News and stories from days gone by, with a nod to our familiar local paper. We regularly add new old articles!
The Hessenwegen in Aalten and Bredevoort
For centuries, German merchants traveled this ancient trade route with their heavy carts.
Burials in Aalten
Until the 19th century, the deceased were primarily buried in and around the church.
Traces of 1100-year-old settlement in Aalten
In 2024, traces from the 9th century AD were discovered at De Hoven.
Luutenshuus, Haartsestraat, Aalten
Rond 1960 leefde er in Aalten een vrouwtje met de bijzondere bijnaam ‘Knonnepoetse’. Zij woonde
Aalten made world news due to BSE
In 1996, 64,000 calves were slaughtered here due to ‘mad cow disease’.
Rise of the textile industry in Aalten
Textile manufacturers left a significant mark on the history of Aalten.
Johannes Korten went to Canada
What is the state of the family, four years after their emigration in 1951?
A mother remained faithful to her birthplace
American corporal visits Aalten in 1953 and speaks Achterhoeks.
Miss te Slaa has not forgotten the Netherlands after 42 years in the U.S.
Wilhelmina te Slaa (1899–1981) left for the US in 1911.
Emigration in East Gelderland takes off significantly
Causes and motives why many residents of Aalten are departing for other countries.
Another exodus of Achterhoek emigrants
After WW2, many Aalten residents emigrate again, especially to Canada.
The Liberation of Aalten
On 30 March 1945, Aalten was liberated by British Grenadier and Irish Guards.
Bombardment of Kruisstraat
On 24 February 1945, bombs fell in the Kruisstraat, with disastrous consequences.
Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule
In WW2, the occupying forces established a school for military paratroopers in Aalten.
Where are Frits and Amalia Landau?
The Jewish couple Landau were executed and buried by the resistance during WWII. But where?
‘Rotterdammertjes’ in Aalten
During World War II, Aalten took in around 800 children from bombed-out Rotterdam.
German currency as a daily means of payment
Until the beginning of the 20th century, German money was the daily means of payment
100 Years of Independence
In 1913, the Netherlands celebrated the centenary of its independence from the French.
Cross-border workers Aalten-Bocholt around 1900
Around 1900, hundreds of cross-border workers from Aalten worked in Bocholt
The Phoenix Disaster (1847)
At the end of 1847, dozens of residents from Oud-Aalten perished on Lake Michigan.
The French Period (1795–1813)
During the French period, Aalten enjoyed the blessings (?) of French rule.
Bredevoort Gunpowder Tower Disaster
On July 12, 1646, the castle’s gunpowder tower was struck by lightning.
A merchant family from Aalten around 1600
How the Schenk-Voerknecht family grew into an international merchant dynasty.
Fortified Town Bredevoort
The fortified town of Bredevoort has a history dating back to the year 945.
