Slingelaan 28, Aalten
The Hogere Burgerschool (HBS) on Slingelaan in Aalten was opened in 1959. The school replaced the temporary accommodation on Haartsestraat and, from then on, provided a permanent home for Christian secondary education within the municipality.
De HBS in Aalten bestond sinds 1955, toen de eerste leerlingen hun intrek namen in het gebouw van de voormalige Huishoudschool aan de Haartsestraat. Voor die tijd waren christelijke HBS-leerlingen aangewezen op Arnhem of Zutphen.
Construction on Slingelaan
De bouwkosten van de nieuwe school bedroegen circa ƒ 1.500.000. Een bijzonderheid was destijds dat de school op ruim 400 betonnen palen kwam te staan. De bodem van het terrein was nogal drassig omdat de Slingebeek er had gestroomd.
Architecture and Design
The building was designed in the so-called ‘shake-hands’ style: a business-like, sober architectural style in which modern materials such as concrete, natural stone, and glass were combined with traditional yellow brick.
De architecten waren Hendrik Geels (1903–1978) uit Arnhem en Willem Hebly (1908–1996) uit Aalten. Hebly had eerder in Aalten de Technische School aan de Ludgerstraat en de Landbouwschool aan de Lijsterbeslaan ontworpen.
The design comprised a three-storey central section, two wings of two storeys positioned almost at right angles, and a hexagonal canteen built partially below ground level. The entire complex was erected on a spacious plot, with bicycle sheds situated along the boundary.
Inside, extensive use was made of fair-faced brickwork, and many floors are made of slate. The concrete skeleton is partially visible and painted. The classrooms feature steel pivot windows in wooden frames. Glass display cases are positioned between the classrooms and the corridors. Artworks in mosaic and relief were also added, including work by the art teacher Harry Dercksen.
Expansions followed in 1971–1972, 1995–1996, and 2001–2002, each carried out with respect for the original design.
Mergers and Educational Reform
In 1967 fuseerde de HBS met de MULO tot de Christelijke Scholengemeenschap Aalten (CSA). Een jaar later, in 1968, trad de Mammoetwet in werking. Daarmee verdween de term HBS en werd deze vervangen door HAVO en VWO.
In 1993 fuseerde de CSA met de andere middelbare scholen in Aalten – de Christelijke Scholengemeenschap Langenhave en de Technische School – tot het Christelijk College Schaersvoorde.
Monumental Status
School buildings from the post-war reconstruction period in the ‘shake-hands’ style are becoming increasingly rare. The building on Slingelaan is remarkable because it has remained highly authentic; subsequent renovations have hardly affected the original design. Furthermore, the building has always retained its educational function.
In 2025, the Gelders Genootschap advised that the school building be designated as a municipal monument. On 18 September 2025, the Environmental Quality Committee of the Municipality of Aalten also issued a positive recommendation. It is now up to the municipal council to make a final decision.
Archives
Address directory 1967
Slingelaan 28
Chr. H.B.S.
Features
| Cadastral no. | K-367 |
| Function | Secondary school |
| Year of construction | 1959 |
| Architect | H. Geels / W. Hebly |
| Listed | no |
