Bonnefanten convent In 1627, the Sisters of the Holy Sepulchre initiated the building of the Bonnefanten convent. These sisters were known as les dames des bons enfants, because they were highly motivated to educate and teach children to become nice, well-behaving kids. In 1686, after various fires, the convent and church had to undergo a major restoration. The façade of the church with four Ionic pilasters was rendered in a Classicist style. The door head comes with a chronogram: ‘erit sepulchro domini glora’ – honor be due to the Lord’s resting place. The triangular fronton in the upper part of the façade contains a representation of Christ’s resurrection. These details suggest that the building’s exterior has suffered much less from the ravages of time than its interior. The Bonnefanten convent has had a long and turbulent history indeed. In 1798, during the French era, the sisters were forced to leave the convent. For some time the convent served as storage place and as of 1816 as a barracks, by far the largest in the garrison town of Maastricht. After the military had moved to the nearby Tapijnkazerne, the building served as space for meetings of the Catholic Military Association and the Royal Brass Band. In the 1920s, the city turned the convent building into a ‘poor folks storehouse’, an infamous housing project which by 1930 was formally declared uninhabitable. Following the Second World War, local officials decided to develop the dilapidated building into the Bonnefanten Museum, which in 1979 moved to the Helmstraat (while holding on to its name). Next, Maastricht University took over the building in 1987. Initially the former convent housed the University library, whose collections grew so rapidly that it had to move again to Grote Looiersstraat. As of 2004 the building is used as Student Services Centre and various other student-related activities. The most recent renovation sought to preserve the recognizability of the spatial structure of the former convent, its inner courtyard and chapel featuring as basic elements.