Huize Padua / De Kluis Museum
In the mid-18th century, a small group of religious brothers moved to Boekel. Their new home became known as Huize Padua, popularly referred to as De Kluis.
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In the mid-18th century, a small group of religious brothers moved to Boekel. Their new home was called Huize Padua, although it became better known locally as De Kluis (The Hermitage). The brothers worked as sacristans, baked communion wafers, made candles, brewed beer and taught Catholic children. They were forced to stop teaching in 1878 when legislation required teachers to hold formal teaching qualifications.
The brothers then devoted themselves to the care of people with mental illnesses. They became the first Dutch religious congregation to specialise in psychiatric care. In the 1960s, responsibility for this work gradually passed to lay professionals. Through their activities in Boekel, the brothers helped lay the foundations for modern mental healthcare in Eastern Brabant.
Today, visitors to Huize Padua will find not a single building, but a lively estate. The oldest buildings date from the late nineteenth century and the 1920s and 1930s. The site continues to serve people experiencing mental health challenges.
De Kluis …
In the mid-18th century, a small group of religious brothers moved to Boekel. Their new home was called Huize Padua, although it became better known locally as De Kluis (The Hermitage). The brothers worked as sacristans, baked communion wafers, made candles, brewed beer and taught Catholic children. They were forced to stop teaching in 1878 when legislation required teachers to hold formal teaching qualifications.
The brothers then devoted themselves to the care of people with mental illnesses. They became the first Dutch religious congregation to specialise in psychiatric care. In the 1960s, responsibility for this work gradually passed to lay professionals. Through their activities in Boekel, the brothers helped lay the foundations for modern mental healthcare in Eastern Brabant.
Today, visitors to Huize Padua will find not a single building, but a lively estate. The oldest buildings date from the late nineteenth century and the 1920s and 1930s. The site continues to serve people experiencing mental health challenges.
De Kluis Museum is now housed on the estate and tells the remarkable story of the brothers, Huize Padua and the development of mental healthcare in the region.
Practical information
- De Kluis Museum is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
- The estate is freely accessible to visitors.
This text has been translated using AI.