Old Aalten > Religion > Churches > Ten Hietbrinks Bewaarschool

Ten Hietbrinks Bewaarschool

Prinsenstraat 27, Aalten

The Ten Hietbrink Bewaarschool was a nursery school in Prinsenstraat in Aalten. The school was named after the Ten Hietbrink family, who were closely involved in its inception and management. Later, the Nederlandse Protestantenbond (Dutch Association of Protestants) held its church services here. Today, the address houses the Euregional Historical Documentation Centre.

The nursery school was opened on 6 January 1887, at a time when the first forms of early childhood education were increasingly gaining ground in the Netherlands. Before then, children were often not admitted to primary school until they reached the age of six.

The little school possessed one large classroom with a wooden floor, a sandpit behind the building, and simple play materials, such as car tyres. Behind the school stood a shed which also formed part of the play area.

War Years

During the years of the German occupation (1940–1945), the measures taken against Jewish residents also affected the Ten Hietbrink Bewaarschool. Jewish children attended the school until 1941, but from 1 September 1941, they were compulsorily expelled, in line with the anti-Jewish decrees.

School Life

Memories from former pupils provide a picture of school life during the 1940s and 1950s:

The head of the school was Miss Stokreef; alongside her, Miss Annie is also mentioned.
Strict discipline prevailed, described by former pupils as “potty-discipline”.
In addition to learning and playing, school trips were also organised, for instance in 1946 to the Loohuisbos.

Owners

Overview is incomplete.

Year	Plot	Owner	Description
1832	I-1059 I-1060	Hermanus Hietbrink, labourer	148 m² house & yard 17 m² house
1882	I-3714	Gerrit Jan ten Hietbrink, merchant	185 m² house & yard
1888	I-4203	The Departmental Nursery School of the Departement tot Nut van ‘t Algemeen	565 m² nursery school, garden
1963	I-4203	Nederlandse Protestantenbond	565 m² kerk, garden

Residents

Population register 1838-1850

Aalten 229

Harmanus Hiebering / ten Hietbrink (Aalten, 22-09-1791 – Aalten, 21-06-1844), labourer
Berendina ter Horst (Aalten, 29-06-1794 – Aalten, 19-12-1847)

Son:

Gerrit Jan ten Hietbrink (Aalten, 01-11-1834 – Aalten, 04-04-1883)

Harmen Jan Honders (Winterswijk, 16-11-1792 – Aalten, 13-02-1873), farmer
(1) Berendina ter Horst (Aalten, 29-06-1794 – Aalten, 19-12-1847)
(2) Antonetta Villekes (Aalten, 30-08-1803 – Aalten, 02-10-1885)