The Crosier Monastery or Monastery of the Crutched Friars () is a former monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross in Maastricht, Netherlands. The well-preserved convent buildings house a five-star hotel, the Kruisherenhotel. Having survived more or less in its entirety, it is a rare example in the Netherlands of a Gothic monastery.Ter Apel Monastery, also a Crosier monastery, has preserved three of its four Gothic wings. Other monasteries like Middelburg Abbey and St Agatha's Monastery in Delft are partially Gothic. See also on Dutch Wikipedia. The buildings from the 15th and 16th century constitute three listed buildings (Rijksmonuments). The more or less intact monastery archive is unique in the Netherlands.See 'Metamorfoze' and 'Het archief van de Maastrichtse kruisheren ' on website rhcl.nl

History Foundation The Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Latin: Ordo Sanctae Crucis, OSC) was founded around 1210 in the city of Huy, some 30 km south-west of Liège in present-day Belgium. The initiator was Theodore of Celles, a canon of Liège Cathedral and a former crusader. The order was recognized by the pope in 1248. Initially, the order mainly spread in France and England. Later, Crosier monasteries were founded in the Mosan region and elsewhere in the Low Countries, as in Namur (ca. 1248), Liège (before 1270), Asperen (1314), Cuijk-Sint Agatha (1367), Aachen (1372), Venlo (1399) and Roermond (1422).Janssen (2004), pp. 84, 136, 142, 145Janssen (2006), p. 14

Around 1400 the Crosiers experienced a period of monastic decline. In 1410 the superior general of the order, Libertus van Bommel, made it compulsory for all priors to annually attend the general chapter of the order in Huy. Thereafter, the priors of monasteries north of Maastricht would stay overnight in Maastricht on their way to Huy.Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), pp. 5-6 In 1433 this proved to be problematic when all accommodation was booked because of the heiligdomsvaart, a seven-yearly pilgrimage. A wealthy citizen, Gilles of Elderen, offered the Crosiers a place to stay in some houses that he owned at Kommel. In 1436 Gilles donated five houses with gardens at Kommel, as well as some money, to the superior general of the Crosiers, stipulating that this was to be used for founding a new monastery in Maastricht.The deed of this transaction of 6 September 1436 is kept in the Crosier archive in Maastricht, part of the Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (RHCL). Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 126-127; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), pp. 127, 129-131: regesta nrs. 49, 56 & 60.

The founding of the new monastery could only happen with permission of the bishop of Liège, the dean of St. Servatius' and the parson of St John's, in whose jurisdiction the monastery was. The latter two gave their permission in October 1437.According to the charter of 8 October 1437 the dean Joannes de Novo Lapide and the priest Joannes de Valle gave their permission stipulating that the Crosiers gave six barrels of rye to St John's and two barrels to St. Servatius'. Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 127-128; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 130: regesta nr. 57. John of Heinsberg, bishop of Liège, did so in January 1438, allowing the Crosiers to build a walled monastery, including a church, a bell tower, a dormitorium, gardens and a cemetery.The bishop's charter of 4 January 1438 is also preserved in the RHCL archives. Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 129-131; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 131: regesta nr. 60.

Initially the friars lived in houses donated by Gilles of Elderen. A small chapel was built for celebrating the Liturgy of the Hours.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), p. 18 In 1439 the Fraternity of the Holy Cross was founded.Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 131-134; Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 133: regesta nr. 66 Its goal was to promote the devotion to the Holy Cross, as well as to financially support the new monastic foundation.Van Rensch/Koldeweij/De La Haye/De Kreek (1990), pp. 39-41

The founding of the Crosier Monastery in Maastricht in 1438 was part of a wave of monastic foundations within the Order. The Crosier Monastery in Venlo was for most of these – including the Maastricht monastery – the mother monastery. After Maastricht, more monasteries were founded in the Mosan region: Borgloon-Kerniel (1438), 's-Hertogenbosch (1468) and Maaseik (1474).Janssen (2006), pp. 100, 162 In the case of the latter monastery, the Maastricht Crosiers were the mother monastery.Brasseur (2002), p. 196

Construction history The first stone of the monastery church was laid in 1440. Petrus Toom and Johannes van Haeren were mentioned as architects (or master builders). In 1459 the choir was finished but it was not consecrated until 1470. In 1462 and again in 1480 the clock tower (or perhaps a ridge turret) was destroyed in a storm. It was replaced by a smaller ridge turret. After a prolonged break, construction continued in 1501 under prior Walterus Beckers of Herentals. The nave and aisles were finished in 1509.Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 251

The first section of the new monastery, the east wing, was built in 1480–81. This part housed the sacristy, the chapter hall and a temporary refectory. In 1495 construction of the west wing commenced. The ground floor with the new, permanent refectory was finished in 1500; the upper floor with cells for the friars around 1520. The old refectory became the library, as well as the prior's quarters and a guesthouse. The south wing was finished last by prior Mathias Mijnecom (1517–27) after the old brewery and bakery had been destroyed by fire. Around 1520 the church and monastery had the extent and the appearance that it would keep for the next 500 years.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), pp. 19-25

Monastic life

The Maastricht Crosiers started in 1438 with four friars. In 1468 there were 15; in 1483 this had increased to 23.62 names of Maastricht Crosiers are known in the 15th century, of which 54 had received holy orders. 27 of these had taken their vows in Maastricht. The others came from Crosier monasteries in Aachen, Asperen, Tournai, Falkenhagen (Lügde), Franeker, Goes, Huy, Hohenbusch (Gangelt), Cologne, Kerniel, Liège, Namur, Paris, Schiedam, Sint Agatha (Cuijk), Schwarzenbroich (Düren), Suxy (Chiny), Ter Apel, Toulouse, Yvoy (Carignan, Ardennes) and Venlo. Brasseur (2002), pp. 195-196. In 1500, the Maastricht monastery was among the larger foundations of the order. The fifth prior, Walterus of Herentals (1483-1517), accepted 24 new priests, many of whom came from Maastricht.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), p. 25

The Crutched Friars were friars, living a communal life according to the Rule of St. Augustine. Their first and foremost task was to pray and sing the Liturgy of the Hours. Several of them served as priests in nunneries or third order monasteries in Maastricht, such as the Canonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre (Bonnefantenklooster), the Third Order Grey Sisters (Grauwzustersklooster), the Third Order Sisters of St Andrew (Sint-Andriesklooster) and the Alexians (Cellebroedersklooster), or in parish churches in Maastricht or nearby villages, such as Vlijtingen, Bolbeek and Haccourt.Janssen (2006), p. 88 Other friars worked as copyists and illuminators of manuscripts, or bookbinders, later also as printers. Others worked in hospitality (the monastery offered accommodation to lay people; the elderly could 'buy themselves into the monastery') or nursing (as during the plague epidemics of 1529 and 1579). A further source of income were mass stipends, as well as the sale of burial rights in the church (for which the church was known). Over the centuries the Crosiers got ever wealthier because of the accumulation of property that people left to them.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), pp. 31, 37 Most of this property (or income from real estate) was located in the vicinity of Maastricht, mostly in the border region with Belgium.In the inventory of the Crosier archive about 50 locations are mentioned where the Maastricht Crosiers possessed real estate, or had income from land. The more frequently listed villages are: Bilzen, Bolbeek, Eben-Emael, Gellik, Heer, Herderen, Hoelbeek, Honthem, Kanne, Kesselt, Lanaken, Millen, Mopertingen, Riemst, Val-Meer, Veldwezelt, Vlijtingen, Wolder and Wonck. Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), pp. 23-27.

The Fraternity of the Holy Cross seems to have existed from 1439 until 1579; after that there is no mention of it. Another fraternity was founded around 1510 and lasted till the dissolution of the monastery. It was devoted to the patron saint of the Crosiers, Saint Michael. The fraternities had their own altars in the Crosier church. The Fraternity of Saint Michael possibly ordered a wooden statue of Saint Michael from the famous wood sculptor Jan van Steffeswert in 1512. (2000): 'Jan Bieldesnider niet in hout alleen'. In: (ed.): Op de drempel van een nieuwe tijd. De Maastrichtse beeldsnijder Jan van Steffeswert (exhibition catalogue), p. 49. Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht.

Decline

The monastery was frequently damaged during sieges due to its elevated location near the western city wall. The monastery suffered particularly during the Eighty Years' War. During the Siege of Maastricht (1579) many Crutched Friars died; those that survived perished during the ensuing plague epidemic. For a while the monastery remained uninhabited. In 1581 prior Hubertus of Stavelot sold some of the Crosiers' possessions in order to pay for the repair of the monastery buildings (including the partial renewal of the church's vaults). In 1582 the books that had been shipped to Aachen for safety, returned to Maastricht. After this, the monastery would not reach the same level of prosperity that it had enjoyed before. Where it had previously 25 or more friars, in 1615 it had only 9, and throughout the 17th and 18th century it would never exceed 15.Van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1926/1974), p. 243Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), pp. 39-41

In 1629 a high ransom was paid for prior Martinus Pauli who had been captured by Dutch militia near Liège and was kept prisoner in Emmerich. More wartime hardship came with the Capture of Maastricht by the Dutch in 1632 and the Capture by the French in 1673. After the siege of 1673, Louis XIV of France donated 2100 guilders to the monastery for repairs. After the French left in 1678, the monastery suffered from forced billeting of the Dutch garrison.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), pp. 41-43

Worldly influence entered the monastery in the 18th century. This became apparent with the wearing of wigs and more fashionable clothing (see drawing above).Keyser-Schuurman (1984b), p. 10 The enthusiasm of the Counter-Reformation had dwindled, as was the case in other monasteries in Maastricht. The spiritual influence of the Crosiers on their surroundings was negligible, both in Maastricht and elsewhere. Several monasteries were forced to close for lack of friars. In Maastricht, only ten Crutched Friars took holy orders between 1760 and 1796.Janssen (1996), pp. 18-21, 34, 42, 46

List of priors From 1438 until 1796 around 30 priors were in charge of the Maastricht Crosier foundation.Doppler (1896), pp. 9-11Van Hasselt (1903), pp. 41-49Janssen (2006), pp. 89-99 Initially, the monastery was not allowed to choose its own prior.Brasseur (2002), p. 195 Later, probably from the 16th century onward, priors were chosen by the so-called house chapter, made up of all priests (friars who had taken holy orders) and presided by the magister general from Huy. A sub-prior (coadjutor) and a manager (procurator) were appointed by the prior, after consulting with the house chapter. In some cases a prior would be procurator too.Keyser-Schuurman (1984a), p. 27

Dissolution of the monastery; military use