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Avondvrede Rest Home

Hogestraat 84, Aalten

Avondvrede Rest Home on Hogestraat was opened in 1885 as the ‘Home for Elderly Men and Women’ of the Reformed Church in Aalten. Over time, the building served various functions: a nursing home, a temporary hospital, and later a group home. Today, the premises are used as a residential location by care provider Estinea.

The home was opened in October 1885 and was partly set up as a farm. Residents who were able to do so worked on the accompanying lands to provide for their own maintenance. Until 1904, the Reformed Church also managed a Guesthouse / Poorhouse on the former Gasthuisstraat (now Haartsestraat). In that year, its residents moved to the rest home on Hogestraat.

Hospital

In 1904, the Dutch Reformed Association for Nursing was founded. A few years later, this association took the initiative to establish a hospital within the rest home. The hospital was opened in the course of 1909. It was intended for patients with non-contagious diseases, particularly acute conditions. Nursing costs ranged from f 0.80 to f 1.50 per day.

In the first year, twelve patients were admitted, four of whom passed away, totaling 166 nursing days. In 1910, there were eight patients with 222 nursing days, and in 1911, seven patients with 343 nursing days. The number of patients decreased in the following years, and the number of nursing days became significantly lower. In 1912, there were only 59 nursing days. The year 1915 still counted 134 nursing days, and 1916 only 35 with two patients. Data from the period thereafter is missing.

In the early 1930s, plans were again made to house a hospital in the rest home, but the crisis years made further implementation difficult. During World War II, the building functioned as an emergency hospital for a period of time.

From Avondvrede to ’t Hoge Veld

In 1935, the building was renovated and modernized and given the name ‘Avondvrede’. In 1967, the Reformed churches of Aalten, Bredevoort, and Lichtenvoorde jointly established the Reformed Foundation for Elderly Centers Aalten, later renamed the ’t Hoge Veld Elderly Center Foundation. The last residents of Avondvrede moved to the newly built ‘t Hoge Veld elderly center in Aalten in 1970.

Cederhof

After the departure of the elderly residents, the building was given a new purpose. On November 2, 1970, it was officially opened as a group home under the name Cederhof, the first residential facility in Aalten for people with intellectual disabilities. The building is currently used as a residential location by care provider Estinea.