Lecture Gilde de Baronie: The Beguinage of Breda

Jan talks about the forced relocation in 1535 from the Castle Square to the current site in Catharinastraat. The difficult survival during the Eighty Years' War is also discussed. 

The Begijnen Church was ultimately permanently assigned to Walloon Protestants.

Protection
The Begijnen enjoyed special protection by the Lords of Breda (from the 13th century) and well into the twentieth century by consecutively the Van Polanens, the Nassaus and the Oranges. In the 19th century  the Begijnhof received a new (Water State) church and the number of houses was expanded.

From the first half of the twentieth century, fewer and fewer new Begijnen appeared, and on Good Friday 1990, the last Breda Begijn, Miss Frijters, died.Also today, only women living alone reside in the Begijnhof, and the current Begijnhof is also part of this lecture.