Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Beguine

Lindau, located near the borders to Austria and Switzerland, was mentioned first time in 882 when a nunnery was founded here. The old town is on an island, which meanwhile is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and a railway dam. The church of St. Stephan was built around 1180, Franciscans founded a monastery here in 1224. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolf I. Lindau became Protestant in 1528. The nunnery remained Catholic while the Franciscan monastery, from which the first Reformation preachers came, was closed. During the Thirty Years' War, Lindau was unsuccessfully besieged by Swedish troops in 1646/47. Between 1445 and 1761, 18 people were indicted in witch trials in Lindau. The last victim of the witch hunt was Maria Madlener, who was executed on August 4, 1730. The construction of the church started around 1000 in the centre of an early fishing settlement hence the Petrus patronage, the saint is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Peter lost its importance after the completion of St. Stephan, the new parish church on the island in 1180. The building was used by a Beguine-like convent, dedicated to the care of the sick. Already within the 16th century the church got profaned and was used as a storage. In the beginning of the 20th century wood and coal was stored here. Since 1928 the former church is a war memorial. The murals were rediscovered in 1849. A first restoraten was undertaken in 1921, when all post-Reformation fixtures and extensions got removed. In the centre of the apse is a younger "Coronation of Mary", seen above is Christ judging. He sends the believers to the left side, where they are awaiting everlasting bliss, while all others are sent to the right side, where they are awaited by devils, who look like hares (just like in Conque and Koenigslutter). They are pushed into the hell´s mouth and will go to everlasting condemnation.

Lindau, located near the borders to Austria and Switzerland, was mentioned first time in 882 when a nunnery was founded here. The old town is on an island, which meanwhile is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and a railway dam. The church of St. Stephan was built around 1180, Franciscans founded a monastery here in 1224. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolf I. Lindau became Protestant in 1528. The nunnery remained Catholic while the Franciscan monastery, from which the first Reformation preachers came, was closed. During the Thirty Years' War, Lindau was unsuccessfully besieged by Swedish troops in 1646/47. Between 1445 and 1761, 18 people were indicted in witch trials in Lindau. The last victim of the witch hunt was Maria Madlener, who was executed on August 4, 1730. The construction of the church started around 1000 in the centre of an early fishing settlement hence the Petrus patronage, the saint is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Peter lost its importance after the completion of St. Stephan, the new parish church on the island in 1180. The building was used by a Beguine-like convent, dedicated to the care of the sick. Already within the 16th century the church got profaned and was used as a storage. In the beginning of the 20th century wood and coal was stored here. Since 1928 the former church is a war memorial. The murals were rediscovered in 1849. A first restoraten was undertaken in 1921, when all post-Reformation fixtures and extensions got removed. The representation of St. Christopher probably dates from the early 14th century. It is only preserved in fragments.

Lindau, located near the borders to Austria and Switzerland, was mentioned first time in 882 when a nunnery was founded here. The old town is on an island, which meanwhile is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and a railway dam. The church of St. Stephan was built around 1180, Franciscans founded a monastery here in 1224. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolf I. Lindau became Protestant in 1528. The nunnery remained Catholic while the Franciscan monastery, from which the first Reformation preachers came, was closed. During the Thirty Years' War, Lindau was unsuccessfully besieged by Swedish troops in 1646/47. Between 1445 and 1761, 18 people were indicted in witch trials in Lindau. The last victim of the witch hunt was Maria Madlener, who was executed on August 4, 1730. The construction of the church started around 1000 in the centre of an early fishing settlement hence the Petrus patronage, the saint is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Peter lost its importance after the completion of St. Stephan, the new parish church on the island in 1180. The building was used by a Beguine-like convent, dedicated to the care of the sick. Already within the 16th century the church got profaned and was used as a storage. In the beginning of the 20th century wood and coal was stored here. Since 1928 the former church is a war memorial. The murals were rediscovered in 1849. A first restoraten was undertaken in 1921, when all post-Reformation fixtures and extensions got removed. Some scholars attribute the Late Gothic "Lindau Passion" to Hans Holbein the Elder, but that is disputed.

Lindau, located near the borders to Austria and Switzerland, was mentioned first time in 882 when a nunnery was founded here. The old town is on an island, which meanwhile is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and a railway dam. The church of St. Stephan was built around 1180, Franciscans founded a monastery here in 1224. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolf I. Lindau became Protestant in 1528. The nunnery remained Catholic while the Franciscan monastery, from which the first Reformation preachers came, was closed. During the Thirty Years' War, Lindau was unsuccessfully besieged by Swedish troops in 1646/47. Between 1445 and 1761, 18 people were indicted in witch trials in Lindau. The last victim of the witch hunt was Maria Madlener, who was executed on August 4, 1730. The construction of the church started around 1000 in the centre of an early fishing settlement hence the Petrus patronage, the saint is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Peter lost its importance after the completion of St. Stephan, the new parish church on the island in 1180. The building was used by a Beguine-like convent, dedicated to the care of the sick. Already within the 16th century the church got profaned and was used as a storage. In the beginning of the 20th century wood and coal was stored here. Since 1928 the former church is a war memorial. The murals were rediscovered in 1849. A first restoraten was undertaken in 1921, when all post-Reformation fixtures and extensions got removed. Seen on the left wall is the "Lindau Passion". The passion of Christ and the story of Peter are artistically processed on an area four meters high and seven meters wide. It is dated to the 15th century.

Lindau, located near the borders to Austria and Switzerland, was mentioned first time in 882 when a nunnery was founded here. The old town is on an island, which meanwhile is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and a railway dam. The church of St. Stephan was built around 1180, Franciscans founded a monastery here in 1224. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolf I. Lindau became Protestant in 1528. The nunnery remained Catholic while the Franciscan monastery, from which the first Reformation preachers came, was closed. During the Thirty Years' War, Lindau was unsuccessfully besieged by Swedish troops in 1646/47. Between 1445 and 1761, 18 people were indicted in witch trials in Lindau. The last victim of the witch hunt was Maria Madlener, who was executed on August 4, 1730. The construction of the church started around 1000 in the centre of an early fishing settlement hence the Petrus patronage, the saint is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Peter lost its importance after the completion of St. Stephan, the new parish church on the island in 1180. The building was used by a Beguine-like convent, dedicated to the care of the sick. Already within the 16th century the church got profaned and was used as a storage. In the beginning of the 20th century wood and coal was stored here. Since 1928 the former church is a war memorial. The murals were rediscovered in 1849. A first restoraten was undertaken in 1921, when all post-Reformation fixtures and extensions got removed.

Lindau, located near the borders to Austria and Switzerland, was mentioned first time in 882 when a nunnery was founded here. The old town is on an island, which meanwhile is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and a railway dam. The church of St. Stephan was built around 1180, Franciscans founded a monastery here in 1224. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under King Rudolf I. Lindau became Protestant in 1528. The nunnery remained Catholic while the Franciscan monastery, from which the first Reformation preachers came, was closed. During the Thirty Years' War, Lindau was unsuccessfully besieged by Swedish troops in 1646/47. Between 1445 and 1761, 18 people were indicted in witch trials in Lindau. The last victim of the witch hunt was Maria Madlener, who was executed on August 4, 1730. The construction of the church started around 1000 in the centre of an early fishing settlement hence the Petrus patronage, the saint is the patron saint of fishermen. St. Peter lost its importance after the completion of St. Stephan, the new parish church on the island in 1180. The building was used by a Beguine-like convent, dedicated to the care of the sick. Already within the 16th century the church got profaned and was used as a storage. In the beginning of the 20th century wood and coal was stored here. Since 1928 the former church is a war memorial.

Bruges already had its city charter in 1128 and was a very important member of the Hanseatic League. It was the prospering center of the Flemish cloth industry. Between 1200 and 1500 Bruges had a kind of "Golden Era". Bruges was a leading European business community. In 1244 the béguinage 'de Wingarde' (= vineyard), was founded just south of the city by Margaret of Constantinople (aka "Margret the Black"), Countess of Flanders and daughter of Balduin I, the first emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople. Beguines lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take religious vows. They promised not to marry "as long as they lived as Beguines" but were free to leave at any time. They were part of a spiritual movement of the 13th century that stressed imitation of Christ's life through voluntary poverty, care of the poor and sick, and religious devotion. The béguinage includes a gothic church and about thirty small brick houses dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th century. Practically all of these are built around a central yard. No Beguines live here any more, but since 1927 a priory of Benedictine nuns revitalizes the monastic life. In 1998 this site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list together with 12 other Flemish béguinages.