At the center of Geel, a charming Belgian town less than an hour's drive from of Antwerp, is a church dedicated to Dymphna, a saint believed to have the power to cure mental disorders. It's a medieval ...
The remarkable story of Geel, the Belgian town that for more than 700 years has welcomed people with mental disabilities and illnesses into their homes as “boarders,” is the focus of an article in the ...
It has been an important place of pilgrimage for healing mental illness for centuries, and it was one of the earliest models of psychiatric care that allowed patients to live among the community. We ...
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...
In the Belgian town of Geel, families have long taken in people with psychiatric conditions. Could this approach work elsewhere? Ann Peetermans and Iosif, who lives with her as a boarder, feeding a ...
On the surface, Geel looks like any other country town in northern Belgium. Its cobbled marketplace is surrounded by 15th century homes and shops; its neat brick farmhouses look much the same as they ...
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Dis (left) and Luc ...
After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, Belgium’s premier reggae festival is getting ready for its 2022 staging set for August 5 and 6. Reggae Geel, now in its 42nd year, is held in the city of ...
Ann Peetermans, (47, top left) has dinner with the three boarders, Iosif (53, top right), Etty (71, bottom left) and Luc (75, bottom right). Photograph: Ilvy ...