Ursulinenkloster Monschau

In the early 18th century, the establishment of Ursuline nuns in Monschau was approved to ensure the Catholic education of girls. The first sisters arrived from Düren in 1710 and initially began teaching in temporary accommodation and the municipal elementary school. Between 1715 and 1718, the convent complex was built on Laufenstraße, above the Laufenbach. The south wing housed the higher secondary school for girls and the boarding school, while the north wing contained the convent chapel, initially dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and later to Saint Augustine of Hippo. Due to its educational mission, the convent was spared from secularization during the French occupation. In the 1820s, structural problems led to teaching disruptions and the threat of closure. Following the appointment of a new superior and additional sisters, and the provision of extra rooms, the Catholic Elementary Girls' School was reopened in 1828, and the private higher educational institution resumed its operations. In 1833, the Ursulines acquired an adjacent house for more classrooms, but they left Monschau as early as 1838, moving to Ahrweiler. After a vacancy and a brief interlude by the Congrégation de notre-dame from Essen, the Ursulines from Ahrweiler took over the complex again as a branch of the motherhouse in 1857.

The former convent is situated in the town of Monschau, a historic town in the Aachen city region, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The exact address is Laufenstraße 42–46.

The main wing of the former convent has undergone extensive renovation and gutting. Today, it serves as a commercial and residential building and houses the Sparkassenmuseum Monschau.

• Haller Castle Ruin (ruin, approx. 111 m away)
• Monschau Castle (castle, approx. 383 m away)
• Reichenstein Monastery (sacred building, approx. 3379 m away)
• Dreiborn Castle (castle, approx. 12619 m away)