Picture a time long ago. Klarissenkloster Plaque marks a spot of profound history. Here, between 1283 and 1802 stood the Klarissenkloster.
The Klarissen were a mendicant order. They followed Saint Francis of Assisi. Now only an inscription remains. But it speaks volumes about the site’s past.
The Herz-Jesu-Kloster in Düsseldorf was once a Klarissenkloster. It resided in the Pempelfort district. Founded in 1871 it honored the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Klarissen occupied it until 2000.
In 2004, Cistercian nuns from the Danish Sostrup Abbey took over. Scandals led to their dissolution in 2013. Some sisters stayed in Düsseldorf after the split. They formed the Claraval Sisters. Their order’s direction remains unclear.
Franziskaner Paschalis Gratze built the Herz-Jesu-Kloster between 1861 and 1865. It was meant for the Klarissen. In 1871, Klarissen Colettinen moved in. They had settled in Düsseldorf in 1859. These new foundations in Düsseldorf and Münster significantly revived the Klarissen order in Germany. The order had largely disappeared after secularization.
During Prussia’s Kulturkampf, the Düsseldorf Klarissen moved to Harreveld near Winterswijk. This happened between 1875 and 1887. All Roman Catholic orders, except nursing orders, had to leave the country. Franciscans managed their refuge.
From Düsseldorf, Klarissen founded monasteries in Bocholt in 1898. Others were founded in Cologne-Kalk in 1918. And in Bad Neuenahr in 1920. Due to age, the last three sisters moved to Cologne-Kalk in 2000. This ended their 140-year presence in Düsseldorf.
The Cologne monastery closed in February 2013 because of a lack of new members. The remaining sisters relocated to Kevelaer. Joachim Cardinal Meisner arranged for Cistercian nuns from Denmark to take over the vacant monastery in Düsseldorf. Many nuns came from Germany. Four were from the Archdiocese of Cologne. He offered them the empty facility during a visit to Sostrup.
On October 29, 2002, he laid the foundation for the monastery’s renovation and a new guesthouse. The first four nuns arrived in Pempelfort in late 2004. The Sostrup Cistercians established a postulancy and novitiate in the Düsseldorf monastery. It was legally a residence. The branch belonged to the Bohemian Cistercian Congregation of the Purest Heart of Mary. The Holy See dissolved this congregation in 2014.
Currently, 17 nuns of various nationalities live in the Herz-Jesu-Kloster convent in Düsseldorf. They follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. They belong to a community not recognized by the Pope. It mainly consists of followers of the former abbess of Sostrup. She was removed from her position in 2011. After leaving the order, she established her own motherhouse in Spain. Her community has 68 sisters in total. They live contemplative lives in Gandía, Valencia, Pachacútec, Callao in Peru and Düsseldorf. They produce icons, candles, and liturgical vestments.
As of 2023, the Archdiocese of Cologne does not recognize the Düsseldorf monastery as an official religious institution. However, the archdiocese owns the property. They allow the women to live there rent-free. The community reportedly has close ties to the Neocatechumenal Way. Originating from Spain, this movement is well-established in Cologne and Callao. It has support from church officials like Paul Josef Cordes and José Luis del Palacio. The latter is a former NK functionary and bishop of Callao from 2011 to 2020. He involved them in family pastoral care.
The Klarissenkloster plaque stands as a silent witness. It marks centuries of faith and change. Remember the nuns who sought solace. Remember the sisters who found community here.