How the French boarding school led to Sunday shopping in Sluis...
In 1907, the Brothers of the Christian Schools in France were no longer allowed to operate due to secularisation policies. The Brothers from Saint-Omer looked for another location and ended up in the fortress town of Sluis. There, a very large, impressive complex was built on the south side of Sluis: the Pensionnat Saint-Joseph. Around 550 pupils aged 9 to 19 were housed here.
Sunday opening
The wealthy parents of these French children regularly came to visit during their free weekends. They were looking for entertainment, and that is how the shops and restaurants in Sluis came to open their doors on Sundays. To this day, the hospitality industry and shopkeepers in Sluis are open every Sunday. You can go there 7 days out of 7, so also on public holidays. Only twice a year do the Sluis entrepreneurs close their doors, namely on Christmas Day and 1 January.
What happened to the French boarding school?
In 1939, the fathers left Sluis and the occupying forces used the buildings from 1940 to 1944. In 1951, the buildings were sold to a Rotterdam company and a number of small businesses were established there, such as a furniture factory, a grain trade and a brush factory. In 1991, the large complex was demolished. Only one small part remains, which is currently in use as a residence.
