Mariënhage Monastery

In the Middle Ages, a castle stood on the site of Mariënhage Monastery. In the early fifteenth century, the lord of the castle donated it to five religious men from Eindhoven. The new monastery was located just outside the town and was known as “Our Lady [Mary] on that Hill,” or Mariënhage.

The canons left the monastery after the Eighty Years' War. In the centuries that followed, the monastery served various purposes. For a time, it served as a barracks, and in the nineteenth century, it became a factory. When one of the last descendants of the industrialist family passed away at the end of the nineteenth century, an Augustinian monk managed to purchase the monastery, and the building once again became a monastery. Of the medieval structures, virtually nothing remained except for a few elements and the foundations. A statue of Jesus was placed on the new church tower as it was being built. The Sacred Heart statue stands sixty meters high with its arms outstretched. This pose, combined with the height, earned the statue the nickname “Jesus the Daredevil.” 

The Augustinians played a major role in education. The new monastery established a secondary school and attracted boys from all parts of the country. In 2017, the Augustinians closed their doors. The monastery was sold and repurposed. Part of the buildings has been converted into DOMUSDELA. The church’s former functions have been given a fresh new look. You can get married there or hold a funeral. You can also stay overnight and host conferences. In 2020, the renovation won the People’s Choice Award in the Building of the Year competition organized by the Association of Dutch Architects.

This text has been translated using AI.