The influence of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Ten Duinen (Our Lady at Ten Duinen) Abbey in Koksijde stretched quite far in the Middle Ages. Regardless of which topic you examine from mediaeval history, sooner or later you will come into contact with the powerful Abbey community.

It is assumed that Ten Duinen Abbey and other abbeys exercised a decisive influence on the development of the landscape in their field of action. Is this sufficient to be able to speak about a monastic landscape with typical characteristics? Are monastic landscapes a myth or a reality?

We have a series of archaeological and historical sources for the former Ten Duinen Abbey. We would like to subject these sources and former research results to further interdisciplinary research in the coming years.The Abbey Museum is concentrating here on the following topics: 

» » the role and influence of the Ten Duinen Abbey in Flanders and Zeeland 

» » the Abbey’s creation of an estate and the ensuing relationships and conflicts

» » the management and use of the estate by the Ten Duinen Abbey community. 

The lectures from the 5th international Colloquium provide methods and comparisons for research into interaction between landscapes, religiousinstitutions, plus the derived relationships and conflicts between the 12th and 18th century in north Western Europe.