Bredevoort Gondola Parade

The Gondelvaart was an event held annually from 1968 to 2010 on the Grote Gracht in Bredevoort. Today, the event has developed into ‘Bredevoort Schittert’, with plenty of room for music, art and theatre while retaining its fairy-tale atmosphere.

Gondelvaarten had also been held from 1928 to 1935, but the economic crisis brought them to an end. Bredevoort never forgot its festival of lights, however, and the idea continued to be discussed in the post-war years. Then, in 1968, a committee led by Jan Elferink rallied the townspeople with a small newspaper. Residents turned out in large numbers to build the illuminated boats. Parish priest Metternich and ministers Drop and Van Ziel persuaded churchgoers to build a boat on behalf of the three churches, while local shopkeepers guaranteed any shortfall and, just to be sure, staffed the ticket booths themselves.

Every year, in August or September, visitors came to Bredevoort from far and wide — including increasing numbers from Germany — to see the illuminated boats and then enjoy the festivities in the town. And, of course, to watch the fireworks. A 1991 survey found that twenty per cent of visitors came primarily for the fireworks. They had been a regular part of the Gondelvaart from the very beginning, and that remained unchanged when the event became Bredevoort Schittert.

Technology

In the early years, the boats were towed by motorboats. These usually pulled two or three illuminated boats at a time, linked by tow ropes fastened crosswise. The builders used punt poles to prevent them becoming stuck in the muddy bottom of the moat. Later, towing was replaced by a traction system. From 1989 onwards, the presentation changed again: the boats passed one at a time, accompanied by a short spoken text and matching music.

Technical development continued as well. Tea lights gave way to bicycle lamps and later to LED lights. Batteries were replaced by generators and eventually by ordinary mains electricity, once the displays were set up in the town itself. Illuminated gardens were also added, which visitors could pass on a little train.

Anecdotes

On a few occasions, the Gondelvaart had to be cancelled. In 1972 there was no parade because the streams around Bredevoort were being dredged and there might not have been enough water. In 1976, the event was called off because the Grote Gracht had dried up during the hot summer.

Bad weather caused the Gondelvaart to be cancelled in 1983. During the storm, the boat built by s.v. Bredevoort even ended up in the trees. The cancellation cost the Gondelvaart no less than 35,000 guilders — a record loss.

In 1982 it was so dry that streams had to be diverted and sandbags laid to direct the water the right way.

Aalten GP and boatman Wim Pampiermole got a soaking in 1980 while testing the boat. The chairman at the time, Jan Elferink, also failed to stay dry. After the opening, he tried to step down from the stage but fell into the moat. Jan did not hesitate: he cycled home, swapped his light summer suit for a dark one, and was back in time for the closing announcement without anyone noticing what had happened.

Every year, two trumpeters played from the opening boat. Many people still remember the enormous swan that pulled this boat from 1993 onwards. The swan retired in 2002 and was replaced by a new opening boat in Venetian style. In 2008, the Gondelvaart marked its fortieth anniversary with yet another new opening boat: De Golf (‘The Wave’).

Bredevoort Schittert

In 2010, the organisers announced a new format for the Gondelvaart. The boats became illuminated tableaux, and not only the moat but the entire town became the stage. Visitors could now walk around the displays themselves, leaving more room for art, music and theatre.

The Bredevoort Schittert working group carries out a large share of the practical work surrounding the event, including hanging tarpaulins, putting up barriers, setting up the ticket booths and placing route signs.

The working group has been a familiar institution in Bredevoort for many years. Closely associated with it are the Bloemenmeisjes (‘Flower Girls’), who used to decorate the opening boat and the stage. Today they appear as the Schitterende Vrouwen (‘Shining Women’) in the working group’s illuminated tableau.

The illuminated boats and accompanying music, together with the calm water and dark silhouettes of the trees, inspired plenty of romantic feelings. It was not only volunteers who found one another in the dark; sparks also flew between visitors during the fireworks. That Bredevoort Schittert remains a romantic setting was demonstrated a few years ago when a couple were caught in a close embrace on the bouncy castle. After someone pulled the plug and the inflatable began to collapse, they quickly made their escape.