with sculpted

keystones A keystone (or capstone) is the wedge-shaped stone at the apex of a masonry arch or typically round-shaped one at the apex of a vault. In both cases it is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allo ...

and

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...

s. Beautifully detailed are the four corbels with the evangelists' symbols. Two Baroque altars have been preserved in the south chapels. They are of local limestone with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

decorations in Louis Quatorze style. Two interesting

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

s decorate the north and south wall of the choir. The smaller one on the north wall depicts a heart that is pierced by a sword with two hands folded in prayer below. Inside the heart the letters

IHS IHS may refer to: Religious * Christogram IHS or ΙΗΣ, a monogram symbolizing Jesus Christ * ''In hoc signo'', used by Roman emperor Constantine the Great Organizations * Indian Health Service, an operating division of the US Department of Hea ...

(Jesus) and MA (Mary) have been carved; above it the date 1595. This might be an

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

that was removed from elsewhere. The larger relief on the opposite wall consists of four vertically arranged parts, partly damaged by a 19th-century mezzanine floor. It probably refers to a ''Vidimus'' (

: "we have seen") of 1482, in which the dean of St. Servatius confirmed a privilege of

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...

of 1318, allowing the Crosiers to celebrate mass, collect money, etc. The

papal tiara The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and only at the beginning of his reign. The name "tiara" refers to the entire h ...

and Saint Peter's

Keys of Heaven The Keys of Heaven, also called Saint Peter's keys, refers to the metaphorical keys of the office of Saint Peter, the keys of Heaven, or the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. It is explicitly referenced in the Bible in Matthew 16:19. In Catholicis ...

are clearly recognizable. Above and below are depictions of the coat of arms of the Crosiers and what looks like a

sundial A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat ...

or an

astrological chart A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...

. These may not be related to the central reliefs. The bottom drawing may be connected to prior Mathias Mijnecom who was known as "Astronomas" because of his knowledge of mathematics and astronomy. File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, koorconsole 2a.jpg, Choir corbel with bull's head (Saint Luke) File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, zuidelijke zijkapel, altaar 2.jpg, Baroque altar with stucco decorations, ca. 1700 File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, reliëf 1.jpg, Relief with pierced heart and praying hands, 1595 File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, reliëf 3.jpg, Papal relief with tiara and keys of heaven, 1482?

Ledger stones

2017 Kruisherenkerk, grafzerk noordmuur schip 3a

Around ten ledger stones remain in the church, all of laypersons. For the burghers of Maastricht the Crosier Church obviously was a popular place to be buried. It is remarkable that no graves of friars or other

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

have survived. Burials of friars in the church are mentioned in the monastery archive. It is also known that the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

preacher Hendrik Denijs was buried in the choir of the church in 1571, and that three years later the dean of St. Servatius', Nicolaas van der Straeten, was buried in the same grave. None of the remaining ledger stones are in their original location. Some were moved to the cloisters (see below); others were most likely destroyed in the 19th century. Some ledger stones were used twice, as was the case with the damaged stone that originally covered the grave of '' jonker'' Gerard van der Marck and his wife in 1482. It was reused for Art Proenen and his wife in 1618.This ledger stone was still complete around 1900. It measured 265 × 140 cm and the complete epitaph in Dutch was: ''(hier ligt begrave) Joncker Geraert vā der Marck, die sterft int joir mcccclxxxii-xxv dach Octobris ende syn huysvrou Joffer Kathryn va der Borch die sterf ano mccccxcviii(-xxx dach January)''. In the 17th century the following was added: ''Hyr ligt oeck begrave die eersa/me Arnt Proene, peimeester deser / goder stadt sterff ao. xvcxviii den / xxxviii novembris en joffrou mari / paris sȳ huisfrou sterf ao. xvc / en xxvi de xxi dach Decembris''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 252
photo
. The ledger stone of Elisabeth and Vaes Nuellens from 1510 is decorated with the Lamb of God and the Four Evangelists' symbols in the corners.The stone measures 200 × 110 cm. Around the depiction of the Lamb of God is a worn epitaph, partly in Latin: ''Sepultura honeste matrone Elysabet Nuellens proli mquesuarum que obīj̄t Ao Dni XVc decimo mensis january die undecima q̄ aie Reqescāt in pace A''. At the top of the stone the following was added in Dutch: ''Hyr lecht begraven Vaes / Nuellens die sterff int jaer / ons Heren M Vc en de xliiii''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 252
photo
. A large sculpted ledger stone was moved to one of the chapels during the early-20th-century restorations. The stone from 1605 once covered the grave of mayor and '' schepen'' Johan Sdrogen and his wife Verona Weertz.The stone measures 255 × 125 cm. Above a

cartouche In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval with a line at one end tangent to it, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name. The first examples of the cartouche are associated with pharaohs at the end of the Third Dynasty, but the fea ...

with the coats of arms is written in Dutch: ''Hier light begraven der eersame/vrome en discrete h. Iohan / Sdrogen Borgemr en Schepen / Deser Stadt, sterf ao 1604 / den 28en deceb̄. ende Iof Verona / Weertz syn huysvē. sterf ao... / 16... de...''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), pp. 252-253. Against a wall in the south-east chapel stands a ledger stone of 1639 with the damaged coat of arms of Lysbeth Coenegracht, widow of Herman Jekermans.This stone measures 170 × 85 cm. The text in Dutch reads as follows: ''Hier ligt begraven / Lysbyet Connegracht / die Weduwve Herman / ieckermans sterf Ao / 1639 den 19 meert. Bidt voer de Zielen''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 253. Leaning against the wall of the north aisle are three ledger stones that were moved here from elsewhere. They are visible only through the glass back wall in the toilets. The 16th-century stone of mayor Mathijs Nollens's family is very worn.This stone measures 185 × 130 cm. Only the text (in Dutch) on the lower half is legible: ''hier licht begraven emeren / tiana • nollens • dochter van / burgemr mathis nollens / ende maria van Buel n denBurch op de / holtmerct ende is gestorven / int iaer ons heeren 1580 den 22 / dach december''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 252
photo
. Next to this is a 17th-century stone with the coats of arms of the families Meesters and Selen.The measurements are 205 × 110 cm. The text in Dutch is: ''hier licht begraven den eersaemen / Ardt Meesters sterf den 15 meirt / ao 1633 ende jan selen ao 1637 / den 7 october ende marcellus selen / soene van jan selen iamerlijck vermoort jonckman synde ao 1663 / den 23 october ende Elisabeth van / Offenbeeck hunner beyder huysvrouwe sterf ao 16.. den /''. Added in between: ''ende jan meesters sterf ano 1664 / meert ende anna selen sterf den / 19 december 1691''(?). Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 253. The third stone along this wall also dates from the 17th century and was part of the grave of mayor Andries van Stockhem and his wife Catharine.The epitaph in Dutch reads: ''... jof catharine van stockhem weduw wile sr johan nysmans zaliger die starf den / 3 may 165.. ende heer andries van stockhem / in synen leven borchemeester deser stadt / maestricht die starf den 25 october 166...'' Along the edge: ''bidt godt voor die sielen...''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), pp. 253-254. File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, grafzerk noordmuur schip 2.jpg, Ledger stones of 1580 & 1633 File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, grafzerk zuidelijke zijkapel 2.jpg, Ledger stone of 1639 File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, grafzerk zuidelijke zijkapel 1.jpg, Detail ledger stone, ca. 1650 File:2017 Kruisherenkerk, grafzerk zuidelijke zijkapel 3.jpg, Ledger stone of 1740

Monastery wings

Outer walls

The four wings of the monastery make the shape of an imperfect square between the streets Kruisherengang and Kommel. The north wing runs parallel to the south aisle of the church and for that reason is not visible from the street. The east wing overlooks Kommel, a street that at this point has the appearance of a square. In 2009 it was redesigned as a park with trees,

box A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...

hedges, flower beds and cobbled paths. A bronze sculpture of a horse (''Julius Solway'', Arthur Spronken, 1982) was relocated in front of the hotel, also in 2009. The south wing is visible only from a secluded garden between the monastery and a row of houses along Kommel. Both the south wing and the west wing end in a

stepped gable A stepped gable, crow-stepped gable, or corbie step is a stairstep type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roofline and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in a ...

. The outer walls are largely built with local limestone (''mergel'') with incidental use of

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

, sometimes in alternating bands with limestone. The lower part of the west wing was replaced in 1928 by Nivelstein

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

, which is harder. Pointed Gothic windows, partly dating from the 15th century, appear on the ground floor of the south and east wing, and in the stepped gables. Elsewhere 16th-century rectangular windows with stone frames and

muntin A muntin (US), muntin bar, glazing bar (UK), or sash bar is a strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Muntins can be found in doors, windows, and furniture, typically in Western styles of architecture. Muntins ...

s and wooden window shutters predominate. The shutters, including those of the

dormer A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window. Dormers are commonly used to increase the usable space ...

s with their tented roofs, are painted red and white, the colours of the Crosiers' cross. The entrances in the outer walls of the south and west wings have

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

s with the Crosiers' cross. Above a door in the east wing is a

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

with the name of the agricultural testing station (''Rijkslandbouwproefstation'') in

blackletter Blackletter (sometimes black letter), also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 until the 17th century. It continued to be commonly used for the Danish, Norweg ...

s.Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), pp. 254-257 File:Statue and the ancient Monastry building of Kruisheren Hotel Maastricht - panoramio.jpg, East wing and Kommel File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, zuidgevel 03.jpg, South-west stepped gable File:2017 Maastricht, Kruisherenklooster 09.jpg, Renaissance windows File:2017 Maastricht, Kruisherenklooster 07.jpg, Pedimented west entrance

Cloister yard

Kruisherenhotel patio with water art in the ancient monastry building - panoramio

The

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

yard is a quadrangle that is not entirely square, surrounded by four monastery wings. The lower Gothic windows on this side were probably once open; they were (re)glazed in the 19th century. Gothic windows also appear in the upper floor of the south wing; the lower windows in this wing are wider than elsewhere. Also, the south wing features a centrally-placed one-storey outbuilding with a

hip roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...

that protrudes into the cloister yard. As is the case with the street-facing façades, brightly coloured window shutters decorate the Renaissance windows around the cloister yard. The cloister yard may have been used originally as a herb garden (''hortus medicus''). It is now a hotel

patio A patio (, from es, patio ; "courtyard", "forecourt", "yard", "little garden") is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia the term is expanded to include roofed stru ...

. The white pavement and the colour of the garden furniture, as well as the red and white window shutters, refer to the colours of the Crosiers' cross. A modern staircase leads to a fire escape tunnel that goes under the south wing of the cloisters, connecting the courtyard to the outside world. A light sculpture by Ingo Maurer in the shape of an illuminated vertical column filled with 3000 litres of water with silver dust has been temporarily removed because of malfunctioning. File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, pandhof, zuidwesthoek.jpg, View from above File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, pandhof, zuidvleugel, gotische vensters.jpg, Gothic windows south wing File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, pandhof en oostvleugel.jpg, East wing File:Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, light sculptures by Ingo Maurer in former cloister yard - panoramio.jpg, Light sculpture by Maurer

Interior

The monastery wings consist of a ground floor and two floors above, of which the upper floor is directly underneath the roof. Parts of the building are furnished with cellars that have

barrel vault A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...

s. Surrounding the cloister yard are the cloister corridors. The leaded glass windows date from the late 19th century and were possibly designed in the studios of Pierre Cuypers in Roermond. The ceilings are supported by beams with profiled corbels, which are all painted white. The tiled floors were renewed in 2004. The north corridor is narrower because it is adjacent to the church. The other corridors provide access to rooms that have windows looking out onto the street. The protruding section of the south corridor contains a

lavabo A lavabo is a device used to provide water for the washing of hands. It consists normally of a ewer or container of some kind to pour water, and a bowl to catch the water as it falls off the hands. In ecclesiastical usage it refers to all of: the b ...

(including a

hand pump Hand pumps are manually operated pumps; they use human power and mechanical advantage to move fluids or air from one place to another. They are widely used in every country in the world for a variety of industrial, marine, irrigation and leis ...

until the late 20th century). Several interesting ledger stones have been moved here, probably from the church. The floor of the lavabo space in the south corridor consists of a large ledger stone from the 17th century that once covered the grave of the Alards family.The stone measures 230 x 105 cm. The text around a depiction of the Lamb of God within a circle is written in blackletters in Dutch: ''o • godertiere • jhesu • lamp • godtz • ontfermt • dich • onser • amen''. The text continues, barely legible, according to the amateur historian Baron Von Geusau as follows: ''(hier ligt begrave joris) starf ano xvc xxi – iii septeb. ende mary syn huesf. sterf ano / (xvc.... ende herdwig von vucht) / sterf ano xvc xxx de • xxix • dach prilis/ amen''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 257. Another ledger stone has been placed against the north wall of the north corridor. It dates from 1624 when both Thomas Ulrich and his wife Anna were buried underneath it.This stone measures 205 x 120 cm and is decorated with a catouche. The text in Dutch reads: ''hier ligt begraven den eersamen / thomas vlrich coenestabeel deeser / stadt maestriest in sienen tidt / ghewest staerf ao 1624 den 7 octobre / ende sien beminde hvisvrowe anna / scronx ock in hedt ao 1624 den 8 / october. bidt godt voer die siele''. Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 257. The public spaces and rooms of the Kruisherenhotel – fifty in the main building and ten in the Renaissance House and Casa Nova (see below) – were individually conceived by interior architect Henk Vos, who made use of furniture and lighting designs by

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

, Philip Starck,

Marc Newson Marc Andrew Newson CBE RDI (born 20 October 1963) is an industrial designer who works in aircraft cabin design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, and clothing. His style uses smooth geometric lines, translucency, strength, transpar ...

, Ingo Maurer and others. File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, kloostergang west 03.jpg, Cloisters, west corridor File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, kloostergang zuid, lavabo.jpg, Lavabo and ledger stone File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, kloostergang, 2e etage.jpg, Attic floor, corridor File:Kruisherenhotel, hotel room 1.jpg, South wing, hotel room

Other buildings

2017 Kruisherenklooster, kloostertuin 03

The Crosier Monastery in Maastricht is unique in the Netherlands as it has been preserved in its original state almost completely. Some minor parts have not survived. As late as 1962, a 17th-century gateway with the Crosiers' coat of arms was demolished. Along Kommel there are some small houses (all ''

s'') that may or may not have been part of the monastery. They are privately owned and not part of the hotel. Adjacent to this row of houses are two buildings that are now part of the Kruisherenhotel. The 17th-century building on the south-west corner is known as "Renaissance House" (Kruisherengang nr. 23). It is a remnant of the original

gatehouse A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mos ...

and gatekeeper's lodge that stood here. There is some evidence on the north façade that this building was once bigger. The house is built in the local style of the

Mosan Renaissance Mosan Renaissance also known, at least in French, as the Mosan style, is a regional architectural style dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. The style is related to Renaissance architecture, but with very limited classical influence; it has bee ...

with alternating layers of brick and limestone, a stepped gable and bluestone door and window frames. A brand new pavilion clad in COR-TEN steel was added to the east of this in 2004. Between this "Casa Nova" and the south wing of the main monastery a patio garden has been laid out. It is not clear whether anything remains of the tenant farms, tithe barns and other buildings that were once owned by the Maastricht Crosiers. In the small village of Herderen in Belgian Limburg, where the Crosiers owned several properties, a street is named after them, the Kruisherenstraat. File:2017 Maastricht, Kommel 26-28.jpg, Houses along Kommel File:2017 Maastricht, Kruisherengang nr 23.jpg, Renaissance House File:2017 Kruisherenhotel, Renaissancehuis, hotelkamer 3.jpg, Renaissance House, interior File:WLM - Minke Wagenaar - 07-07-07 Maastricht 063.jpg, Casa Nova

Other heritage

Tabernacle tower

Fragmenten sacramentstoren Kruisherenkerk Maastricht

A former eye-catcher in the Crosier Church must have been the imposing 16th-century

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

tower. It was around ten meters high and only fragments of it survived. It was sculpted in or shortly after 1561 by Liège sculptor Guillaume de Jonckeu. The contract for the work between De Jonckeu and prior Servaes Heynsberch still exists. According to this contract, the tabernacle was to follow the example of a similar one in St. John's Cathedral in

(destroyed during the ''

beeldenstorm ''Beeldenstorm'' () in Dutch and ''Bildersturm'' in German (roughly translatable from both languages as 'attack on the images or statues') are terms used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th centu ...

'' of 1568). De Jonckeu received 120 Brabant guilders for the work. The money was provided by the dean of St. Servatius, Nicolaas van der Straeten, who was buried in front of the tabernacle in 1573. During the restoration of the church in 1913 around 15 fragments of the tabernacle were discovered underneath the church floor. They are part of the collection of the LGOG Limburg Historical Society, now in storage at the

Bonnefantenmuseum The Bonnefanten Museum is a museum of fine art in Maastricht, Netherlands. History The museum was founded in 1884 as the historical and archaeological museum of the Dutch province of Limburg. The name Bonnefanten Museum is derived from the Frenc ...

. Some of the fragments, described in detail by the art historian ''jonkheer'' Eugène van Nispen tot Sevenaer in 1926, may have gone missing.Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/74), deel 2, pp. 694-695 With the help of the remaining fragments and the surviving contract, it is possible to make a fairly accurate reconstruction of the tabernacle tower. It was constructed of natural stone (

Avesnes Avesnes () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Geography The commune is a very small village situated some 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the D 129 E 1. Population See also *Communes of ...

limestone?), 35 Liège feet tall (ca. 10 meters), and consisted of six or seven sections on top of each other. The pedestal was decorated with statues of the Seven Virtues. On top of this was the proper tabernacle which had three metal doors with statues of angels in between (one of the angels, 70 cm tall and standing in a niche, has been preserved). It could be reached via three steps of Namur bluestone. Above the tabernacle were three

eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

-themed reliefs: the Last Supper (seven fragments remaining), the

manna Manna ( he, מָן, mān, ; ar, اَلْمَنُّ; sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is, according to the Bible, an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period follow ...

rain in the desert, and the priesthood of

Melchizedek In the Bible, Melchizedek (, hbo, , malkī-ṣeḏeq, "king of righteousness" or "my king is righteousness"), also transliterated Melchisedech or Malki Tzedek, was the king of Salem and priest of (often translated as "most high God"). He is f ...

. On top of this were statues of the four evangelists (of which Saint Luke survives), then statues of the four

Doctors of the Church Doctor of the Church (Latin: ''doctor'' "teacher"), also referred to as Doctor of the Universal Church (Latin: ''Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis''), is a title given by the Catholic Church to saints recognized as having made a significant contribu ...

, and finally statues of two local holy bishops, Saint Servatius and Saint Lambert. The latter two sculptures were placed underneath a ciborium.Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 134-135 The style is that of the Northern Renaissance, of which Liège under prince-bishop Érard de La Marck had become a major centre. No other works by Guillaume de Jonckeu are known. The sculptures have a certain dynamic but lack detail. Some of the architectural parts are mindful of the work of

Cornelis Floris de Vriendt Cornelis Floris or Cornelis (II) Floris De Vriendt (c. 1514 – 20 October 1575) was a Flemish sculptor, architect, draughtsman, medallist and designer of prints and luxury. He operated a large workshop in Antwerp from which he worked on many ...

, though less refined. Tabernacle towers with a similar architectural scheme can be found elsewhere in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, as in

St. Leonard's Church, Zoutleeuw The Saint Leonard's Church (Dutch: ''Sint-Leonarduskerk'') in Zoutleeuw, Belgium, stands on the former site of a Romanesque chapel erected in 1125 by Benedictines from Vlierbeek Abbey near Leuven. Construction of the present church began around 12 ...

. File:Kruisherenkerk Maastricht, sacramentstoren, fragment engel in nis (LGOG-collectie) 03.jpg, Standing angel in niche File:Kruisherenkerk Maastricht, sacramentstoren, fragment engel in nis (LGOG-collectie) 08.jpg, Architectural fragments File:Kruisherenkerk Maastricht, sacramentstoren, fragment Laatste Avondmaal (LGOG-collectie) 07.jpg, Fragment Last Supper File:Kruisherenkerk Maastricht, sacramentstoren, fragment Lucas (LGOG-collectie) 03.jpg, Saint Luke (with calf)

Other artworks and liturgical objects

As evidenced in the bookkeeping records of the monastery, the Maastricht woodcarver

received several commissions from the Crosiers between 1512 and 1516. Among these were a statue of Saint Michael of 1512 and one of the Virgin Mary of 1515. It is unlikely that any of these still exist.Among the 14 signed works by Van Steffeswert and the ca. 100 works that have been attributed to his workshop, there is not a single statue of Saint Michael. The statue of the Virgin Mary may have been part of a Calvary group mentioned in 1516. It is not even sure that the statue of the Virgin was actually acquired by the Crosiers, only that it was discussed with Van Steffeswert. (1992): 'De Maastrichtse beeldsnijder Jan van Steffeswert', pp. 44-45, 66-67. In: ''Publications'' (PSHAL 128). LGOG, Maastricht. In 1733 local artist

Jean-Baptiste Coclers Jean-Baptiste Coclers (Maastricht, 14 October 1696 – Liège, 23 May 1772) was a Southern Netherlands, Southern Netherlandish portrait painter and a painter of floral still lifes and historical subjects. Life Jean-Baptiste Pierre Coclers was born ...

painted the four evangelists for the chancel in the Crosier Church. The whereabouts of these paintings are unknown. A small sculpture that did survive is an heirloom from a previous occupier, the agricultural testing station. The wooden statuette of a Crosier used to be in the director's office but was given to the Kruisherenhotel when it opened in 2005. It now stands in a niche in the apse of the former church. A series of Renaissance corbels are also relatively late arrivals in the building. They are on loan from the Bonnefantenmuseum but their provenance is unknown. Some have the form of caryatids, others of lions or fantasy creatures that hold coats of arms. Since 2005 the corbels are on display in the stairwells and corridors in the hotel. A fragment of the 15th-century choir stalls has been reused in the attic of a house adjacent to the monastery.The choir stalls of 1462 were replaced in the 17th century. The carved statues of Jesus and the twelve apostle were moved to the refectory; some of the wood was used for a partitioning wall in a 17th-century house in Kommel. Van Hasselt (1903), p. 15; Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), p. 21. The acquisition of various liturgical objects is listed in the Crosiers' archive, but only a few have survived. A precious

monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic Sa ...

and a chalice by the Maastricht silversmith Johannes Wery (1695-1750) must have once adorned the main altar in the Crosier Church. Both are now in the church treasury of Burtscheid Abbey (near

). File:Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, 05.jpg, Statuette of a Crutched Friar File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, bouwsculptuur 10.jpg, Renaissance corbel File:2017 Kruisherenklooster, bouwsculptuur 09.jpg, Lion with coat of arms File:St. Johann Barockmonstranz.jpg, Monstrance by J. Wery, 1737

Books and manuscripts

Book

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

s and

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

s were produced in the Crosier Monastery until the second half of the 16th century. The book covers were made of calf leather with embossed decorations of lions, flowers, leaves or lozenge shapes. Several carry an emblem: an angel holding the Crosiers' coat of arms. Famous copyists were Daniël van Keulen (ca. 1462-1489), Franciscus van Nijmegen (ca. 1493-1531) and Jasper Schaefdriess (ca. 1519-1569). The latter was asked to teach copyists in Liège in 1533. Theodoricus van Sittard and Johannes Leerdam were well-known bookbinders around 1500. Johannes Leerdam worked in Maastricht for about ten years, then moved to London towards the end of his life. Few manuscripts produced in the Crosiers' scriptorium in Maastricht have survived. Four manuscripts from the 15th and 16th century are in the collection of the

National Library of the Netherlands The Royal Library of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninklijke Bibliotheek or KB; ''Royal Library'') is the national library of the Netherlands, based in The Hague, founded in 1798. The KB collects everything that is published in and concerning the Ne ...

(''Koninklijke Bibliotheek'' or KB). Other collections with Maastricht Crosiers' manuscripts are: the University Library Groningen (UBG), the Utrecht University Library (UBU) and the

Leiden University Library Leiden University Libraries is a library founded in 1575 in Leiden, Netherlands. It is regarded as a significant place in the development of Culture of Europe, European culture: it is a part of a small number of cultural centres that gave directi ...

. Starting in 1528, prior Jan Proenen kept meticulous records of the financial affairs of the monastery. He also recorded the books he purchased for the library. In 13 years he bought over 60 books, half of which were non-religious. In 1536 he bought a Latin dictionary in five languages by

Ambrogio Calepino Ambrogio Calepino (Latin: ''Ambrosius Calepinus''; c. 1440–1510), commonly known by the Latin form of his name, Calepinus, was an Italian lexicographer. Calepino was born in Castelli Calepio Gigliola Soldi Rondinini, Tullio De MauroCALEPIO, A ...

. By special order of the

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...

, it was confiscated by the French in January 1795. In February, the rest of the valuable books were confiscated and shipped to France. All of the books bought by Proenen went missing, except for one. His ''Novus orbis regionum ac insularium veteribus incognitarum'', published in

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

in 1532, purchased and annotated by Proenen in 1533, and bound in the Crosiers' own bookbindery, is now in the collection of the city library in Maastricht (Centre Céramique, CC). File:Necrologie Kruisherenklooster Maastricht, KB, Hs. 78 F 5 (1).jpg, 15th-century necrology of the Maastricht Crosiers (KB, The Hague, ms. 78 F 5) File:Pantheologia, ms van Kruisherenklooster Maastricht 1470 (UB Groningen, ms. 18) - 1.jpg, Bound manuscript ''Pantheologia'', 1470 (UBG, Groningen, ms. 18) File:Verzameling preken, Kruisherenklooster Maastricht (UB Utrecht Cat 243) - 1 (cropped).jpg, Detail of a 15th-century manuscript with sermons (UBU, Utrecht, cat. 243) File:Novus orbis regionum (1532), Kruisherenklooster Maastricht (RHCL, Maastricht).jpg, Titel page ''Novus orbis regionum'' with handwriting Proenen (CC, Maastricht)

Crosier archive

The

archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

of the Crosier Monastery has been part of the Dutch National Archives (''Rijksarchief'') since 1882. It is now stored in the Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (RHCL), based in a former Minorite monastery in Maastricht.In 1796, with the dissolution of the monastery, the Crosier archive was saved by friar Godefridus Willems. Otherwise it probably would have been sold as old paper, as happened to other monastery and church archives. When Willems died in 1835 the Dutch state confiscated the archive. In 1882 it was incorporated in the Rijksarchief by Jozef Habets. Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), pp. 10-11. The Crosier archive measures 9.9 m and consists of 304

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

s on

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of ...

and 110 archival calendars, bundles and loose papers. it is considered special because of its completeness which is unique in this part of Europe. Almost the entire financial administration of the monastery from 1450 to 1795 has been preserved. It provides valuable information, not only about the monastery but about many aspects of life in Maastricht in general. The oldest and most vulnerable documents are packed in Lexan (a

polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

) and stored in a secure and refrigerated

strongroom A bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents are stored. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, much like a safe. Unlike safes, vaults a ...

. Around sixty documents precede the founding of the monastery. They are either related to the early history of the Crosier Order, or to transactions of real estate later acquired by the Crosiers. Three documents are of paramount importance for the history of the monastery: the original deed of 1436 in which five houses at Kommel where transferred to the Crosiers, the permission for the monastery foundation by the local clergy (1437), and the permission granted by the bishop of Liège (1438). In 2015 most of the Crosier archive was preserved and digitalised as a result of a national conservation programme (''Metamorfoze'').Metamorfoze Nieuws #18, 2014
op website ''metamorfoze.nl'' The original matrix of the seal of the Maastricht Crosiers dates from the 15th century. After having been lost for decades, it was discovered by chance in 1876 and is now part of the RHCL archives. Its diameter is 3.5 cm. In the centre is a

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

with the head of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

crowned with thorns. The text around the quatrefoil is in Latin: ''+ S: COVENTUS.FRM SACTE. CRUCIS. TRAICTENCIS''. File:Archief Kruisherenklooster Maastricht (RHCL)-1.jpg, Record boxes in RHCL (with reference to ''Metamorfoze'') File:Archief Kruisherenklooster Maastricht (RHCL)-3.jpg, Oldest manuscripts, packed in Lexan File:Toestemming deken St-Servaas & pastoor St-Jan Kruisherenklooster, 8 okt 1437 (RHCL inv nr 2).jpg, Foundation charter of the monastery, 1437 File:Oprichtingsakte Broederschap H Kruis, Kruisherenklooster Maastricht.jpg, Charter of the Fraternity of the Holy Cross, 1439

Sources

* (2001): ''Monumentengids Maastricht''. Primavera Pers, Leiden. * (2002): 'Maastricht-Maaseik' (review of an article by R. Janssen, 'De kruisbroeders van Maastricht en van Maaseik in de vijftiende eeuw: geen hechte maar wel een losse band', published in 2001 in ''De Maasband. Opstellen over het Maasland'', pp. 69–81). In: ''Clairlieu. Tijdschrift gewijd aan de geschiedenis der kruisheren'' (Volume 60), pp. 195–196
online text
* (1896): 'Prioren van het voormalig Kruisheeren-klooster te Maastricht'. In: ''De Maasgouw'', Volume 18, nr. 3, pp. 9–11
online text
* (1903): 'Geschiedenis van het Klooster der Kruisheeren te Maastricht'. In: ''Publications de la Société Historique et Archéologique dans le Limbourg'' (PSHAL 39), pp. 3–137. Limburgs Geschied- en Oudheidkundig Genootschap, Maastricht
online text
* (1996) 'De Orde van het Heilig Kruis op het einde van het Ancien Régime'. In: ''Clairlieu. Tijdschrift gewijd aan de geschiedenis der kruisheren'' (Volume 54), pp. 3–92
online text
* (2004) 'De oorsprong van de Orde van het Heilig Kruis'. In: ''Clairlieu. Tijdschrift gewijd aan de geschiedenis der kruisheren'' (Volume 62), pp. 14–163
online text
* (2006) 'De Orde van het Heilig Kruis in de vijftiende eeuw. Deel 2: De kloosters die na 1410 en vóór 1473 werden gesticht'. In: ''Clairlieu. Tijdschrift gewijd aan de geschiedenis der kruisheren'' (Volume 64), pp. 3–178
online text pp. 3-49pp. 50-91

pp. 92-135
* (1984a): ''Het Kruisherenklooster'' (Maastrichts Silhouet #17). Stichting Historische Reeks Maastricht, Maastricht. * (1984b): ''Inventaris van het archief van het Kruisherenklooster te Maastricht 1438-1796'' (RAL Inventory Volume 32). Rijksarchief in Limburg, Maastricht
text partly available online
* (1926/1974): ''De monumenten in de gemeente Maastricht'', Volume 1 & 2. Arnhem (online tex
pp. 147-466

pp. 688-701
* (1990): ''Hemelse trektochten. Broederschappen in Maastricht 1400-1850''. Vierkant Maastricht, Volume 16. Stichting Historische Reeks Maastricht, Maastricht. * (2005): ''Historische Encyclopedie Maastricht''. Walburg Pers, Zutphen.

Notes

References

External links

{{Commons category, Kruisherenklooster (Maastricht)
Crosier archive
- digitalised archive of the Maastricht Crosiers (keyword: 14.D023)
Kruisherenhotel
- hotel website Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross Former Christian monasteries in the Netherlands Christian monasteries established in the 15th century 1438 establishments in Europe 1796 disestablishments in Europe Monasteries dissolved during the French Revolution Hotels in the Netherlands Gothic architecture in the Netherlands Rijksmonuments in Maastricht Churches in Maastricht