Haartsestraat 14-18, Aalten
The Almshouse (‘Gasthuis’) was an institution run by the Reformed diaconate (charitable board) located on what was then Gasthuisstraat, now known as Haartsestraat, in Aalten.
On the 1832 land registry map (cadastre) shown on the right, the exact location is visible, situated approximately where Haartsestraat 14 to 18 stands today.
Bovenstaande foto toont de Gasthuisstraat rond 1900. Rechts, voorbij de burgemeesterswoning – het latere postkantoor – zien we nog net een gedeelte van het Gasthuis. Helemaal achteraan zien we ook nog net het Luutenshuus.
The Almshouse contained ten rooms on the street side and ten on the garden side, each with a floor area of 17 to 22 m². Each room was equipped with two box-beds (bedsteden). Occupants shared a privaat (toilet) between several rooms. In the garden, many residents also kept a ‘sikkestal’ (a small shed for a goat).
The residents were not only among the poorest members of the population but were also generally the least educated. Consequently, the Almshouse and its surroundings were frequently the scene of shouting matches and petty quarrels. The residents were often the targets of harassment by the local youth of Aalten.
One of the residents would deliver wheelbarrows of fine white sand door-to-door for a penny, which people used to strew across their stone floors. Once he had earned a few pence, he would quickly spend it on a borrel (a small glass of gin) before starting to ‘save up’ for the next one.
In 1904 werd het Gasthuis afgebroken. De oudjes er op dat moment nog woonden verhuisden naar het Rusthuis aan de Hogestraat.
Owners
This overview is incomplete.
| Year | Plot | Owner | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | I1116 – I1135 | the Reformed Poor of Aalten |
House Numbering
In the population register, every room or household is listed on a separate family card. The overview below provides links to the first family card in the population register for each period that corresponds to the almshouse on Haartsestraat. From there, one can browse further to find all residents for that specific timeframe.
An extensive table listing all residents is planned for the future to assist genealogists in identifying former occupants. Please note: records may contain errors.
Catholic Almshouse
Aalten had vroeger ook nog een katholiek gasthuis. Het Armenpad tussen de Hogestraat en de Stationsstraat, één van de typisch Aaltense Gängeskes, herinnert hier nog aan.
Features
| Cadastral no. | I-8761/8762/ 13144/13140 |
| Function | Almshouse |
| Year of construction | unknown |
| Demolition | 1904 |
Sources
- Aaltensche Courant, 9 July 1904 (Delpher)
- ‘Aalten in oude ansichten’ – part 2, E.M. Smilda
- ECAL
- Cadastral map
- Nieuwe Winterswijksche courant, 25 May 1904 (Delpher)
- ‘From Aalten’s past’, G.H. Rots, Aaltensche Courant, 19 November 1937 (Delpher)
