In 1995, a large crowd gathered around the former Landbouw site in Aalten. The 35-metre concrete silo was due to disappear. Dynamite was used in an attempt to bring the structure down, but the silo did not give way immediately.
A landmark of the Landbouw
The silo formed part of the complex of the Co-operative Agricultural Association, founded in Aalten in 1898. Around 1964, the old manager’s house on Landbouwstraat was demolished to make way for the concrete silo. At about 35 metres high, it became a prominent feature of the area around the railway station.
The agricultural co-operative changed during the twentieth century through mergers and increasing scale. Eventually the Aalten complex lost its original function.
Dynamite
The demolition phase began in 1995. Because houses stood nearby, the explosive charge had to be calculated carefully. The event attracted considerable attention: it was not every day that such a large concrete structure was brought down with explosives in Aalten.
The first attempt did not go entirely to plan. Part of the complex remained standing and had to be demolished further with machinery.
The end of an era
With the disappearance of the silo, one of the last major landmarks of the Landbouw vanished from Aalten’s streetscape. The Stationsplein site of Christelijk College Schaersvoorde was later built on the grounds.
The longer history of the organisation can be found on the Co-operative Agricultural Association profile.
Sources
- Old Aalten, Co-operative Agricultural Association
- Old Aalten, Landbouwstraat 1
- Film footage of the demolition of the Landbouw silo, 1995