History
The congregation of the “Fraters van Zwijsen” came to Curacao in 1886 to set up primary education. For this purpose, they built a school in Punda (Willemstad) and named it ‘Albertus College’. Click here to view some pictures from the past.
Monastery St. Albertus
In 1932, close to the Cathedral of Pietermaai and next to the school, the congregation built the Monastery ‘Klooster St. Albertus’ . The “Fraters van Zwijsen” stayed on Curacao until 1987. They left Curacao, to focus on several countries in Africa and Asia to set up educational systems.
Bookshop St. Augustinus
The Monastery was used for many purposes after the congregation had left. In the first 10 years after 1985, a printing company and a book store were located in the building. Since 1995 the building was left empty. Until 2006, the characteristic building which in the meantime had been designated as an official monument) deteriorated rapidly and became uninhabitable.
Restoration
In 2007 , the Monastery was bought by a Foundation, that asked local architect Lyongo Juliana to develop a plan for a full restoration of the building and a transition from a Monastery into a modern, non commercial city hotel.
Funding Curaçao
The restoration was made possible thanks to a considerable grant from the “Monumentenfonds” on Curacao. Under supervision of this funding organisation and in consultation with the architect, it was possible to restore or reconstruct many characteristic details.