Bertus Janssen (1911–1996) was closely associated with Hiedtuunte in Lintelo. He photographed his surroundings, still worked with glass plates and created a remarkable pond behind the farm, complete with an island, a rowing boat, music and hundreds of goldfish.
A photographer in Lintelo
Bertus Janssen was born in Lintelo on 7 June 1911. He lived at Hiedtuunte, the holding later known as Varsseveldsestraatweg 107 and now as Tuunterweg 5. Aalten’s 1967 address book records him there as a resident.
Photography was one of his great interests. He recorded events and everyday scenes in Lintelo at a time when taking photographs required far more work than it later would. Bertus used glass plates among other techniques, leaving behind a visual record of the rural district in which he lived.
A pond with an island
In the 1970s Bertus dug a large pond behind Hiedtuunte. In the middle was an island which he reached by rowing boat. A loudspeaker stood on the island, carrying music across his property.
Hundreds of goldfish swam in the pond. Bertus fed them every day and counted them one by one. His wife had her own distinctive way of adding colour to the farmstead too: according to family memories, even flowers placed in the lavatory bowl were watered.
Memories on film
In an interview, Jan Breukelaar and Leo van der Linde recall Bertus Janssen and his unusual world at Hiedtuunte. The recording preserves more than memories of one man: it also captures something of the distinctive culture of the post-war countryside around Aalten.
More biographical information can be found on the profile of Bertus Janssen.
Sources
- Old Aalten, resident history of Hiedtuunte
- Aalten municipal address book, 1967
- Interview with Jan Breukelaar and Leo van der Linde