Abdij van Park (The Norbertine Park Abbey)

Around 1100 the south-eastern border of Leuven was mainly woodland. This is where the Duke of Brabant, who had chosen Leuven as his residence, had his hunting ground.

In 1129 Duke Geoffrey the Bearded bestowed this hunting ground onto the Premonstratiensens of Laon, in the North of France. This new institution rapidly became successful and in the Middle Ages became an important spiritual centre.

One year later it detached itself from the mother abbey in France. Simon of Saint-Maurice (+ 1142) was the first abbot of the conventus Sanctae Mariae de Parco, a clear reference to the original hunting ground.

Following the tides and seasons Park Abbey developed into a successful religious house that would survive the perils of the following nine hundred years including the religious wars, the French Revolution and two world wars.

Today Park Abbey is a unique patrimonial estate with a green domain of 42 ha. It is an exceptional historic residual area on the Leuven border. The term "residual area" is appropriate as under the Ancien Régime the abbey property extended over 3,500 ha. The area was the life line of the Premonstratensians of Park-Heverlee. With the income they financed the construction and maintenance of the monastery buildings, acted as Maecenas and more importantly helped the poor. The tithes allowed them to build churches and rectories, the basis of one of the main Norbertine tasks: pastoral and parish care. In the 19th and 20th century missionary work in Latin America was included in these tasks.

Towards the middle of the 17th century the abbey achieved both economic and spiritual success. Its landownership extended over 130 villages in Brabant and beyond. The abbot of Park appointed one of his canons as parish priest in 15 parishes, mainly in the Hageland, the region between Leuven and Aarschot.

The present appearance of the abbey mainly dates back to the 17th and 18th century, but the ground plan of the site with the buildings patterns and the man-made landscape with the ponds are mediaeval. The tithe barn and carriage house were built in 1663 - 1664, under the authority of Abbot Libert de Pape. The last important construction campaign occurred under Abbot Hieronymus de Waerseggere (1719 - 1730). He gave the abbot's quarters its present appearance, altered most gates and the church and raised the church tower (1730). After this the construction activities came to a final standstill.

The soundness of the construction makes Park Abbey one of the best preserved abbey sites in Belgium and The Netherlands. The typical parts of the Ancien Régime abbey have been extraordinarily well preserved: the monastery building and church built on an elevation, the separate provisor's (administrator's) office, the economic section of the farm, the water mill and the gardens at the foot of the slope and finally a belt of gates and walls as an enclosure.

Today a small number of Premonstratiensens carry on the tradition of community life and pastoral work. The splendid abbey with its oasis of ponds, meadows, alleys, orchards, gardens and woodland, the undamaged monastery interior, the monastery library that was extensively rebuilt after 1836 (over 6,000 old prints), the well-maintained old archives (1129 - 2005), the extraordinary art collection, the beautiful stucco ceilings … all of these represent a particularly valuable cultural heritage.

Preserving this patrimony is a colossal task that the Premonstratiensens are unable to assume on their own. This is why the ParkAbbey non-profit association gave large sections of the domain to the city of Leuven in leasehold: the fowl yard, the gates, the water mill, the grounds and four ponds. The church and themonastery continue to be managed by the Premonstratiensens.In the long term the Museum for Religious Art and Culture -Flanders Park Abbey Museum will be housed in large sections of the monastery building. The carriage house has been given in leasehold to the relief organisation Church in Need / Eastpriest aid that is affiliated to the Premonstratiensens.

The survival of the unique Park Abbey group of buildings requires time, consultation and funds. Safeguarding, restoration and revaluation are the main concepts behind this ambitious project. The support for this is generated by the various partners: the Premonstratiensens, the city of Leuven, the Centre for Religious Art and Culture non-profit association, the Friends of Park Abbey non-profit association, the province Flemish-Brabant, the Catholic University of Leuven, the Flemish Community … According to a cautious prognosis around 2012 the abbey and its domain will regain its radiant 17th century appearance adapted to the needs of the 21st century.

The opening up of the domain and the utilities will be adapted and the buildings will be restored. Most of the historic buildings will be given a suitable new purpose: as museum, reception point, exhibition area, catering facility customised to the site.

The city of Leuven will include the scenic and ecologically valuable surroundings of the abbey buildings in the restoration of the domain. The starting point for this is the realisation of a 'green lung' and an area for gentle recreation that respect the natural and environmental values. The ponds will be managed as a wildlife area. To the north of the abbey, in the triangular zone between the railways, a wide green buffer will be provided with a park wood, meadows and playing fields. Additional footpaths will guarantee optimal accessibility.