Korte historiek van de abdij Roosenberg (*)
Roosenberg I

In 1237 Bishop Walter de Marvis sends a few sisters from Tournai (Doornik) to Waasmunster in order to set up a community of Victorinnen or Reguliere Kanunnikessen van Sint-Victor according to the rule of St Augustine

They settle down close to the river Durme and already in 1258 pope Alexander IV officially recognizes the foundation which, despite several difficulties, persists until the French Revolution. This event results in a brutal end for the settlement. All is confiscated and the siters are expelled.
However the abbess Anna Maria de Crombrugge succeeds in escaping and bringing several valuable documents into safety. This will eventually lead to the continuation of the abbey of Roosenberg.

Roosenberg II
Indeed in 1830 Johanna Van Doorslaer van ten Rijen puts her own financial resources at disposal of the community and with the help of a number of remaining nuns she succeeds in restoring the abbey.

Very quickly new novices join the community and the abbey (Roosenberg II) flourishes till 1970.

Due to the lack of vocations upon that moment the community of the abbey has to merge with the Congregation of the "Mariazusters van Franciscus".

And in 1975 a brand-new building is ready and is called Roosenberg III.
This still existing abbey is designed by Dom Hans van der Laan, a Dutch Benedictine monk from Vaals. 		Roosenberg III

(*) - Een uitgebreide inleiding over het ontstaan en de ontwikkeling van de abdij Roosenberg, van de hand van de heer Honoré Rottier, is te vinden op de CD van de "slaper".
- Voor deze tekst zie Abdij Roosenberg en haar "slaper".
- Deze CD met volledige facsimile weergave van "de Slaper", is te bekomen in de abdij en ook bij de uitgever nl. VVF-Land van Waas (externe link).

- Van Maur. De Meulemeester C.ss.R. verscheen in 1922 "De Abdij van Roosenberg te Waasmunster", Sint-Niklaas, Oudheidkundige Kring van het Land van Waas, 346 blz.
- Van ditzelfde werk verscheen een volksuitgave (192 blz.) in 1930 te Westmalle.

- In augustus 2008 is verschenen "Roosenbergabdij - Waasmunster", historisch-spirituele beschouwingen door rector Henri Raemdonck, Uitgeverij Halewijn, Antwerpen 2008.
Verdere toelichting hiervan vindt u hier.

See also: Architecture of the abbey.
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