Erfgoedhuis Zusters van Liefde JM

Heritage house of the Sisters of Charity in Ghent with archive, library and objects; the museum is closed for renovation and visits are by appointment only.

Temporarily closed

Website Directions

Temporarily closed (expected until 2028). The museum is closed pending renovation work. The Erfgoedhuis will be renovated from spring 2027; the works are expected to finish at the end of 2028. Visits are by appointment only. Because the contents are being moved, the archive cannot be consulted from 1 November 2026 to 28 February 2027 and the reading room is closed.

About the museum

The Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary were founded in 1803 in Lovendegem by Petrus Jozef Triest and the first mother superior, Placida Van der Gauwen. Since 1805 the mother house has been in Ghent, in the convent on Molenaarsstraat, which forms part of the site of the former Cistercian abbey of Terhagen. The complex is protected. The congregation grew into one of the largest female religious institutions in the country and, from Ghent, was active in psychiatric care, healthcare and care for the elderly, education and care for people with disabilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, England and Ireland. In 1820 the sisters set up the first school for the deaf in Flanders here. In 2003, exactly two hundred years after the founding, the Flemish sisters handed over all their activities to professional lay staff.

The Erfgoedhuis preserves and makes accessible the history of the congregation and its achievements in education, healthcare and welfare. The collection consists of archives, more than 120,000 photographs, objects and works of art, and a library that includes a heritage collection of books from the 17th to the 19th century. Many objects are linked to the sisters' missionary work in Africa and Asia.

The former museum on the history and activities of the congregation is closed pending renovation work. After the renovation, which runs from spring 2027 and is due to finish at the end of 2028, the Erfgoedhuis plans to reopen with a renewed permanent display. The building will then include, among other things, a professional mobile archive system, a climate-controlled depot and a lift.

Highlights

Archive, objects and artworks on the history of the Sisters of Charity since 1803
More than 120,000 photographs and a heritage library of books from the 17th to the 19th century
Objects relating to the sisters' missionary work in Africa and Asia
Protected mother house in the former Terhagen convent, where Flanders' first school for the deaf was founded in 1820

Operated by: Zusters van Liefde van Jezus en Maria (congregatie)

Admission & discounts

The museum is closed for renovation; visits are by appointment only.

Accessibility

The museum is closed for renovation; visits are by appointment only.

Kids & families

The museum is closed for renovation; visits are by appointment only.

Getting there & parking

By public transit

From Ghent-Sint-Pieters: tram 4 (towards Gentbrugge Moscou) to the Opgeëistenlaan stop, or tram 1 (towards Evergem or Wondelgem) to the Gravensteen stop.