According to tradition, the Sisters Harlindis and Relindis founded the Benedictine monastery Eike (or monastery of Aldeneik) around 730 on the domain of their father Adelard, near the Maas and not far from the abbey of Susteren, founded a few years earlier.
The Normans destroyed the women's monastery in the 9th century. The church was rebuilt in the third quarter of the 9th century. To prevent the abbey's goods from falling to local nobles, Emperor Otto I donated the domain to the Principality of Liège. The prince-bishop founded a chapter of secular canons there around the middle of the 10th century. The still partly existing Romanesque church was built in the second half of the 12th century as a collegiate church. A smaller parish church was built next to it, intended for the common people.
The Chapter of Our Lady was moved to Maaseik at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War by order of the Prince-Bishop of Liège. In 1571 the canons marched in solemn procession, taking the relics with them, to the St. Catherine's Church in Maaseik, which became the new collegiate church. The old collegiate church of Aldeneik was reduced in size and turned into a parish church. The old parish church of Aldeneik was demolished as well as the cloister and other chapter buildings.
The oldest, largely original part of the former collegiate church is the nave from the 12th century. The polygonal gothic choir dates from the 13th or 14th century. The aisles were probably rebuilt around 1850 by the Maaseiker architect Adolph Leemans, after they had been demolished in the course of the 16th or 17th century, probably because the church had grown too large due to its change of function. The westwork and the tower were also thoroughly restored in the 19th century, making it almost impossible to determine what they looked like before.
In 2010 another major restoration was completed, in which the church furniture was also renewed.
The Sint-Annakerk, also called Munsterkerk, is a partly Romanesque, partly Gothic church in Aldeneik, Belgium, near Maaseik. Originally built as a monastery church, later collegiate church dedicated to Our Lady, the church was used as a parish church from the 16th century, dedicated to Our Lady and Saint Peter. From the 18th century, the church took on the patronage of Saint Anne, Mary's mother.
Translated by Google •
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