Oud Aalten

Heritage belongs to everyone

Category: Religion

  • The Cross Chapel (Kruiskapel)

    The Cross Chapel (Kruiskapel)

    Hemden, Bocholt (Germany)

    Kruisberg Cross Chapel, Hemden (2024)
    Cross on the ‘Kruisberg’ near the former Cross Chapel, Hemden (Photo: Remco Neerhof)

    The ‘Kruiskapel’ (Cross Chapel, or German: ‘Kreuzkapelle’) in Hemden was a ‘refuge chapel’ for the Catholics of Aalten and Bredevoort. During the height of Calvinism (1675–1821), they were forbidden from practising their faith in their home region. The chapel stood in the German village of Hemden, two hundred metres beyond the current ‘green’ border near the Kesenbult, at the end of the Kiefteweg.

    Missionary Outpost

    From 1672 to 1674, Christoph Bernhard von Galen, the Prince-Bishop of Münster (1650–1678), waged war against the Dutch Republic, supported by King Louis XIV of France. Von Galen, nicknamed ‘Bommen Berend’ (‘Bombing Bernard’), was forced to withdraw from Dutch territories following the Peace of Cologne in April 1674. However, the Catholics remaining in the area were still prohibited from owning their own churches or holding religious services. To provide the Catholics of Aalten and Bredevoort with the opportunity to practise their faith, Von Galen ordered the construction of nine missionary outposts along the border, one of which was the Cross Chapel in Hemden.

    Construction of the Cross Chapel

    Initially, Catholic services in Hemden were held in a barn on the Leicking estate, which had been converted into a house of prayer. In 1675, by order of Von Galen, the Cross Chapel was built on the Reyerding estate. The chapel, dedicated to the Holy Cross, was constructed under the leadership of Jesuit Father Ernst Ignatius Busch, who served as the parish priest for the Aalten and Bredevoort congregations from 1672 to 1674.

    The chapel was an octagonal, largely wooden structure and became the religious centre for the exiled Catholics of Aalten and Bredevoort. Between 1710 and 1714, the chapel was restored and enlarged into a rectangular shape.

    The ‘Kruisberg’ (Cross Hill)

    Around the same time, the ‘Kruisberg’—a small hill—was created near the chapel, upon which a cross was placed. This cross faced the chapel and stood on a pedestal bearing the following inscription (translated from the Middle Dutch):

    What you see here is an image of Christ and not He Himself,
    therefore, worship neither wood nor stone,
    but direct your heart only to Christ.

    This inscription was intended to refute the Protestant accusations of the Reformation era that Catholics were worshipping idols through their figurative representations of Christ and the saints.

    Church Life

    By 1751, the parish of the Cross Chapel numbered approximately 27 German and 451 Dutch Catholics. Every Sunday, on Catholic feast days, and for family events such as baptisms and weddings, the Catholics from Aalten and Bredevoort made the journey to the chapel, often via the present-day Bodendijk and Veenhuisweg. According to local tradition, the worshippers travelled in their work clothes and carried their tools with them so as not to draw attention as churchgoers.

    Transcriptions of the baptismal and marriage registers of the Cross Chapel are available on the Genealogiedomein website and are valuable sources for genealogical research.

    The Restoration of Catholicism in the Netherlands

    From 1798, the people of Bredevoort, and from 1799 those of Aalten, were once again granted the right to practise the Catholic faith freely in their own country. They established their own churches in Bredevoort and Aalten, which led to a decline in the number of Dutch visitors to the Cross Chapel. By 1800, only a few German believers remained, mostly attending on Sundays and feast days.

    In 1821, Pope Pius VII decreed that the parishes of Aalten, Bredevoort, and other surrounding areas were to be assigned to the ‘Dutch Mission’. As a result, only five German families remained as members of the Hemden parish. The Cross Chapel had thereby lost its original purpose.

    The End of the Cross Chapel

    On 16 July 1821, Pope Pius VII formally declared the separation of the Dutch Catholics. Two years later, in 1823, the Cross Chapel was demolished. The parish was dissolved and relocated to the nearby Bocholt rural district of Barlo, a few kilometres south-east of Hemden. All that remains today to commemorate the chapel is the Kruisberg, with its Baroque cross and a stone memorial plaque.

    In total, seven parish priests served at the Cross Chapel. Although the chapel itself has vanished, the Kruisberg and its cross remain as a reminder of the religious life of the Catholics from Aalten and Bredevoort during a time of oppression and persecution.

    Features

    FunctionRoman Catholic refuge chapel
    Year of construction1675
    Demolition1823

    Sources

    • Information panel on the Kruisberg in Hemden
    • Wikipedia
    Kruiskapel Hemden, location
    Location and construction phases Kruiskapel Hemden, information panel
    Kruiskapel Hemden – map
    (Click to enlarge)
  • Rev. Tjeerd Radsma

    Rev. Tjeerd Radsma

    Dutch Reformed Minister

    Tjeerd Radsma was born on 20 February 1772 in Harlingen, the son of Hermanus Radsma and Aafke Steffanij. He married Anna Dina Kniphorst on 11 August 1799 in Meppel. Following her death in 1805, Radsma remarried on 6 October 1808 in Leeuwarden to Doedtje Nieuwenhuis, who had previously been married to Heert Jans Kingma.

    In 1812, Tjeerd Radsma was registered as a resident of Hempens, near Leeuwarden. He was the minister of Hempens and Teerns at the time. It is also noted that he had four children at that point. Three have been identified, all from his first marriage:

    1. Johanna (Hempens, 1800 – Aalten, 1847)
    2. Aafke (Hempens, 1801 – Aalten, 1824)
    3. Anna Dina (Hempens, 1805 – Meppel, 1806)

    To Aalten

    In 1817, at the age of 45, Radsma moved to Aalten as a minister. Five years later, on 11 August 1822, he commemorated his 25th anniversary in the ministry. On this occasion, he delivered a sermon based on 2 Corinthians 5:9. The opening sentence of the sermon read: “Every individual’s life presents times and days that are more remarkable than others and to commemorate these – provided their multitude does not weaken the impression too much – can be very useful.”

    Radsma lived in the Old Reformed Parsonage on the Wehmerstraat.

    Death and Grave

    Tjeerd Radsma passed away on 4 December 1839 in Aalten, at the age of 67. He was buried in the Old Cemetery on the Varsseveldsestraatweg. His gravestone is one of the oldest remaining funerary monuments there. Also interred in the same grave are his widow, Doedtje, who died in 1855, and her granddaughter, Maria Elizabeth Dodina Bianka Lans, who died in 1835 at the age of eight. Maria’s mother was Janke Kingma, a daughter of Doedtje from her first marriage.

    Grave Tjeerd Radsma (1772–1839)
    Grave Tjeerd Radsma
    Banns of marriage for Tjeerd Radsma & Anna Dina Kniphorst, 1799
    Banns of marriage for Tjeerd Radsma & Anna Dina Kniphorst, 1799
    Death of Rev. Tjeerd Radsma, 4 December 1839
    Death of Rev. Tjeerd Radsma, 4 December 1839

    Sources

  • Ds. Derk Breukelaar

    Ds. Derk Breukelaar

    Chr. Gereformeerd predikant

    Derk Breukelaar werd op 28 december 1814 geboren in Varsseveld als zoon van ‘stoelendraaier’ Wessel Breukelaar en Grada Johanna te Rietstap. Hij trouwde in 1847 in Aalten met Janna Hendrika Pennings (Aalten, 12 november 1825). Uit dit huwelijk werden negen kinderen geboren.

    Na de oprichting van de Christelijke Afgescheidene Gemeente te Aalten in juli 1843, wilde de jonge kerkgemeente een predikant beroepen. Op advies van dominee Brummelkamp werd de jonge Derk Breukelaar uit Varsseveld gevraagd. Hij stemde toe en vertrok naar Ommen om bij ds. A.C. van Raalte (1811-1876) – een van de eerste Afgescheiden predikanten in ons land – zijn studie te volgen.

    Predikant in Aalten

    Nadat Breukelaar zijn studie achter de rug had, werd hij op 24 september 1846 bevestigd als predikant van de gemeente in Aalten. Dit zou zijn enige gemeente blijven; hij diende er 44 jaar tot zijn emeritaat in 1888. Toen in 1852 ds. Wildenbeest van Varsseveld plotseling was overleden, bracht die gemeente een beroep op hem uit. Aanvankelijk nam hij het aan, maar – zich realiserend dat hij nu de enige Afgescheiden predikant in de Achterhoek was – bedankte hij alsnog en bleef aan de kerk van Aalten verbonden, al werkte hij ook veel in de omgeving.

    ’t Grotenhuis

    Breukelaar woonde met zijn gezin in het boerderijtje ‘t Grotenhuis, aan de huidige Hessenweg net buiten het dorp. Hier verbouwde hij zelf voedsel om zijn bescheiden traktement van ƒ 225 aan te vullen, dat later opliep tot ƒ 600 per jaar. Gemeenteleden droegen ook bij in natura door voedsel, zoals vlees en aardappelen, aan huis te brengen. In ’t Grotenhuis werden ook catechisaties gehouden, omdat daarvoor in de kerk geen ruimte was. In drukke tijden, zoals tijdens de oogst, nam zijn vrouw de catechisaties over.

    Evangelisatie en jongerenwerk

    Het evangelisatiewerk lag de predikant na aan het hart. Dat was de reden dat Derk Breukelaar het initiatief nam tot het oprichten van verschillende zondagsscholen, waarmee hij niet alleen de kinderen, maar ook hun ouders bereikte. Voor kinderen in de omliggende buurtschappen werd de zondagsschool bij iemand thuis op een boerderij gehouden, zodat de kinderen niet helemaal naar het dorp hoefden te gaan. Later, ruim na Breukelaars dood, zouden in de buurtschappen van Aalten diverse zondagsschoolgebouwtjes worden opgericht.

    In 1868 richtte Breukelaar de Gereformeerde Jongelingsvereeniging „Uw Koninkrijk kome” op.

    Derk Breukelaar (1814-1891)
    Overlijdensadvertentie Derk Breukelaar (1814-1891) - De Standaard, 14-01-1891
    De Standaard, 14 januari 1891

    Moeilijke jaren en waardering

    Eind jaren ’70 van de negentiende eeuw waren voor de predikant niet de makkelijkste jaren. In 1876 overleed zijn vrouw, en enkele jaren later raakte hij betrokken bij de schoolstrijd in Aalten als voorzitter van het schoolbestuur.

    Toch ontving Breukelaar veel waardering. Bij zijn veertigjarig ambtsjubileum in 1886 kreeg hij van zijn gemeente een Statenbijbel op een mooi bewerkte houten lessenaar cadeau. Op de classis kreeg hij ter gelegenheid van hetzelfde heuglijke feit een gravure aangeboden, ‘Golgotha voorstellende’. En toen hij in 1888 met emeritaat ging, gaven zijn catechisanten hem een theeservies en een gebakstel cadeau.

    Overlijden en nalatenschap

    Dominee Breukelaar overleed op 10 januari 1891 op 76-jarige leeftijd in Aalten. Hij werd begraven op de Oude Begraafplaats aan de Varsseveldsestraatweg. De kerkenraad eerde hem met een grafmonument. Het tegenwoordig nog nauwelijks leesbare opschrift op de grafsteen is opmerkelijk vanwege het merkwaardige gebruik van de kerknaam ‘Christelijke Afgescheidene Gemeente’ (in plaats van ‘Christelijke Gereformeerde Gemeente’).

    Drie van zijn zonen traden in zijn voetsporen en werden ook predikant: Gerrit Jan, Willem en Johannes. De laatste wordt wel beschouwd als de grondlegger van het christelijk onderwijs in Aalten. In juni 1918 opent hij zelf de naar hem vernoemde Breukelaarschool aan de Piet Heinstraat.

    Bronnen

  • The Jewish community of Aalten in 1813

    The Jewish community of Aalten in 1813

    In 1813 the Israelite Congregation in Aalten consisted of the following members:

    1. Jacob Gompers Vles(+) (1753), church administrator (1810)
      ⚭ Sara Isaac (Stadtlohn/D, 1763 – 1825)
      with 4 children:
      • Gompert Jacob Vles, 17 years old, ovl. 1854; ⚭ Brandje Simon
      • Isac Jacob Vles, 14 years old
      • Gumken Jacob Vles, 25 years old, ⚭ 1815: Simon Jacob Schaap
      • Fijken Jacob Vles, 21 years old
    2. David Isak Franken (Aalten, 1753 – Aalten, 1823)
      with 1 child:
      • Aleida David Franken (Aalten, 1799 – Aalten, 1865), ⚭ Benjamin van Beek
    3. David Jacob Schaap,
      ⚭ (1) 1789: Duifken Levie, *Elten, 1771, ovl. 1811;
      ⚭ (2) 1815: Hanna Gompert, *Groenlo, 1767, ovl. 1844;
      with 1 child:
      • Levi David Schaap, 6 years old, ovl. 1840, unmarried
    4. David Isac de Haas(+) (Aalten, 1767 – Aalten, 1855); address 1823: Landstraat 31
      ⚭ Sophia Gompers (Groenlo, 1772 – Aalten, 1853)
      with 4 children:
      • Isac David de Haas (Aalten, 1803 – 1883)
      • Gompert David de Haas (Aalten, 1809 – 1877)
      • Eva David de Haas (Aalten, 1806 – 1866)
      • Sebilla David de Haas (Aalten, 1812)
    5. Moses Jacob de Haas
      ⚭ 1802 Sophia Isaac (Jilchen/D)
      with 4 children:
      • Levi Mozes de Haas, 8 years old
      • Jacob Mozes de Haas, 6 years old
      • Sara Mozes de Haas, 2 years old
      • Hendele Mozes de Haas, 4 years old
    6. Simon Jacob Schaap (Aalten, 25-12-1780 – Aalten, 30-03-1825)
      ⚭ Sara Casper Cohen (Winterswijk, 1787 – Aalten, 11-04-1814)
      with 4 children:
      • Scheune, Simon Schaap (Aalten, 08-11-1807 – Aalten, 20-11-1869)
      • Klara Simon Schaap (Aalten, 03-10-1809 – Aalten, 18-12-1878)
      • Diena Simon Schaap (Aalten, 04-01-1811 – Zevenaar, 14-08-1872)
      • Jacob Simon Schaap (Aalten, 02-02-1813 – Aalten, 28-11-1876)
    7. Sara Joseph, wed. Aron Gompert van Gelder (A.G. van Gelder was born between 1798 and 1804)(+);
      with 5 children:
      • Joseph Aron van Gelder (Aalten, 15-03-1778 – Aalten, 20-03-1847)
      • David Aron van Gelder (Aalten, 06-06-1784 – Aalten, 19-06-1859)
      • Rachel Aron van Gelder (Aalten, c. 1785)
      • Gompert, Aron van Gelder (Aalten, 11-11-1792 – Aalten, 08-09-1836)
      • Liefman Aron van Gelder (Aalten, 05-01-1800 – Aalten, 07-04-1866)
    8. Bilha Abraham van Gelder (= Sibilla Moses),
      with 1 illegitimate son:
      • Philip van Gelder, 44 years old
    9. Hindele Ansel van Beek (= Hendele Jacobs, 1772 – Aalten, 1841),
      with 1 illegitimate son:
      • Benjamin Nathan van Beek (Aalten, 1800 – Aalten, 1873)
    10. Eliaser / Lazer Levie de Haas
    11. Isaac Abraham de Haas
    12. Samson Jacob Schaap, *1785; ovl. between 1813 and 1823, unmarried

    (+) This sign refers to the article by Peter Lurvink in Mishpoge II / 1, Jan. 1989: “David Markus and his descendants, a Jewish family in Aalten”.

    Sources

  • Sunday school Heurne

    Sunday school Heurne

    Brethouwerweg 9, Heurne

    'Sunday school hall in Heurne (Aalten)', 1937
    ‘Sunday school hall in Heurne (Aalten)’, 1937

    Until 1989, a small Sunday school stood at Brethouwerweg 9 in the Aalten hamlet of Heurne, where Sunday school was held once a week for children up to the age of 12. After reaching that age, they could attend the youth club, which also took place once a week. Occasionally, the building was also used for small parties and gatherings.

    Regarding the old Sunday school, we read in De Graafschapper of 22 October 1937, among other things:

    Commissioning of the new Sunday School hall in Heurne

    Last Wednesday was a happy day for many residents of the hamlet of Heurne near Aalten. On this day, the completely renovated Sunday school hall was festively and officially commissioned. With this, this hamlet has also been released from its so-called isolation regarding a good location to hold meetings.

    It was more than necessary. The old, small building, which had been erected with very primitive means at the time, was in such a desolate state despite various repairs over the years that a new building or a complete renovation proved more than necessary. The latter has now been achieved through the well-meaning cooperation of many within and outside this hamlet. The building itself has, among other things, two reasonably spacious rooms, which are connected in such a way that, in the event of large meetings, etc., one large room can be obtained.

    On Wednesday evening, the official opening took place for the elders and interested parties. The chairman of the Building Committee, Mr H.G. ter Maat, opened this festive gathering by having Psalm 89:1 sung and led in prayer. He then read Psalm 147. In his opening address, he expressed thanks to all who cooperated to achieve the construction and completion of this project.

    After a break, a beautiful report followed from Mr J.W. Colenbrander, secretary of the Building Committee, as well as from Mr H. Navis, treasurer. The delegate of the Boys’ Meeting conveyed congratulations and presented the chairman with a beautiful gift for wall decoration. A recitation by Mr J. Legters closed this second part before a new break.

    Subsequently, Mr S. Wevers spoke on behalf of the Association of Sunday School Teachers. Several recitations by Mr H. Hoftijzer (Veenhuis) and Colenbrander provided the necessary variety. The dialogue by Messrs H. and G. Wesselink and Klein Poelhuis was also superb in one word. Mr H. Nijman spoke an earnest and inspiring word after having told several interesting things from the old days regarding the rise and further development of youth work in Heurne.

    Finally, the chairman thanked everyone who had cooperated in the success of this evening; he then handed over the building to Mr J.H. Jentink, as chairman of the Association that will manage the building. The latter finally spoke a concluding word, after which this festive meeting was ended.

    D’n Heurnsen Tref

    Heurne is a rural district without a central core. There is no school or café and no clear focal point. Therefore, the Heurns Belang (Heurne Interest) association devised a plan to transform the small Sunday school into a slightly larger community centre that could be used for multiple activities. A round of visits to the residents of Heurne to hear if there was interest in this and if they were potentially willing to contribute financially had a positive result.

    Heurns Belang hired an architect and applied for a building permit for a new community centre. To keep costs low, many volunteers helped with the construction. On 6 April 1990, the building was festively opened, and the fitting name, devised by a resident of Heurne, was revealed: ‘D’n Heurnsen Tref‘ (The Heurne Meeting Place).

    Address history

    Address directory 1934

    Heurne 57 > 49

    Sunday school hall

    Address directory 1967

    Heurne 49 > Kappersweg 2

    Sunday school hall

    Features

    Cadastral no.R-854
    FunctionSunday school
    Year of constructionunknown
    Demolition1989

    Sources

    Sunday school Heurne – Graafschapbode, 22 October 1937
    Standing from left to right: J.H. Wassink, Sunday school teacher; A.S. Winkelhorst, leader of the boys’ association; D.J. Neerhof, treasurer of the parents’ association; J. Legters, teacher of the boys’ association; H.A. Hengeveld, leader of the boys’ association; H. Navis, treasurer of the building committee; H.J. Hoftijzer, leader of the boys’ association. Sitting from left to right: J.W. Perebolte, secretary of the parents’ association; J.H. Jentink, chairman of the parents’ association; H.G. ter Maat, chairman of the building committee; J.W. Colenbrander, secretary of the building committee (Graafschapbode, 22 October 1937)
    Brethouwerweg 9, Heurne
    D’n Heurnsen Tref (photo: G. Schreurs, 2025)
  • Aron Jedwab (Willem Herfstink)

    Aron Jedwab (Willem Herfstink)

    Jewish ‘foundling’, born in hiding

    In the early morning of 21 September 1943, Piet Hoogenkamp, the assistant of the Aalten general practitioner and resistance fighter Joop der Weduwen, placed a package in front of the house with address Patrimoniumstraat 12 in Aalten. Resistance leader Hendrik Jan Wikkerink alias Uncle Jan lives at that address with his family. The doorbell rings.

    The package turns out to be a newborn baby. He is the son of Lena Jedwab-Kropveld and Yitzack Jedwab, rabbi (pastor) of the Jewish community in Aalten. From mid-1942 the couple was in hiding on the De Ronde farm of the Veldboom family in Lintelo. Resistance leader Uncle Jan and doctor Der Weduwen have agreed in advance to lay the foundling.

    Foundling

    Daughter Jo Wikkerink later told about this:

    “We knew that the delivery was coming and the baby would be brought to us. Father and mother only told the oldest three. The youngest knew nothing. They could not talk past their mouths. Father and mother waited in the dark room in the evening. It seemed to the neighborhood as if they had gone to bed. When the doorbell rang, they knew the baby was there. They got the youngest out of bed and shouted in surprise: “Come and see what is there now!”

    The Jewish child was therefore born in hiding and was registered three days later by Mrs. Dela Wikkerink-Eppink with the name ‘Willem Herfstink’ and registered as such in the birth register of the municipality of Aalten. The name was chosen symbolically. Willem refers to Queen Wilhelmina, Herfstink to the first day of autumn (21 September) and the Saxon suffix ‘ink’ means ‘belonging to the yard or family of’.

    Because only a few people – such as doctors – were allowed to be on the street at one o’clock in the morning, four o’clock in the morning was given as the time when the baby was found. This made the investigation into the origin of the child considerably more difficult. “I sometimes came home late at night with a big belly by train. Then I had ‘contraband’ with me as if I was heavily pregnant. When Wimke was put on the sidewalk, they said: “That’s what they say, but it must be one of the girls.”

    Declared Aryan

    The next day, the municipal doctor on duty, Dr. Knol, had to examine the foundling. The baby was not circumcised and therefore he issued the declaration that the child was 100% Aryan. “The next day father immediately went to Schepers, who lived diagonally across from us (he worked at Paske). Father knew: if I tell it there, everyone in Aalten will know it immediately. Behind us, next to Vossers, lived an NSB woman. She was on her knees in front of Wimke’s crib to see if he had any Aryan features.”

    Lennie and Yitzchak had meanwhile moved to another hiding place in Lintelo. In June 1944, the resistance moved them in a hay-covered wagon to the house of Bernard and Gesina Wevers in the hamlet of Dale, behind the Ring Road, just outside the village of Aalten.

    Initially, they did not want to take the Jedwab couple into their home because they were already sheltering evacuees. A minister of the Reformed Church changed the pious Calvinists’ minds: he preached that the persecuted should be helped.

    Bernard, a carpenter, built them a room behind the closet where they spent all their time. Mrs. Wevers cooked for her Jewish guests as much as possible according to kosher rules.

    In the meantime, Willem had been lovingly taken into the family of the Wikkerink family. Especially mother Dela and eldest daughter Lien Wikkerink took care of ‘Wimke’ as they called him. Dela Wikkerink regularly walked with the baby in the pram to the hiding place of the Jewish parents in Dale. She often took some fruit from the vegetable garden with her in her bag. There were people in Aalten who said: “What does Mrs. Wikker always have to do with Wevers?”

    Towards the end of the war, two German soldiers were billeted in the Wevers house. While the soldiers were in the house, Lena and Yitzack sat in chairs in their hidden room and were not allowed to move or make a sound, sometimes for days.

    After the war

    After the liberation in March 1945, the family was reunited and the little one was given his real name: Aron Jan Willem Jedwab. The name Willem remained and the second first name Jan refers to his rescuer Jan Wikkerink. Queen Wilhelmina came to Aalten soon after the war and visited the Wikkerink family to honour them for their actions in the resistance. Jo Bulsink-Wikkerink: “I can still see Wilhelmina. She slapped my grandfather on the shoulder and said: Wikkerink, you have a brave son.”

    The young child Willem hardly knew his own parents. Jo Wikkerink – the second daughter in the family – then moved in with the Jedwab family for a year, so that Willem could get used to his own parents and new environment a little easier. The Jedwab family emigrated to the US in 1947 and there they changed their surname to Jade.

    Dela Wikkerink-Eppink with Aron Jedwab alias Willem Herfstink
    Dela Wikkerink-Eppink with Aron Jedwab alias Willem Herfstink
    Patrimoniumstraat 12, Aalten
    Patrimoniumstraat 12, Aalten
    Koningsweg 2, Dale
    Koningsweg 2, Dale (source)
    Yitzchak Jedwab and Lena Kropveld – wedding photo, March 1942
    Yitzchak Jedwab and Lena Kropveld – wedding photo, March 1942
    Aron Jedwab with Dick, Jannie and Ina Wikkerink (1943)
    Aron Jedwab with Dick, Jannie and Ina Wikkerink, 1943 (source)
    Birth certificate Willem Herfstink (Aron Jan Willem Jedwab), 21-09-1943 in Aalten
    Birth certificate ‘Willem Herfstink’, 21 September 1943

    Sources

  • Sunday school Lintelo

    Sunday school Lintelo

    Schooldijk 1, Lintelo

    Sunday school Lintelo, Schooldijk

    In the nineteenth century, Reverend Breukelaar had arranged that Sunday schools were established in Aalten. For children in the surrounding districts, the Sunday school was held at someone’s home on a farm, so that the children did not have to travel all the way to the village.

    Gradually, a need arose within the hamlets to build dedicated rooms or small Sunday school houses (zondagsschoolhuuskes). A total of nine small Sunday schools were eventually built, of which only a few have been preserved.

    Lintelo formerly had two Sunday schools. In the heart of Lintelo, on Schooldijk, a small Sunday school stood on land belonging to the Helmink family. It was demolished in 1950. In 1934, the building’s address was Lintelo 150. A residential house was built at this location in 1953, which became Schooldijk 1 in 1967.

    Additionally, there was a Sunday school on Sondernweg in Lintelo. That building still stands today and currently serves as a vacation rental.

    Features

    Cadastral no.L-66
    FunctionSunday school,
    Vacation rental
    Year of constructionunknown
    Demolition1950

    Sources

  • Rev. Jan Derk Stegeman (1875-1970)

    Rev. Jan Derk Stegeman (1875-1970)

    NH predikant

    Jan Derk Stegeman werd op 26 juli 1875 geboren in Dedemsvaart, zoon van godsdienstonderwijzer Frederik Stegeman en Janna Harmina te Winkel. Hij bezocht het gemeentelijk gymnasium te Doetinchem en studeerde vervolgens eerst een jaar aan de Gemeentelijke Universiteit te Amsterdam en daarna nog enkele jaren aan de Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht.

    Nadat Stegeman in mei 1899 door het provinciaal kerkbestuur van Friesland was toegelaten tot de evangeliebediening in de Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk werd hij op 3 september van datzelfde jaar door ds. J.C. van Hoeve, predikant te Schoonebeek, bevestigd als predikant van de hervormde gemeente van Nieuw Amsterdam.

    Aalten

    Op 24 augustus 1899 trouwde Jan Derk Stegeman in Den Haag met Hendrika van Dorp (Zoetermeer, 24-10-1873). Samen kregen zij zes kinderen. In 1913 kwam hij als predikant van de hervormde gemeente naar Aalten. Vanaf 1920 zette hij zich in voor de hervormde school, van 1920 tot 1946 als voorzitter van het bestuur. Hij woonde in de hervormde pastorie aan de Whemerstraat.

    Dominee Stegeman stond bekend als een zeer geestige en markante persoonlijkheid. De verstandhouding met zijn collega’s, die hem ‘de bisschop’ noemden, was zeer goed. In september 1929 vierde hij zijn 30-jarig, en in 1964 zijn 65-jarig ambtsjubileum, een jaar voordat hij 90 werd! In 1955 werd de hervormde school aan de Varsseveldsestraatweg naar hem vernoemd, de ‘Ds. Stegemanschool‘.

    Emeritaat

    Na zijn emeritaat bleef Stegeman op vele terreinen actief, bijvoorbeeld in de vorm van huisbezoek bij oudere mensen, drankbestrijding en ziekenverpleging. Ook vervulde hij tal van preekbeurten. Hij was vele jaren penningmeester van de classicale zendingsvereniging in de classis Zutphen, secretaris van het bestuur van de Julianaschool, bestuurslid van de Breukelaarschool en ook bestuurslid van de Aaltense afdeling van het Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap.

    Stegeman was bovendien een zeer actief lid van de redactie van weekblad ‘De Wachter’ en van zijn hand verschenen de boeken ‘Aan mijne gemeente’ (uitgeverij Gebr. De Boer, 1938) en ‘Van rijke dingen’ (uitgeverij De Graafschap, 1941).

    In 1958 erkende de regering de verdiensten van ds. Stegeman door hem te benoemen tot ridder in de orde van Oranje Nassau.

    Dominee Stegeman overleed op 21 februari 1970 op 94-jarige leeftijd en ligt begraven op begraafplaats Berkenhove.

    Ds. Jan Derk Stegeman (1875-1970)
    Ds. Stegeman, Aalten - Nieuwe Veendammer Courant, 14-01-1913
    Nieuwe Veendammer Courant, 14 januari 1913

    Bronnen

  • Jews in Aalten and Bredevoort

    Jews in Aalten and Bredevoort

    After the Union of Utrecht , freedom of religion prevailed in the Netherlands. As a result, many Jews came to the Netherlands at the beginning of the 17th century. The first Jews in Aalten were documented around 1630. At that time, Aalten was a small, isolated and closed agricultural-artisan village community with a poor and still highly superstitious population.

    People looked strangely at the Jews with their different religion, customs and clothing. The local population considered them strangers for a long time. Until the Napoleonic era, the number of Jews was limited to four families, who lived in the remote streets of the village of Aalten. The profession was usually ‘merchant’.

    Bredevoort

    As early as 1631, Bredevoort had Jewish residents. At the time, they lived mainly around the Hozenstraat, where they also had their own cemetery, popularly called ‘De Timp’. Around 1700, a Jewish merchant in manufactures set up a house synagogue in Bredevoort. In 1714, this house synagogue moved to a more spacious location, a large stone barn on the Ganzenmarkt between Hozenstraat and Gasthuisstraat. This barn is still there. Jews from Aalten and Lichtenvoorde also visited this synagogue.

    Until 1821 the community was still part of Winterswijk, but in 1830 it became an independent municipality. Around 1830, a real synagogue was built on the Vismarkt.

    Around 1800, the Jewish community in Bredevoort had almost as many members as the Aalten community, but steadily declined in size in the course of the 19th century. In 1900 there were not enough members to hold regular services and the Bredevoort congregation was merged with that of Aalten.

    The building on the Vismarkt served as a synagogue until the beginning of the First World War. Around 1920 the synagogue was converted into a residence. Nowadays the building is a municipal monument.

    Synagogue, Vismarkt 9, Bredevoort
    Former synagogue Vismarkt 9, Bredevoort

    Aalten

    It was not until 1776 that a ‘Jewish church’ in Aalten was first mentioned. That must also have been a house synagogue. Between 1800 and 1850, the number of Jewish communities in Aalten grew from 39 to 70, mainly due to the expansion of the family in the existing Jewish families: the number of households hardly increased.

    In 1857 the synagogue on the Stationsstraat was put into use. The Jewish community acquired ownership of the cemetery on Haartsestraat in 1852, but had already been used there (we do not know for how long) to bury the dead.

    In the period 1870-1900, the number of Jewish inhabitants in Aalten decreased from 80 to 50. This must be explained by local circumstances: the number of Jews who had to earn a living with a small business had become too large for the hardly grown population of Aalten (which even decreased slightly due to emigration) due to the strong growth in the preceding years. Some of the Jews from Aalten therefore also moved away, especially to the larger cities in the east of the Netherlands (Arnhem, Zutphen, Deventer).

    Only when the total population of Aalten started to increase again, the number of people working in the small trade could also grow again. And that happened, not only because of birth surplus, but for the first time in a long time also because of the settlement of new families.

    Synagogue, Stationsstraat 7, Aalten
    Synagogue, Stationsstraat 7, Aalten
    Jewish Cemetery, Haartsestraat, Aalten
    Entrance Jewish cemetery, Aalten

    Around 1900

    At the beginning of 1900, the church board had three members. There was a religious school with one teacher and a ritual bath. In addition to a funeral association for men, Aalten had a women’s society that offered help in case of illness and death.

    The Jewish community in Aalten was religious, although some may have done a little more about it than others. Social control did play a role in this. However, the Sabbath rules were not always strictly observed for economic reasons.

    The Jewish community in Aalten consisted mainly of cattle traders and butchers. The fact that many within the small congregation belonged to the same professional group often led to quarrels, which were often fought out in or near the synagogue. These tensions and quarrels, between ritual butchers who had to determine whether a cow was kosher, and between butchers who wanted to sell, were just as much a part of the Jewish culture in Aalten as the mutual aid in case of illness and poverty.

    Integration

    In the 17th and 18th centuries, Jews were still tolerated as foreigners, but in the 19th century a process of integration gradually took place. This led to the fact that the Jews were an accepted minority in the early 20th century. For example, they held board positions in associations such as Aaltens Belang, the Oudheidkamer and the Feestgebouw.

    Marcus Gans was co-founder of the Peters en Gans pipe factory on the former Gasthuisstraat. Jewish cattle traders were involved as shareholders in the establishment of the dairy . The public school had Jewish teachers, the Aalten Orchestra Society, the Thalia drama society and Symphonia had Jewish members. Jewish members were part of the Aalten branch of the National Crisis Committee and the volunteer fire brigade.

    Most Jewish children also had non-Jewish friends and the older ones were also usually friendly with non-Jews. The municipal council was officially represented at official events in Jewish circles.

    House Joh. Peters and Pipe Factory Peters & Gans, Gasthuisstraat, Aalten, ca. 1910
    Pipe factory Peters & Gans (right), Gasthuisstraat, ca. 1910

    Refugees from Germany

    In the years after 1933, a stream of refugees started from Germany. After the Reichskristallnacht in 1938, this flow increased sharply. A small part of those who were admitted to the Netherlands were allowed to settle in Aalten. Most were sent to special refugee camps that had been set up in various places in the country.

    On 1 January 1942, Aalten had 17 inhabitants with German nationality (which, by the way, they had officially lost on 25 November 1941: the German refugees had effectively become stateless citizens). In the first weeks and months of the German occupation, everything remained quiet in Aalten. Measures taken against the Jews did not directly affect the Jewish community in Aalten in the first year. What would have consequences in the long run was the registration of all Jewish residents in the autumn of 1940. 63 cards were sent to Arnhem.

    Members of the Jewish community in 1932
    Members of the Jewish community of Aalten in 1932

    Choices

    Prohibition at the entrance of the Loohuis
    Prohibition at the entrance of the Loohuis

    In 1941, the expulsion of Jews from public life began. First there were fewer and fewer advertisements from Jewish shopkeepers in the newspapers, then came the regulations that forbade them to participate in public meetings and access to public spaces. Jewish pupils were banned from education. In the same year 1941, the first Jewish victim fell from the Jewish community in Aalten as a result of a raid.

    The list of prohibitions and obligations that applied specifically to Jews continued to grow and in the summer of 1942 the deportations began. They had to decide whether or not to go into hiding. Those who did not opt for the latter were deployed for what was called ‘the expansion of work in the east’ and – as we know afterwards – murdered in the gas chambers.

    Hiding

    On 13 July 1942, the overview of the Jews in Aalten was sent in five copies to the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung in Amsterdam. That was the beginning of the end.

    With the exception of the NSB members, the non-Jewish population of Aalten generally behaved helpfully. In retrospect, however, one can say that both Jews and non-Jews underestimated the danger and did not see the severity of the measures.

    On 4 October 1942, 10 Jews from Aalten, family members of Jews who had been transferred to Westerbork from a number of closed labour camps, were put on a transport to the transit camp and from there to Poland. Shortly afterwards they were removed from the population register ‘because they left for abroad’.

    Within a month of that, 37 Jews from Aalten were in hiding. They were also removed from the population register with the addition v.o.w. (left, unknown whereto). At the beginning of 1943, another 15 Jews from Aalten went into hiding. The other 25 were deported via Vught or Westerbork. This made Aalten officially Judenrein on 10 April 1943.

    List of Jewish residents of Aalten, 1942
    List of Jewish residents of Aalten, 1942

    Victims

    Graffiti synagogue in Aalten
    Graffiti synagogue in Aalten

    The houses of the deported families were emptied (for the benefit of German Bombengeschädigte) and rented out again. Outstanding bills and transport costs were paid by Lippmann and Rosenthal, the bank in Amsterdam where all Jewish assets were housed.

    In 1941 people went into hiding temporarily, but from October 1942 the hiding took on a permanent character. Not everyone returned from hiding.

    Of the 52 Jews in hiding, three eventually died during their hiding period and six were arrested, deported and murdered after being betrayed. There have also been Jews who were born in Aalten, who may or may not have spent a large part of their lives there, but who lived elsewhere in the Netherlands during the occupation due to relocation. The information about their fate is not complete. If we count them, the number of victims from Aalten is much larger than the 34 of whom we know for sure.

    After the war

    The 46 members of the Jewish community in Aalten who had survived the war were distraught. Many had lost a large part of their family and no longer owned anything. Their attempts to get some of their former possessions back did not always meet with cooperation and often met with reluctance.

    The number of Jews in Aalten steadily declined after the war. Young people left for Israel or to the west of the country, the older ones died. In 1965 the number was 28, in 1981 21, and now there are only a few.

    Hint

    The National Hiding Museum in Aalten tells the great history of resistance, hiding and freedom before, during and after the Second World War with ‘small’ stories. The museum examines the choices and dilemmas of ordinary citizens on the Dutch-German border and uses the stories of the past to have a conversation about today.

    nationaalonderduikmuseum.nl

    Sources

  • Sunday school Dale Oost

    Sunday school Dale Oost

    Walfortlaan 2a, Dale

    Sunday school 'Dale Oost', Walfortlaan

    The “Walfort” Sunday school association in Dale was founded in November 1934, according to its statutes. This date marks the first board meeting; however, the earliest recorded members’ meeting dates back to 28 November 1930.

    According to a newspaper report from 1937, before this small building was established, Sunday school education was held at the Havezathe ’t Walfort estate.

    Due to a lack of interest, Sunday school activities were ceased in 2000. The school building was sold in 2007. The association’s archive was donated to the Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers (Heritage Centre) in 2013.

    There was also a Sunday School Dale West, located near the present-day Romienendal on the Aladnaweg.

    Address directory 1967

    Dale 151/1 > Walfortlaan 2

    Sunday school hall

    Features

    Cadastral no.P-161
    FunctionSunday school
    Year of construction1935
    Listedno

    Sources

    Sunday school Dale anniversary – De Graafschapper, 2 April 1937
    De Graafschapper, 2 April 1937
  • Sunday school Lintelo Veur

    Sunday school Lintelo Veur

    Sondernweg 9, Lintelo

    Sunday school, Sondernweg, Lintelo

    Former Sunday school dating from the early 20th century, restored and converted into a vacation rental.

    In the nineteenth century, Rev. Breukelaar ensured that Sunday schools were established in Aalten. For children in the surrounding hamlets, Sunday school was held at someone’s home on a farm, so the children did not have to travel all the way to the village. Gradually, a need arose in these hamlets to build a local hall or zondagsschoolhuuske (Sunday school house). A total of nine small Sunday schools appeared, only a few of which have been preserved.

    In the rural district of Lintelo, there were formerly two Sunday schools. In the centre of Lintelo, there was a small Sunday school on the Schooldijk, but this was demolished around 1950. The ‘Lintelo Veur’ Sunday school was built in 1924. Originally, the school had two rooms and was considerably more spacious than most Sunday schools in the municipality of Aalten.

    Foundation

    That the plans in Lintelo were serious was evidenced by the official publication in the Staatscourant (Government Gazette) regarding the establishment of the ‘Zondagschoolvereniging te Vóór Lintelo’ (Sunday School Association for Vóór Lintelo). At a meeting in May 1924, the 17 members present decided that a ‘hall’ should be built to be used as a Sunday school for children from Lintelo.

    To build the hall, money and land were required. To raise funds, a collection was held in Lintelo as well as in the surrounding hamlets. Quotes were requested from various contractors. Initially, they considered a building with one large room measuring eight by five metres. Eventually, they decided the building should be larger—albeit more expensive—but, as the reasoning went, cheaper per square metre.

    The building would have two rooms and a separate storage area. A second collection was held to raise additional funds. The necessary land was also found; for a symbolic amount, a small piece of land was acquired from the former Schenk farm, at the corner of the Veldweg and Sondernweg.

    From 1925 onwards, the children came to ‘Lintelo Veur’ every Sunday. Each year at Easter, there was a larger children’s party. This continued until the war. During the war, the occupying forces confiscated the Sunday school for use as storage. The Sunday school was forced to be held on a farm again. Immediately after the war, the Sunday school was designated as emergency housing.

    It took until the end of 1950 for the association to regain the building following a lawsuit. The building was refurbished and was ready just before Christmas. It was returned to use with a festive Christmas celebration. With this Christmas party, a new tradition was born that continued until the mid-90s: every child received a book annually during the Christmas party. A small notebook was kept to meticulously record which child had received which book and when.

    Gradually, the number of children attending Sunday school declined. Over seventy years after the founding of the ‘Zondagschoolvereniging te Vóór Lintelo’, the decision was made to dissolve it at the end of 1995. The property was sold.

    Listed

    Five years later, in 2000, the Sunday school was placed on the municipal monument list because “it is a good example of a traditional school from the early 20th century. With its prominent location, it is of particular importance for the original character of the area. It is important for keeping the development of education in the municipality of Aalten in the twentieth century visible.”

    The small building was subsequently used regularly for parties and as a rehearsal space for a band. However, the condition of the building gradually deteriorated.

    Vacation rental

    In 2008, the current owners began making plans. After consultation with the municipality, it turned out that a vacation rental was the most achievable scenario. However, the building was not insulated, and there was no upper floor. A thorough and sustainable approach was required. Work began in early 2012. Gradually, unexpected old elements reappeared, such as old doors with their characteristic green colour, the frames around the doors and windows, and the dark oak ceiling.

    Today, the little school looks beautiful again and is available for overnight stays.

    Features

    Cadastral no.L-822
    FunctionSunday school
    Year of construction1924
    ListedMunicipal
    monument

    Sources

    Construction drawing Sunday school Sondernweg, Lintelo
    Image: The Old Sunday School
    Sunday school Sondernweg, mid 1980's
    Photo: Fagus Publishers – Hans Boerrigter
  • Sunday school Haart

    Sunday school Haart

    Kriegerdijk 10, Aalten

    Sunday school, Kriegerdijk, Haart

    The small, single-classroom schoolhouse in the rural area between Aalten and the German border was built in 1924 on the initiative of the Reformed Church council.

    This type of one- or two-classroom Sunday school building could be found in various hamlets throughout the Achterhoek region. In those days, the roads from these areas to the villages were often little more than simple cart tracks. Particularly in winter, these became nearly impassable dirt roads. Much of the land in this area had only recently been cleared for cultivation.

    The plot of land on which the building stands was once part of a patch of forest (wasteland) that local farmers were in the process of reclaiming. An association of parents with school-age children purchased this piece of land and built the small schoolhouse using their own contributions.

    In this Sunday school, a number of parents took turns telling stories from the Bible and teaching the children Christian songs. The number of children attending varied between 12 and 30. Rev. D. Breukelaar from Aalten and Rev. J. van Dijk from Doetinchem had a significant influence on this work.

    Around 1925–1930, partly due to the emancipation movement, a girls’ association and a women’s association were founded. The girls’ association met there weekly, and the women’s association met once a month. At these meetings, the Bible was studied, but social topics were also discussed, such as the position of women in the church and in politics.

    From 1945 until 1997, boys’ and girls’ clubs met here, discussing the Bible and/or themes relevant to young people. Both the Sunday school and the clubs operated under a Parents’ Association, which maintained the building. Due to various societal changes, all these associations eventually ceased to exist.

    In 2005, the Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen foundation received the Sunday schoolhouse as a donation from the Haart-Heurne Parents’ Association. In order to preserve the small building, a suitable new purpose was sought. Since 2009, it has been available for rent as a holiday home.

    Website: zondagsschoolhuusken.nl

    Owners

    Overview is incomplete.

    YearPlotOwnerDescription
    m²

    Address history

    Address directory 1934

    Haart 113

    Sunday school hall

    Address directory 1967

    Haart 113 > Kriegerdijk 13

    Sunday school hall

    Features

    Cadastral no.R-543
    FunctionSunday school,
    Vacation rental
    Year of construction1924
    MonumentMunicipal
    monument

    Sources

  • Schaer Monastery

    Schaer Monastery

    Kloosterdijk, Aalten

    Illustration of Schaer Monastery near Bredevoort based on a reconstructed floor plan using historical sources and archaeological data, created with AI by Paul van Druten.
    Illustration of Schaer Monastery near Bredevoort based on a reconstructed floor plan using historical sources and archaeological data, created with AI by Paul van Druten.

    Schaer Monastery was a monastic house near Bredevoort, founded in 1429 and belonging to the order of the Modern Devotion. It was located in the hamlet of ’t Klooster, approximately two kilometres north of Bredevoort, on the left bank of the Schaarsbeek.

    The pious nobleman Derck van Lintelo and Conraedt Slindewater, clerk to the Drost of Zutphen and originating from a prominent patrician family from the Hanseatic city, donated land and farms in 1429 to displaced monks from Windesheim, near Zwolle.

    The Windesheimers belonged to the late-medieval movement of the Modern Devotion, which had emerged under the leadership of Geert Grote (1340–1384) in Deventer. From the IJssel cities, this reform movement spread across Western Europe and led to the founding of more than a hundred monasteries. The Modern Devotion strove for the renewal of church and society, forming a transition between the Middle Ages and the early modern period.

    Foundation

    The Windesheimers preferred to settle in remote locations. The donation of land near the Schaersvoorde—in the current hamlet of ’t Klooster—in 1429 fitted this preference well. It was a high-lying area on the edge of the vast Schaersheide, bordering the low-lying and marshy Bredevoortse Broek. Using the clay present just below the surface, the monks baked their own ‘kloostermoppen’ (monastic bricks).

    The monastery, Domus Beatae Mariae in Nazareth (House of the Blessed Mary in Nazareth), rose shortly thereafter. It was popularly known as Schaer Monastery, named after the heath on which it was situated. The residents were soon actively involved in the care of young students and the improvement of the living conditions of the local population.

    Prayer and work defined daily life for the Windesheimers. Through diligent labour, the monks managed to reclaim the immediate surroundings of the monastery. By 1500, it was a fertile, egg-shaped oasis in the wilderness, with Nazareth as its centre, surrounded by an outer moat.

    In 1522, several improvements were made. The monastery’s clockwork and chiming bell were transferred to the Saint George’s Church in Bredevoort in 1596—where the bell still hangs today.

    Legend and Gold Treasure

    In 1597, when the army of Prince Maurice was on its way to Bredevoort, the last prior of Schaer Monastery fled. The remaining monks also found it safer to seek refuge elsewhere. Shortly thereafter, the abandoned monastery was destroyed by marauding soldiers.

    Since then, the story has circulated that the fleeing monks hid a treasure in the ground—under the third holly bush behind the sheepfold. However, no one remembers exactly where that sheepfold once stood. According to legend, the treasure will one day be found again, indicated by ‘heavenly signs’: a strange light will appear in the sky until a black rooster crows.

    On the night of 13 to 14 September 1943, an unusual light was indeed observed: a moonbow. There were many bombers in the air that night, meaning many people were awake to witness this rare phenomenon. Whether a black rooster also crowed that night is unknown.

    Size

    Field and archival research shows that Schaer Monastery was of modest size. The perimeter of the monastery grounds is easily traceable: field names are still recognisable, and remains can be found on a farmyard. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a crucifix and a skull were discovered during excavation work. Furthermore, the so-called Kloosterschans (Monastery Redoubt) is still located on the site. In 1978, the last above-ground wall remains were demolished, but a monastery cellar with a barrel vault still exists beneath the local farmhouse.

    The oval monastery area—also called the corpus—covered approximately 118 hectares and showed a height difference of over ten metres from west to east. The monks made optimal use of the relief, the water, and the soil conditions. Seepage and rainwater, as well as water flowing from the high Schaerheide, moved just below the surface over impermeable clay layers towards the Bredevoortse Broek. The monks threw up a dyke straight through the area to dam the water and utilise it to power a corn and oil mill.

    With a system of interconnected waterways and ponds, the monks kept their feet dry and prevented the water from flowing unused into the low marshlands. On the east side of the monastery complex, they created a remarkable piece of earthwork: the Eremus in Aquis—literally ‘the wilderness in the waters’—a hermitage on the edge of the marshy Bredevoortse Broek. The moats around this hermitage served as water storage.

    Remains

    After the destruction of the monastery in 1597, the lands became overgrown with heath and coppice. The monastic bricks from the complex were partly reused for the repair of fortifications and houses in Bredevoort. The monastery’s possessions were confiscated by the Duchy of Guelders. The Eremus in Aquis may have been used as a redoubt during military operations around Bredevoort in later years. In 1672, the west wing of the rectangular monastery complex was still standing.

    With the seizure of the monastery area, the landscape took on a second historical layer: the planting of timber plantations. Guelders leased the lands for the production of oak wood. Around 1700, work began on the necessary drainage. Straight channels drained water quickly into the Schaarsbeek, and the same stream—once part of the outer moat—was straightened towards Bredevoort to supply the town’s moats with water. The waterways near the Eremus in Aquis silted up, and so-called rabatten (narrow raised beds) were laid out on the former monastery grounds to plant young oaks.

    Due to several very harsh winters, the first plantings failed. Guelders then decided to sell the monastery area. The new owners continued the forestry following the same system of rabatten and drainage. The current 25-hectare Kloosterbos (Monastery Forest) still preserves the traces of the late-medieval water management system once laid out by the monks of Schaer.

    Archives

    Verpondingskohier (tax register), 1647

    t’Clooster te Schaer en sijn becirck?, Geestl.
    2 Huisen, met etlicke koolhoven, 3 sch.
    Boulant 27 mdr., 3de gerve 225 – 0 -.
    Inslagh en hoeijmate van 4 daghen meijens, slechten waterigen gront.

    Features

    FunctionMonastery
    Foundation1429
    Destruction1597

    Sources

    Schaer Monastery near Bredevoort, illustration created with AI by Paul van Druten
    Illustration of Schaer Monastery near Bredevoort based on a reconstructed floor plan using historical sources and archaeological data, created with AI by Paul van Druten.
    Canon of Schaer Monastery
    Monk by sculptor Jan te Kulve. Canon of Schaer Monastery in the habit of his Order. [Source: tekulve.nl]
    Lease register of Schaer Monastery, 1786
    Lease register of Schaer Monastery, 1786
    Van Eerden (Schaer) cellar
    Cellar of the former Schaer Monastery
  • Jewish Cemetery Bredevoort

    Jewish Cemetery Bredevoort

    Prins Mauritsstraat, Bredevoort

    Jewish Cemetery, Bredevoort

    The Jewish Cemetery on Prins Mauritsstraat in Bredevoort was established around 1830, concurrently with the adjacent general cemetery. The site became available following the dismantling of the fortifications on the eastern side of the town.

    The last Jews from Bredevoort to be interred at this cemetery were siblings Levi and Sara Sander. Both passed away in 1938, shortly after one another. The cemetery is not open to the public.

    Two Jewish cemeteries

    Bredevoort once had two Jewish cemeteries. The oldest was located on the former castle grounds behind Hozenstraat 5. In 1953, this site was sold to the municipality of Aalten for housing construction. The remains and tombstones were then transferred to the second cemetery on the Prins Mauritsstraat.

    Location of the former Jewish cemetery on Hozenstraat
    Location of the former Jewish cemetery on Hozenstraat

    Maintenance and Restoration

    Initially, the cemetery was maintained by the municipality. Since 2018, volunteers from the Bredevoorts Belang association have been responsible for mowing the grass and keeping the walls and the 12 gravestones free of climbing plants. In 2022, restoration work began to repair cracks in the walls, renew the pointing, and refurbish the gate.

    Features

    Cadastral no.A-1143
    FunctionCemetery
    Establishmentc. 1830
    ListedMunicipal
    monument

    Sources

    View the graves on Findagrave.

    Jewish Cemetery Bredevoort – Dagblad Tubantia, 30 November 1953
    Dagblad Tubantia, 30 November 1953
  • Jewish Cemetery Aalten

    Jewish Cemetery Aalten

    Haartsestraat 150, Aalten

    Gate, Jewish Cemetery, Haartsestraat, Aalten
    Gate, Jewish Cemetery Aalten

    The Jewish cemetery of Aalten, located on Haartsestraat, has a rich history dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. Although the site officially became the property of the Jewish community in 1852, there are indications that the cemetery had been in use since approximately 1820.

    The cemetery is situated in a wooded area and is enclosed by sturdy fencing. The older section consists of a low, densely wooded hill with scattered funerary monuments. To the east lies the newer section, which is characterized by an orthogonal layout.

    There are approximately seventy gravestones on the grounds, varying in age and design. At the entrance on Haartsestraat stands a metaheerhuis (mortuary), a ritual building used for the purification of the deceased according to Jewish traditions.

    During World War II, the cemetery was damaged, but it was restored after the war. In memory of the Jewish children from the municipality who were deported and killed during the war, a plaque has been placed on the facade of the metaheerhuis.

    Plaque, Jewish Cemetery Aalten
    Plaque, Jewish Cemetery Aalten

    Features

    Cadastral no.D-4461
    FunctionCemetery
    Establishmentca. 1820
    ListedMunicipal
    monument

    Sources

    View the graves on Findagrave.

  • St George’s Church, Bredevoort

    St George’s Church, Bredevoort

    Markt 3, Bredevoort

    St George's Church, Bredevoort

    The Sint-Joriskerk (Saint George’s Church) is a late-Gothic church in Bredevoort, the foundations of which date back to 1316. The church is dedicated to Saint George, the patron saint of the borgmannen (castellans) of Bredevoort. A characteristic feature is the tower’s finial: a statue of Saint George and the Dragon instead of a traditional weathercock. On the east side of the church, there is a so-called ‘melaatsenraampje'(leper window). In earlier times, worshippers with contagious diseases used this window to follow the mass.

    Early History

    The oldest foundations of the church date from 1316, and the building may have served as a chapel for the castle of Bredevoort in its earliest years. During the Siege of Bredevoort in 1597 by Prince Maurice, the old (and larger) church burned down completely, and the vaults collapsed. The following year, the people of Bredevoort submitted a request to the classis of Zutphen to build a new church: “Die van Bredeforts soln met request an desen quartier verzoekcken assistentie tott reaparatie hearder Kapellene” (Those of Bredevoort shall request assistance from this quarter for the repair of their chapel). Reconstruction in the Gothic style began in 1599.

    Expansions

    Following the reconstruction, the church underwent various expansions. In 1600, after another fire, a tower was added. In 1639, the chapel was enlarged and broken out on the north side. Using the same stones, the wall was rebuilt several metres further out. Later expansions followed in the form of the boerenzolder (farmers’ loft) and the orgelzolder (organ loft). This extension, including the loft, is clearly visible. Biblical proverbs are inscribed in the beams of the farmers’ loft, such as: “Salich zijn se die rein van herte zin want sij zullen Godt zien” (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God).

    Powder Tower Disaster of 1646

    On 12 July 1646, lightning struck the castle’s powder tower. The resulting explosion destroyed a large part of the town, and forty people were killed. The castle was turned into a ruin, and the church also sustained significant damage. Eleven victims, including the Drost of Bredevoort, his wife, and eight of their children, were buried in the choir (the eastern part of the church).

    The church was rebuilt, though smaller than its predecessor. In 1672, Captain Satink donated a Rococo pulpit featuring his family coat of arms, as well as a copper lectern bearing the arms of the Holy Roman Empire.

    Renovations

    The church has undergone various renovations over the centuries. During the French period, features such as a wooden vault and a floor of Bentheimer sandstone were added. The church also received new pews, and the floor level was raised. In 1832, the church pews were painted white.

    In 1849, the wooden plank ceiling was replaced with a lime ceiling. In 1858, a catechism room was added, for which King William III donated 200 guilders. The walls of the church were re-plastered in 1868, and this plaster layer was removed again during the restoration of 1949. In 1869, the tower was repaired. In 1882, five stained-glass windows were replaced by cast-iron ones. Three years later, two more cast-iron examples were installed in the farmers’ loft.

    In 1889, the catechism room was extended with an annex. During a thorough renovation in 1896, the façade received new doors, a rose window, two small gable windows, and an iron cross. The commemorative stone is now placed on the inside of the wall of the organ loft. In 1920, the spire was renewed.

    Post-War Restorations

    After the Second World War, the church was in poor condition. Following a large-scale restoration, the church was put back into use in 1967. During a restoration in 2006, the subsided gravestones and the natural stone floor were repaired. It was discovered that a number of the stones had been laid upside down, likely during the French period; these have since been properly repositioned. During the work, several historical finds were made, including coins, human remains, and stained glass. Furthermore, a stone from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was found.

    Research revealed that two of the stones that had been laid upside down belonged to the Bredevoort Drost, Wilhelm van Haersolte, and his family. They perished along with almost all their children during the powder tower disaster of 1646. Only their son, Anthony, had survived the disaster. In 2010, his descendants donated 3,000 euros to the restoration committee.

    Bells and Clock

    The Sint-Joriskerk houses three bells. The oldest, a monumental klepklok (chiming bell) from 1454, was borrowed from the Schaer Monastery in 1596. After the monastery was destroyed during the siege of 1597, this bell remained in the church. Wilhelm van Haersolte tot Elsen donated the brandklok (fire bell), cast in 1644. The luidklok (ringing bell) dates from 1731 and, according to old tradition, is rung daily at 8:00, 12:00, and 21:00. Historically, the town gates were opened at 8:00 and closed at 21:00, and 12:00 was mealtime.

    In 1942, the church received a new clockwork. The old clockwork from 1666 will soon be on display in the Sint-Joriskerk again. In 1980, the small carillon of three bells was reinstalled.

    Owners

    Overview is incomplete.

    YearPlotOwnerDescription
    1832B-80de Hervormde Kerk Bredevoord280 m² church

    Features

    Cadastral no.B-1199
    FunctionChurch
    Year of construction14th/17th century
    MonumentNational Monument

    Sources

    The great church of Bredevoort, 1687, bu Jacobus Stellingwerff
    The great church of Bredevoort, 1687, bu Jacobus Stellingwerff (source: Gelders Archief)
    Saint George's Church in the 19th century, then still plastered, by P.A. Schipperus
    Saint George’s Church in the 19th century, then still plastered, by P.A. Schipperus (source: Gelders Archief)
    Markt, Bredevoort
    Market square in Bredevoort with St George’s Church, c. 1912
    Farmers' loft in St George's Church, Bredevoort
    Farmers’ loft
  • St Elisabeth’s Convent

    St Elisabeth’s Convent

    Dijkstraat 8, Aalten

    St Elisabeth’s Convent, Dijkstraat, Aalten

    St Elisabeth’s Convent in Aalten was originally the residence of textile manufacturer Johann Heinrich Joseph (Heinrich) Driessen (Bocholt, 10 July 1794 – Aalten, 4 July 1879). On 29 June 1837, his eldest son, Theodoor, laid the foundation stone.

    Heinrich was also known as “Den veursten Driessen” (The front Driessen); his cousin Anton also lived on what was then Landstraat, in Villa Beekhuize, slightly further south of the town centre, and was therefore known as “d’n achtersten Dreessen” (The rear Driessen).

    Business premises were also established on the property, which served primarily as storage for yarns and woven fabrics. These fabrics were transported by wagon, usually pulled by an ox, to the bleachery in Dale. The driver carried the fitting nickname ‘Ossen Willem’ (Ox Willem).

    After Heinrich’s death, the house came into the possession of the Roman Catholic Church, after which it was put into use as a convent for nuns. On 30 May 1882, six sisters were brought to Aalten from Lichtenvoorde-Groenlo station in a carriage drawn by four horses. The convent was named after Heinrich’s wife, Elisabeth. Locally, it was also referred to as the St Elisabeth Institute.

    Education and Nursing

    For eighty years, the sisters provided education here to the Catholic school children of Aalten. The sisters’ ‘sewing and knitting school’ was also based there. Not everyone held pleasant memories of the nuns. The sewing and knitting school, later the Fashion Vocational School, was highly regarded. Partly for this reason, it was not only Catholics who knitted there, but people of all denominations.

    On 23 December 1962, the last sisters left for a convent in Bennebroek. Later, the convent served as accommodation for guest workers.

    On 20 December 1980, a small fire broke out in the completely boarded-up building. Just as a ‘foundation stone’ had once been laid, the last stone was removed shortly after the fire. The building made way for the Parish Centre. This has since disappeared as well and has been replaced by an apartment building named ‘Kloosterhof’ (Convent Court).

    Owners

    Overview is incomplete.

    YearPlotOwnerDescription
    1832I-1208Peter Driessen, merchant in Bocholt410 m² house & yard

    Residents

    1813

    Aalten 45

    Gerrit Peters (Heerde, 25-07-1769), tanner

    1 man
    1 woman
    1 son
    4 daughters
    1 old woman

    Population register 1823-1838

    Aalten 45

    Gerrit Peters (Heerde, 24-09-1769), tanner
    Johanna Margreta ten Dam (Aalten, 29-10-1774)

    Next residents:

    Johan Hend. Joseph Driessen (Bocholt/D, 10-07-1794), merchant
    Marie Carolina Elisabeth Sträter (Rheine/D, 13-03-1803)

    Population register 1838-1850

    Aalten 44

    Johan Henrich Joseph Driessen (Bocholt/D, 10-07-1794), manufacturer & merchant
    Marie Caroline Elisabeth Sträter (Rheine/D, 13-03-1803)

    Population register 1850-1860

    Aalten 44

    Johan Henrich Joseph Driessen (Bocholt/D, 10-07-1794), merchant
    Maria Carolina Elisabeth Sträter (Rheine/D, 13-03-1803)

    Population register 1860-1870

    Aalten 44

    Johan Henrich Joseph Driessen (Bocholt/D, 10-07-1794), manufacturer
    Maria Carolina Elisabeth Josephina Sträter (Rheine/D, 13-03-1803)

    Population register 1870-1880

    Aalten 61

    Johann Heinrich Joseph Driessen (Bocholt/D, 10-07-1794), manufacturer

    Next (head) resident (1879-1882):

    Bernhard Heinrich Groot Langenhoff (Dingden/D, 13-09-1833), servant

    Population register 1880–-1890

    Aalten 66

    Bernhard Heinrich Groot Langenhoff (Dingden/D, 13-09-1833), farmer

    Next (head) resident (1882-1901):

    Barbara Elizabeth Elzeman (Gouda, 06-10-1835), sister of charity

    Population register 1890-1900

    Aalten 65

    Barbera Elisabeth Elseman (Gouda, 06-10-1835)

    Population register 1900-1910

    Aalten 82 > A20

    Barbera Elisabeth Elseman (Gouda, 06-10-1835)

    Next (head) resident:

    Geertje Ruijter (Westwoud, 08-06-1857)

    Population register 1910-1920

    Aalten A20

    Geertje Ruijter (Westwoud, 08-06-1857), mother superior

    Next (head) resident:

    Aalten A20 > A6

    Aafke van der Werf (Bolsward, 21-10-1872), nurse

    Address directory 1934

    Aalten A6 > Dijkstraat 8

    Convent

    Address directory 1967

    Dijkstraat 8

    Former Convent

    Features

    Cadastral no.I-11429
    FunctionResidential,
    Convent
    Year of construction1837
    Demolitionc. 1981

    Sources

    Institute for Roman Catholic education, 3 January 1882
    Arnhemsche Courant, 3 January 1882
    St Elisabeth's Convent, Dijkstraat, Aalten
    St Elisabeth’s Convent, Dijkstraat, Aalten
    Dijkstraat 8, Aalten
    St Elisabeth's Institute, Aalten
    St Elisabeth’s Institute, Aalten
    Dijkstraat 8-11, Aalten
    Front door of St Elisabeth's Convent, Aalten
    Front door of St Elisabeth’s Convent, Aalten
    Rear entrance of St Elisabeth's Convent and St Jozef's School, c.1975
    Rear entrance of St Elisabeth’s Convent and St Jozef’s School, c.1975
  • Old Helena Church

    Old Helena Church

    Landstraat 22, Aalten

    Old Helena Church, Markt Square, Aalten

    The Oude Helenakerk has stood in the center of Aalten for centuries. It is the oldest and most prominent building in Aalten. This Late Gothic pseudo-basilica with its Romanesque tower is a monument of immeasurable historical and emotional value. Countless residents of Aalten have been baptized and married here, found solace within its walls, and were brought from this church to their final resting place.

    History

    Around the year 800, when the Saxons were subjugated by Charlemagne, he decreed that every community should provide a so-called ‘hoofdhof’ (head court) for the construction of a church. In the settlement of Aladna, the ancient name for Aalten, this was likely a piece of land belonging to the later Havezate de Ahof.

    The first small church on this site was presumably built in the Carolingian style, a precursor to Romanesque architecture. The church was dedicated to Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity.

    In the 12th century, a Late Romanesque tower was added to this first church. The Romanesque architectural style is characterized by heavy, massive walls with small round-arched windows. In contrast to the later Gothic style, Romanesque architecture features little ornamentation. The tower is constructed entirely of tuff, a soft volcanic stone that was widely used in these regions at the time for building churches and castles. The spire takes the form of a so-called constricted needle spire.

    Between 1470 and 1483, the three-aisled nave of the church was built, also from tuff. This part of the church was executed in the Late Gothic style, characteristic of the 15th century, with large windows featuring pointed arches that point, as it were, toward heaven. The higher choir on the east side of the church dates from the period between 1440 and 1450. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, murals were applied to the vaults and walls.

    Reformation

    Until the end of the 16th century, the parish of Aalten fell under the Diocese of Münster. With the conquest of Bredevoort—the administrative center of the lordship of the same name to which Aalten belonged—by Prince Maurice on October 8, 1597, the Reformation also reached this region.

    At that time, Pastor Theunissen, a native of Bocholt, served the Aalten church. He fiercely resisted the reform. According to tradition, however, he had to flee in 1601 to the Burlo monastery, or according to others, to Rhede. He later died in Warendorf, where the small but valuable monstrance he had taken from Aalten reportedly remained until the middle of the 19th century.

    Presumably, shortly after 1597, the stone Stations of the Cross depicting the Passion of Christ were also removed. The stations, likely created around 1530 by the Westphalian sculptor Heinrich Brabender, disappeared but were rediscovered in the 19th century. Today, they can be admired in the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht.

    The then-chaplain of Aalten, Anthonius van Keppel, originally from Doetinchem, was mentioned in 1602 as the first minister of the Aalten church community, which had recently converted to Protestantism. How did this come about? To expand the Reformation to the countryside, the cooperation of the local Roman Catholic clergy was required. In 1598, many of them were summoned to appear at the classical assembly in Zutphen. The clergy from Aalten were also present. At this meeting, the attending pastors and vicars were required to renounce the Catholic religion and profess that the Reformed religion was the true one.

    In the classical assembly of 1603 in Zutphen, the participants from Aalten, Winterswijk, and Zeddam declared their willingness to conform to the conditions set for them. By 1633, the number of members was sufficient to proceed with the establishment of a church council.

    Shared use

    After the conquest of the Achterhoek in 1672 by troops of the Bishop of Münster, the churches of Aalten, Winterswijk, and Dinxperlo were given to the Minorite fathers by the episcopal commissioner. The Reformed congregation in Aalten reached an agreement with the occupiers. This arrangement meant that Catholics and Protestants could use the church in Aalten alternately. However, a short time later, the use of the church building was forbidden to the Protestants. This situation did not last long. At Pentecost 1674, the Münster troops left Aalten and the church became available to the Reformed congregation once again.

    Disturbances

    In early 1750, the quiet town of Aalten was shaken by a series of striking religious phenomena. During church services, people burst into tears, sighed loudly, or collapsed as if they had lost consciousness. Some even spoke of encounters with angels or attacks by the devil. These events drew national attention and would go down in history as the Aaltense beroeringen (Aalten disturbances).

    Doleantie (Schism)

    In 1834, the movement of the so-called ‘Afscheiding’ (Secession)—manifesting through the departure of Rev. H. de Cock and the church council of Ulrum (Gr) from the Dutch Reformed Church—gained some following in Aalten. By 1840, the circle in Aalten had grown sufficiently to found a congregation. A few decades later, the movement of the so-called Doleantie emerged within the Dutch Reformed Church.

    Restorations

    In 1973, the plaster layer in the church was restored. Beneath the six to seven layers of whitewash, exceptional paintings were discovered. These murals include depictions of the twelve apostles, a representation of the Last Judgment, the Coronation of Mary, and—highly unique in Western Europe—an image of Emperor Constantine the Great together with his mother Helena, the namesake of the church. The paintings were subsequently restored.

    Burial vault

    Also in 1973, carpenter Henk Heijnen discovered a burial vault under the choir during work, containing three coffins with human remains. The vault was quickly resealed by order of the church board, but before that happened, Heijnen had already climbed inside and accurately measured and photographed everything. In 2019, he completed a wooden replica of the burial vault.

    Death knell

    For centuries, the bells of the Oude Sint Helenakerk in Aalten have tolled at set times to inform the population of deaths, a practice known as ‘overluiden‘.

    Owners

    Overview is incomplete.

    YearPlotOwnerDescription
    1832I-1498the Reformed Church of Aalten3,060 m² church & yard
    1862I-2640the Reformed Church of Aalten2,966 m² church & yard
    1882I-3735the Reformed Church of Aalten2,924 m² church & yard
    1911I-5447the Reformed Church of Aalten2,938 m² church, catechism room & yard
    1914I-5613the Reformed Church of Aalten2,720 m² church & garden
    1959I-8339the Reformed Church of Aalten3,085 m² church, house & yard
    1963I-8941the Reformed Church of Aalten2,925 m² church, house, yard, park,
    part. community center, road

    Features

    Cadastral no.I-11437
    FunctionChurch
    Year of construction12th/15th century
    MonumentNational Monument
    Landstraat-Kerkstraat, Aalten - Fragment of cadastral map, 1862
    Fragment of cadastral map, 1862
    Gangel, Van Oostrum-Soede – Tubantia, 16 March 1887
    Tubantia, 16 March 1887
    Old Helena Church, Aalten
    Old Helena Church, Aalten, illustration by Piet te Lintum
    Old Helena Church, Aalten, illustration by Piet te Lintum
    Old Helena Church, Aalten
    Interior of the Old Helena Church, Aalten
    Interior of the Old Helena Church
    Mural in the Old Helena Church, Aalten
    Mural in the Old Helena Church

    Sources

  • Stolpersteine (stumbling stones)

    Stolpersteine (stumbling stones)

    Stolpersteine at Eerste Broekdijk 51, Aalten
    Stolpersteine at Eerste Broekdijk 51, Aalten
    Gunter Demnig placing the first Stolpersteine in Aalten
    Gunter Demnig placing the first Stolpersteine in Aalten

    In Aalten, 34 Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are laid across twelve addresses. A Stolperstein is a memorial stone placed in the pavement in front of the house from which people were deported by the Nazis to extermination camps during World War II. When you see such a stone—usually unexpectedly—with the name of a victim, you are momentarily reminded of how millions became victims of systematic murder during that war.

    The stones have a surface area of 10 by 10 cm. A brass plate is affixed to the top, into which the name, year of birth, date of deportation, and the place and date of death are stamped. Each stone serves as a memorial to a single victim: a person who lived in that very spot and was deported from there, never to return.

    Originator

    The Stolpersteine project was conceived by the German artist Gunter Demnig. He deliberately kept the size of these ‘stones of offence’ small, requiring one to bow down to read the inscriptions.

    Demnig began laying the first Stolperstein in 1997 in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg. Today, Stolpersteine can be found in many countries. Gunter Demnig thus gives every victim their own individual monument. His motto is: “A person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten.”

    Initially, he made all the stones himself, as he felt mass production conflicted with the project’s ethos. However, forced by the project’s rapid growth, he is now assisted by an artist friend. He insists on personally laying the first stones in any given location. The remaining stones are now usually installed by municipal pavers.

    Stolpersteine in Aalten

    In Aalten, 34 Stolpersteine have been laid at the following addresses:

    • ’t Dal 1: Levi Salomon Schaap, Ella Schaap-Philips, Eliazar Hars Schaap, Frits Landau, Amalia Landau-Lorch
    • Dijkstraat 10a: Levie van Gelder, Jula van Gelder-Landau, Arnold van Gelder
    • Eerste Broekdijk 51: Roberth Fuldauer, Rozetta Fuldauer-van Gelder, Lina Sara Fuldauer, Sara Fuldauer, Meijer David Fuldauer, Cato Konijn
    • Grevinkweg 5: Sally Fuldauer, Regina Fuldauer-de Jong
    • Haartsestraat 64: Wijnand Andriesse
    • Hogestraat 3: Jacob ten Bosch en Jansje ten Bosch-Bouwman
    • Hogestraat 13: Moritz Cohen, Bernhard Cohen, Karoline Japhet-Eppstein
    • Hogestraat 55/1: Albert Lewy, Friederika Lewy-ten Bosch, Berta Mathilde Lewy
    • Hogestraat 94: Salomon Goedhart, Philippina Lea Goedhart-Rosenburg
    • Landstraat 41: Johannes der Weduwen
    • Lichtenvoordsestraatweg 17: Philip van Gelder, Elise van Gelder-Cohen, Jozef Backs
    • Stationsstraat 24: Abraham van Gelder, Reintjen van Gelder-de Jong
    • Vellegendijk 17: Hendrik Wiggers

    In one instance, the stone could not be placed in front of the victim’s residence because the building (Industriestraat 4) no longer exists, nor is there a pavement where it could be installed. Therefore, this stone was laid in front of the synagogue.

    Sources

  • Jewish life in Aalten

    Jewish life in Aalten

    New Israelite Weekly, January 29, 1965

    There is still a synagogue in Aalten. In recent weeks, one could read about it in both the national and international press. Seldom before can this Beth Haknesseth have been so much in the public eye. A procession of journalists has flocked to Aalten. “I can’t bear to see another journalist,” I noted from the lips of one of Aalten’s Jews. They travelled to Aalten because the synagogue has been defaced. It was but one incident among a multitude of anti-Semitic expressions reported in the Netherlands and abroad in recent weeks. One could have learned of those other incidents as well—though not in this publication. One simply cannot keep up with them all.

    And not only that: anti-Semitism is not a question of us. It is a disease that proliferates and proliferates, usually in silence, occasionally openly. We ourselves are less upset as long as there is no survival involved, than the groups among whom the tumor rages. We ourselves have become more self-aware, more self-confident. On the one hand, it is because of the appalling that we had to go through only a generation ago — and what could happen to us even worse — because of the stimulating effect that the existence of the State of Israel exerts on us.

    Perhaps these are the reasons that in Aalten there has been hardly any interest from our organizations — only Chief Rabbi E. Berlinger and the Permanent Committee showed their sympathy. The lack of interest on our part is in stark contrast to the dozens of letters that have been received from non-Jewish quarters. This can be read in one of the letters: “… Since the war, only since the war have many people, including myself, taken into account, not only what has been done to a part of our people in particular, without us having done or being able to do anything of significance against it (?)… And now this: what am I to do — how can we, non-Jewish fellow citizens, undo this insult, this terrible blow to the barely healed, so deeply damaged face. That’s the reason I have to write!!”.

    Synagogue in Aalten defaced
    Synagogue in Aalten defaced

    In Aalten, people take note of the letters, of the verbal interest. Is it doing them good? Undeniably, it provides support. All the more fiercely one feels that there has been hardly any reaction from our side. What hardly causes a stir in the relatively large Jewish communities in the West, is still the talk of the town in Aalten. It is not surprising, the cold one is only small. What kind of support can one give each other? Not that there is fear, not at all. In Aalten, too, the defacing of the synagogue is considered an incident. But still…

    Only nine families make up the chilly Aalten. Nine families with a total of 28 souls, seven of whom are children. They do not view the smearing of the shul, the destruction of the stones in the cemetery in Winterswijk with a shrug of the shoulders. Because there is a connection between one and the other. They are not unrelated facts. The police investigation has finally shown that those who caused destruction in the cemetery of Winterswijk are the same as those who smeared the synagogue in Aalten. It has been proven by comparison of the manuscripts and chemical investigations of the chalk that was used for chalking. But no matter how active the Aalten police are, there is no question yet that the active anti-Semites could be arrested.

    Requirements only

    Synagogue Aalten - New Israelite Weekly, 29-01-1965
    The synagogue in Aalten, 1965

    There is another synagogue in Aalten. But shul services are held only sporadically on Shabbath. And only with shul services can one actively prove one’s Judaism in the small kehilloth . Until last year, the services still took place every Shabbath. But in the last five years, three shul visitors have died and some young people have left elsewhere. Only when these young people come over to Aalten is there sometimes a service on Shabbath. However, the synagogue is now only populated on Jamiem Towien.

    Nevertheless, Aalten still had its own chazan until 1948. He left for America. He was the last of the many excellent chazanim that this kehilla has known in its long history. Since his departure, one of the people from Aalten acted as Sjeliach Tsibboer. During the Jamiem Noraiem one of the young people comes from Amsterdam. It is no longer possible in Aalten to appoint his own chazan — apart from the question of where he should come from. The cold cannot pay his salary from the tax revenue.

    “The Permanent Committee demands a share of this proceeds, the Arnhem district demands a share of the money. And people forget that we have to maintain our shul and that we have to take care of (our) large cemetery. Money is demanded of us, but what do we get in return? If we have a bar mitzvah, we have to beg for the arrival of a chazan. The bill will come later. If we need someone for a lewaje, the bill will be presented later: ƒ 0.25 per car kilometer, beyond the requirement that is not on the bill.”

    Butcher knows better

    There is another synagogue in Aalten. It is hardly used anymore. There is no more chazan. They have been to Aalten. Some were also mohel, most also sjocheet. This has sometimes led to skirmishes in Aalten. Because the four kosher butchers in pre-war Aalten did not agree with the shechete’s decisions. If the shochete said: the cow is treife, then the butchers knew better. The sjochetim then got all kinds of things thrown at their heads. One of them, Levi Gasan, small in stature and slender, was very afraid of the wrath of the butchers. When he found a cow treife, he quietly left the abattoir, ran the last few meters to the door and only then shouted: “The cow is treife!, because he expected to have a cleaver thrown at the head if he said it to the face of the butchers. His work plus the fear of life preservation was honored in those years with 1800 guilders a year. The respective chief rabbis did not exactly understand the butchers in Aalten either. Chief Rabbi Levisson in particular turned against them.

    “The chief rabbis were authorities. If they held an inspection once every six months, people were nervous. They decided in more areas than they formally had to decide. They did not want butchers as parnassims. They kept an eye on the administrative decisions of the parnassim. They interfered with the salaries. And no one dared to contradict the chief rabbi”. Nevertheless, the Aalten parnassim often quarreled with the chief rabbi. They blamed them a lot. But these reproaches never reached the chief rabbi. He was back in Arnhem by then. On the heads of the chazanim the wrath of the parnassim was discharged. They received criticism in many areas: also that they did not provide sufficient education. It also happened because some church members had more knowledge than the chazan. Because there were many chewres in Aalten. They are no longer there. The children receive an hour of Jewish lessons every week. For youth meetings they have to travel to Winterswijk.

    Things have sometimes been tough in Aalten. The taxes were low. Those who paid a dime more counted themselves among the prominent ones. Many rights were derived from that dime. In Shul people bid against each other to obtain a mitzvah. Partly because of this, the parnassim sometimes knew better what the income of the congregation members was than the inspector of taxes. Perhaps that is also why people were so committed to being elected parnas. The elections were in reality a get-together. But despite the battle for the kawod, there was great cohesion. The quarrel of one day was settled the next.

    Quarrel

    But there were frequent arguments. Because the Jewish community of Aalten consisted largely of cattle shochriem. On Friday evenings they quarreled with each other in shul because one had bought a cow from a farmer that had been promised to the other. On Shabbath morning, the quarrel was settled in shul. On Shabbath afternoon they visited each other, also to hear each other out. Shabbath evening people wished each other “gut woch”.

    Aalten, which had eighty Jewish souls before the war and one hundred and forty souls shortly before the war; of whom many German refugees, was always a pious cold. “On Shabbath, all Jewish businesses were closed here. No Jew worked. That would not have been possible. The population had not taken that. It once happened that a Jewish representative of a Jewish firm from Amsterdam visited a shopkeeper on Shabbath in Aalten. He was thrown out of the store and his monster suitcase was thrown after him. “On Shabbath there is no Jew in my house,” he was shouted at. There is still a synagogue in Aalten…

    M. KOPUIT

    This article was written with the help of Mr. J. Weyel and Mr. S.I. de Haas of Aalten.

    Source