(Planning a pilgrimage to Echt? A great resource for your travels and research is the St. Edith Stein Society in Echt, the Netherlands – you can read about the organization here.)
Stein spent the last few years of her life behind convent walls in Echt, a small town located just across the German border in the Netherlands. Today, the town remembers Stein in plaques, monuments, and even stained glass.
After driving from Cologne to Echt (with short stops at the Kardinal Schulte Haus in Bergisch Gladbach and at a Haribo outlet), I started my tour at Saint Landricus Church (Vrijthof 2 A), which hosts the most monumental memorials of Stein in the city, including a bust, stained glass windows, and an entire side chapel with relics.
I next headed to the Holy Family Carmelite Monastery (Bovenstestraat 48) which memorializes Stein with a plaque. A plaque remembering the sister’s arrest is located at the nearby Peyerstraat 16 and the sister’s names are inscribed on a war monument outside of the city hall (Nieuwe Markt 55).
Finally, I returned back to my parking spot near Saint Landricus Church and took a peek inside the Edith Stein meeting center (Berkelaarsweg 27).
Europe with Edith 