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Monastery deaths – the Capuchins leave Olten after 400 years – News

30 January 2023

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There has been a Capuchin monastery in the town of Olten since 1646. The brothers are now giving up the location – due to obsolescence.

The monastery is in a prime location, in the middle of the city of Olten and near the train station. The Capuchin monastery was founded in 1646, and the brothers are now moving away at Easter 2024. Only eight older members still live in the monastery today, it is no longer needed.

Legend:

The monastery of Olten has always been well maintained by the canton as the owner, the monks emphasize in their communication.

SRF

For more than 100 years, the Olten Monastery has been the missionary procuracy of the Swiss Capuchins – the base of the order for their missionaries all over the world. In Africa, Asia or South America there are enough young Capuchin communities nowadays. The small community of Swiss Capuchins, on the other hand, no longer needs it as missionaries, according to the order’s statement.

Youngest member is 78

The average age of the eight brothers is 84 years, explains brother Josef Bründler. He is head of the monastery in Olten – the Guardian. The youngest member is 78 and there are no offspring. It is not yet clear where the Olten brothers are moving to. In addition to Olten, there are five other Capuchin monasteries in Switzerland. However, when he entered the order in 1966, there were 800 Swiss Capuchin brothers. Today there are still 90, according to Brother Josef.

Man in a brown robe.

The decision to give up the monastery in Olten was not made hastily. Aging has been an issue for a long time. “All other monasteries are better off than Olten in terms of personnel.” The Capuchin monastery in Brig was closed five years ago due to a lack of young people.

The name of the Capuchin order derives from the hood of the brown order’s habit. The order originated in Italy in the 16th century. In Switzerland, the first Capuchin monastery was founded in Bigorio (TI) in 1535. In 1581, Altdorf (UR) was the first monastery of the order north of the Alps.

The order reached its highest number of members in Switzerland in 1962. At that time, the Capuchins numbered 820 people.

The monks were active as preachers, in nursing or as teachers. They founded their own schools and high schools. Swiss Capuchins were also active as missionaries from the 18th century.

Today the community consists of less than 100 members. She is breaking new ground in Lucerne, for example, with the offers “living close to the monastery” or a spiritual center. In Rapperswil, the «Kloster zum Mitleben» offers stays from a few days to several months.

Sources: Historical Encyclopedia of Switzerland / kapuziner.ch

Olten has always been a pastoral monastery, Brother Josef continues. The contact to the population and the city is still close. For example, the monastery garden is always open. After Easter 2024, the brothers are now moving away. The monastery is then cleared and goes back to the canton of Solothurn.

What next for the monastery?

The canton owns the Capuchin monastery in Olten. When the brothers moved away, he soon owned another, empty monastery. The Capuchin monastery in the city of Solothurn has been empty since 2003.

monastery building

Several projects to use it have failed so far. The latest idea: the canton is examining whether the central library and part of the state archives should be relocated to the old walls. It is already clear that remodeling the monastery would cost several million francs.

There are still no plans as to how the Olten Monastery could be used further. It was only a few days ago that the Capuchins were to be informed of their planned departure, according to the Solothurn Building Department. The situation in Olten now has to be analyzed first.