Oud Aalten

Heritage belongs to everyone

Category: Associations

  • Public Housing Association

    Public Housing Association

    ‘Vereniging tot Verbetering der Volkshuisvesting’

    In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Dutch people lived in appalling conditions. During the course of the 19th century, this prompted citizens and workers to establish public housing associations.

    In 1912, a committee was formed in Aalten under the leadership of Mayor Monnik to establish an association for the improvement of public housing. The establishment took place the following year.

    Celebrations at Volkshuisvesting

    In 1981, the Wisselink textile factory on the Dijkstraat moved to the industrial estate. On the vacated site, 120 homes were built, the current Driessenshof. However, before the former weaving mill was demolished, the ”Vereniging tot Verbetering der Volkshuisvesting’ (Association for the Improvement of Public Housing) organised an extensive programme of festivities there for the people of Aalten:

    1981 Celebrations at Volkshuisvesting
    3 October 1981: Pop concert in the former Wisselink Textile Factory, Dijkstraat
    Polstraat 16-18, Aalten
    Polstraat-16-18, Aalten (photo: Google Streetview)
    Volkshuisvesting Aalten - Provinciale Geldersche en Nijmeegsche Courant, 18 March 1913
    Provinciale Geldersche en Nijmeegsche Courant, 18 March 1913
    Volkshuisvesting - Aaltensche Courant, 29 October 1913
    Aaltensche Courant, 29 October 1913

    De Woonplaats

    In 1995, the associations in Aalten, Groenlo, and Winterswijk, which together owned 6,700 homes, decided to merge under the name De Woonplaats. A few years later, a merger followed with De Volkswoning in Enschede (5,100 homes). Two years later, the head office moved from Groenlo to Enschede. In 2022, De Woonplaats owned almost 17,000 homes, of which approximately 2,300 were in the municipality of Aalten.

    Sources

  • Klepperklumpkes van ‘t Walfort

    Folkloristic dance group

    Klepperklumpkes van 't Walfort
    Klepperklumpkes van 't Walfort

    The Klepperklumpkes van ’t Walfort was a folkloristic dance group from Aalten. The group was founded on 10 May 1954 with the objective of preserving Gelderland’s regional folklore for future generations. Members of the group were dressed in authentic Gelderland (Achterhoek) traditional costume, as it was worn around 1900.

    The dance repertoire consisted of approximately 35 traditional dances, mostly from the Achterhoek and Twente regions, which also date back to that era. The most well-known dances include the Driekesman, Pot met bonen (Pot of beans), and the Hôksebarger, performed, of course, in polished wooden clogs.

    A Welcome Guest

    The Klepperklumpkes was an active association. Over the past decades, they performed in various institutions, at street markets, and in many countries. They were a welcome guest at festivals in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, France, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, among others. They even performed in China.

    During their peak years, the Klepperklumpkes organised a large international festival in Aalten every four years, featuring many foreign guests. These guests were hosted by local families, providing many with a unique introduction to the international dancers and their respective folklore.

    In their final years, the dance group rehearsed in the hall of café Setz.

    After nearly 70 years, the Klepperklumpkes disbanded in 2022. In their final years, the number of activities had gradually declined; many members were getting older, physical stamina was decreasing, and there was a lack of new members joining.