Unfortunately, most of the information boards in the beguinage are just in Flemish so I could’nt understand so much. But what I understood is for example the following:
The first beguines lived around 1225 in Bruges. Characteristics of the beguinage were: community of women, solidarity and care, entrepreneurial activity in textile craft, economic independence, religion and spirituality and – as already mentioned – silence. Moreover, every beguine had her own little house. The community had a “grootjuffrouw” – she was the “head” of the beguines.
There was also to read that the beguines, their way of life and their own jurisdiction were viewed with suspicion by authorities because they exuded big independence. Therefore, they fall under the control of the religious and wordly authorities. Nevertheless, we can speak of an emancipatory movement.
In the guided tour I learned that no man was allowed to come into the beguinage so that the women are protected. Furthermore, there is a boundary stone between the beguinage and the city for delimitation. An important point is that beguines weren’t nuns – they were religious persons but organized outside the church institution.