The 'Sieckenhuis', a disappeared plague house

Here on the corner of the beguinage, there were plague houses. Unfortunately, they were the last witnesses to be demolished in the 1970s, although it is said that the house on the corner with Kraaienneststraat can still be considered a suspected plague house.

In 1470, the city of Diest purchased a site behind the monastery of the grey sisters, against the Warande and the beguinage. The intention was to protect the hospice from the plague sufferers and to bring the sick together on the outskirts of the city. The hospital had its own cemetery. It was briefly served by the black sisters from 1509 to 1526. In case of plague, the sisters did not leave the house. They depended on the Holy Spirit table for supplies. During the epidemics, they were given an extra supply of firewood to do the cooking laundry. Food and drinks were put on the doorstep by the city council. During the epidemic of 1523, bread, meat and beer were regularly brought to the hospital. The grey sisters took over the activities in 1526. In 1553, even the controls by the city were abolished. That the plague did not take anyone into account is evident when we know that at that time during an epidemic no fewer than 36 sisters and some novices died in the monastery. Only 2 sisters would survive. That was also the reason why, on the initiative of the pastor of the beguinage, van Essche, twelve beguines made the 'switch' to the grey sisters.

In 1626 the plague house was reorganized so that the cellebroeders took care of the male patients in one part of the house and cellezusters for the women in another part. Only the well on the separation from the garden was communal.

There would have been epidemics in the 17th century in the years 1629, 1676, 1693, 1702 in which respectively 6.6%, 8.3%, 9.1% and 7.3% of the population of Diest would have died within four months. But there are huge differences in the numbers. And it doesn't seem certain that the epidemics all had to do with the plague. Since the end of the 17th century, dysentery has been a major cause of epidemics. The fact is that after the Black Death at the end of the 14th century, which decimated the European population, the plague became endemic and often broke out locally.

And what happened in the rest of the city?
Not everyone ended up in the hospital. Some citizens stayed at home, but they became very isolated. A sign was placed on the house – a bushel of straw, a cross, a letter P – so that the community was aware that there was plague in this house. Food and drinks were placed in front of the door or indicated through the window with a long stick. Only cellebrothers or sisters came to care for the sick or accompany them in dying. Corpses were usually taken away and buried at night. In 1439 it was decreed that when someone died of the plague, one had to prevent others from becoming infected. Therefore, among other things, the bed, clothes or any object in the death chamber of the deceased could not be offered for sale for twelve weeks under penalty of 6 Rijnsgulden. The plague sufferer's house also had to remain closed for twelve weeks.

In order to coordinate the care in a city in case of epidemics, a plague master was appointed. In Diest, this was usually a surgeon. Surgeons received a salary or gagie from both the Holy Spirit Table and the city. The city provided clothing, i.e. a tabbaert every two years, which was the same as that of other city servants. He was a bully for at least one to six years.

He had to visit and care for both poor and well-to-do plague sufferers. Poor people who had been recognized by the Holy Spirit table were to be cared for free of charge. In the first place, this consisted of bloodletting. Money was made available to him for the necessary equipment. After the incision of the plague bumps or after the bloodletting, the surgeon was provided with a house other than his own. For example, in Diest it was in one of the towers of the city fortress. He was only allowed to leave the tower for the care of the sick. Conversely, he was only allowed to receive visitors to care for plague sufferers. During this mandatory period, he was exempt from taxes on beer, wine or quartering of soldiers. Instruments used for the plague sick were discarded after use and the city provided new ones.

Jan Rymenams