Archives: Plaatsen

Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule

Herenstraat 4, Aalten (Oct 1944 – Feb 1945)

Public Primary School, Herenstraat

Tijdens de bezettingsjaren was er korte tijd een ‘Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule’ gevestigd in de Openbare Lagere School aan de Herenstraat in Aalten.

After the Normandy landings, Hitler wanted to launch a large-scale counterattack on the Western Front as soon as possible. With this he wanted to bring the Allies to a standstill. This should give Germany time to complete their “secret project,” which is the development of weapons of mass destruction.

The Germans made preparations in a very tactical manner and the necessary combat units were assembled. This is also the case in Aalten. Here, Freiherr Von der Heydte had to put together a Kampfgruppe in preparation for a special deployment in this new offensive. In these months, Aalten was overrun by German troops. They requisitioned almost all school buildings for the quartering of these troops.

School for paratroopers

The so-called ‘Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule’ (October 1944 – February 1945) was established in the public school on the Herenstraat. The majority of the Germans were also billeted here. Non-commissioned officers and officers were billeted with civilians in Aalten.

The school was intended to train aspiring officers of the German paratroopers in practice and prepare them for work at the front. In addition, experienced instructors gave courses on how to disable the enemy’s armored vehicles with the resources and weapons that the Germans had at the time. And finally, a special Kampfgruppe (combat unit) was formed. He was going to receive a special assignment, namely an in-force parachute jump behind Allied lines during the Ardennes Offensive. At its peak, about 1200 German paratroopers were gathered in Aalten. They formed the so-called ‘Kampfgruppe Von der Heydte’.

German paratroopers were billeted everywhere in Aalten and surrounding villages. Not only in large school buildings but also privately in people’s homes. The soldiers had to go to the district office that was located in the town hall. Here they received a certificate of quartering, as they called it at the time, and continued their way to the address where they were allowed to stay. In addition, almost all cafes in Aalten were used by the German troops and converted into so-called kasinos. Not to watch films here, but to entertain the soldiers in their spare time with fun and trinkets.

Strict regime

There was a strict regime among the German troops. Valuable time was efficiently used to turn this mixed group into a real Kampfgruppe as soon as possible. Every morning the troops were expected to complete a march of about 10 km on an empty stomach. Furthermore, shooting exercises were held on some training grounds around Aalten and the battle groups were trained in fighting in wooded areas.

Een ooggetuige heeft Duitse parachutisten in sporttenue gezien, op weg naar zwembad ‘t Walfort. Hier sprongen de parachutisten van een verhoging in het mulle zand. Bij het in contact komen met het zand maakten zij een zogenaamde para-rol om de val te breken. Ze moesten deze manoeuvre beheersen voordat ze een parachutesprong gingen maken om zo blessures te voorkomen.

After Von der Heydte had left the so-called Kampfgruppe, Hauptmann Von Hütz took over command of the Waffenschule in Aalten. During the remaining period, this new battle group deployed a number of operations. These were described as very harsh by both the Allies and the Germans themselves.

Afbeeldingen

Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte

1 October 1944
Monument to Leslie Pulfrey

Gandvoortweg, Barlo

On the Gandvoortweg in the rural district of Barlo in Aalten, there is a modest memorial, erected in memory of the British Flying Officer Leslie Pulfrey of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The memorial marks the meadow where Pulfrey was found dead in the early morning of June 17, 1944, after a failed jump from his burning Lancaster bomber.

The mission

On the evening of 16 June 1944, the four-engined Avro Lancaster bomber ME840, with Pulfrey as a crew member, took off from North Killingholme airfield in Lincolnshire, England. The mission was an attack on factories in Sterkrade, Germany, where, among other things, synthetic oil was produced for the German war industry.

The plane, with seven crew members on board, completed its bombing raid and returned to England. On the way back, however, it was intercepted and attacked by the German night fighter pilot Joseph Nabrich. One of the fuel tanks in the wing caught fire almost immediately, leaving the aircraft irretrievably lost.

The fatal leap

On the pilot’s orders, the crew was ordered to abandon the aircraft. Leslie Pulfrey was the first to jump into the airspace above Barlo. But something went terribly wrong. Although the exact cause remains unclear, he was found dead in a meadow in the early morning of 17 June 1944 by farmer Johan van Eerden of the nearby farm Nieuw Kolstee (Smol).

It is possible that Leslie came into contact with the plane during his jump or that his parachute did not open properly. From a distance, the place where he had landed was clearly visible; His body was still connected to his parachute, which was bulged by the wind. There was a large tear in the parachute and his head had become entangled in the cords. Leslie also missed one of his aviator boots, which he apparently lost after his jump. His name was mentioned on his identification plate.

The crash

The burning Lancaster eventually crashed in a meadow behind the ‘Oude Lieftinck’ farm on the Heelweg (now Twenteroute 5). All but one of the crew were killed. Flight engineer Roy Kay was thrown out of the plane by an explosion just before the crash. Miraculously, he was the only survivor to reach the ground in one piece. He escaped arrest and finally managed to return to England on 22 September 1944, with the help of pilot helpers.

Leslie Pulfrey and his killed colleagues were transferred to Varsseveld, where they were buried.

Tribute

In June 2014, Leslie Pulfrey was honored with a ceremony, during which a so-called Fly-past took place. Four F-16s flew over the vicinity of the Gandvoortweg, and one of the aircraft took off straight up on the spot as a tribute. Thea Onnink has recorded her memories of this moment in this story, read by Herman Onnink.

Afbeeldingen

Photo: Joe Pinguey

17 June 1944
Freya Radar Station

The radar system, named after the Germanic goddess Freya, had been developed by the Germans in the late 1930s. It was capable of detecting enemy aircraft at a distance of approximately 150 kilometres.

The radar installation was situated on a site with a circumference of about 800 metres, surrounded by a system of trenches and barbed-wire fencing. Additionally, anti-aircraft artillery was present on the site.

There was a large radar unit, consisting of a red brick base, approximately seven by seven metres and three metres high. Mounted on top was the antenna, a metal framework measuring six by six metres. The large, square antenna screen could be rotated manually to the desired direction.

There was also a smaller radar unit, which lacked a brick base. Furthermore, there were approximately ten wooden barracks on the site, measuring four by six metres and painted green, used to house the personnel.

The immediate surroundings of the radar site were declared a Sperrgebiet (restricted area). The Ringweg was closed to pedestrians from the Tolhuis to the water tower. Signs marked “Militäre Werke” were placed in these areas. Cars and cyclists were permitted to drive through, but stopping or dismounting was strictly forbidden.

The Freya radar site in Aalten was constructed at the end of the summer of 1942. The site was abandoned in the autumn of 1944. Traces of the radar site, such as the concrete and brick housing for the antenna screen, remained visible until the early 1950s.

Remnants of the Freya Radar installation in Aalten,
with the water tower in the background

1 September 1942

Reformed Almshouse

Haartsestraat 14-18, Aalten

The Almshouse (‘Gasthuis’) was an institution run by the Reformed diaconate (charitable board) located on what was then Gasthuisstraat, now known as Haartsestraat, in Aalten.

On the 1832 land registry map (cadastre) shown on the right, the exact location is visible, situated approximately where Haartsestraat 14 to 18 stands today.

The photograph above shows Gasthuisstraat around 1900. On the right, past the Mayor’s residence—which later became the post office—a section of the Almshouse is just visible. In the far background, the Luutenshuus can also be discerned.

The Almshouse contained ten rooms on the street side and ten on the garden side, each with a floor area of 17 to 22 m². Each room was equipped with two box-beds (bedsteden). Occupants shared a privaat (toilet) between several rooms. In the garden, many residents also kept a ‘sikkestal’ (a small shed for a goat).

The residents were not only among the poorest members of the population but were also generally the least educated. Consequently, the Almshouse and its surroundings were frequently the scene of shouting matches and petty quarrels. The residents were often the targets of harassment by the local youth of Aalten.

One of the residents would deliver wheelbarrows of fine white sand door-to-door for a penny, which people used to strew across their stone floors. Once he had earned a few pence, he would quickly spend it on a borrel (a small glass of gin) before starting to ‘save up’ for the next one.

In 1904, the Almshouse was demolished. The elderly residents still living there at the time moved to the retirement home on Hogestraat.

Owners

This list is incomplete.

Year	Plot	Owner	Description
1832	I-1116 to I-1135	the Reformed Poor of Aalten	20x 17–36 m² house & yard (1905: sale & demolition)
1906	I-5192 I-5191 I-5190	Fredrik Driessen e.c., postman Lourens Leuven e.c., painter Gerrit Jan Semmelink, merchant/shopkeeper	401 m² garden 416 m² garden 361 m² garden
1923 1911 1918	I-5192 I-5191 I-5190	Wolter Vaags e.c., baker Gerrit Johan Houwers, furniture maker Hendrik Jan Wentink, shopkeeper	401 m² house & yard (Haartsestr. 14) 402 m² house & yard (Haartsestr. 16) 361 m² garden (naast Haartsestr. 20)

House Numbering

In the population register, every room or household is listed on a separate family card. The overview below provides links to the first family card in the population register for each period that corresponds to the almshouse on Haartsestraat. From there, one can browse further to find all residents for that specific timeframe.

An extensive table listing all residents is planned for the future to assist genealogists in identifying former occupants. Please note: records may contain errors.

1823	1838	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890	1900
235	263	263	263	290	333	329	395

Catholic Almshouse

Aalten also used to have a Catholic almshouse. The Armenpad (Poor’s Path) between Hogestraat and Stationsstraat, one of Aalten’s typical Gängeskes (alleys), still serves as a reminder of this.

Features

Cadastral no.	I-8761/8762/ 13144/13140
Function	Almshouse
Year of construction	unknown
Demolition	1904

Sources

Aaltensche Courant, 9 July 1904 (Delpher)
‘Aalten in oude ansichten’ – part 2, E.M. Smilda
ECAL
Kadastrale kaart (Land registry map)
Nieuwe Winterswijksche Courant, 25 May 1904 (Delpher)
‘From Aalten’s Past’, G.H. Rots, Aaltensche Courant, 19 November 1937 (Delpher)

9 July 1904

Roman Catholic Almshouse

Armenpad / Hogestraat, Aalten

Het Armenpad, dat de Hogestraat en de Stationsstraat met elkaar verbindt, is één van de typisch Aaltense Gängeskes. De naam herinnert aan het rooms-katholieke gasthuis (armenhuis) dat hier ooit stond.

Dit armenhuis bestond uit acht kamers van elk 4 bij 4 meter en stond op grond van Dr. Hartman. De bewoners ontvingen steun van de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk, die hen voorzag van kleding en voedsel. Daarnaast hadden ze een klein tuintje, waarin ze bijvoorbeeld een geit konden houden. In 1937 kwam er een einde aan het gasthuis, toen de familie Hartman besloot de bewoners niet langer op hun grond te laten wonen.¹

Around 1912, the eight dwellings were reconfigured into four dwellings.

Behalve het katholieke gasthuis had Aalten vroeger ook een hervormd gasthuis aan de huidige Haartsestraat.

Newspaper reports ²

Features

Cadastral No.³	I-11345
Function	Almshouse
Year of construction	1860
Demolition	1937

Owners

Overview is incomplete.

Year	Plot	Owner	Description
1860	I-2540-2547	the Roman Cath. poor of Aalten	14 m² house-yard (8x)
1883	I-2540 (87) I-2541 (87a) I-2542 (87b) I-2543 (87c) I-2544 (87d) I-2545 (87e) I-2546 (87f) I-2547 (87g)	the Roman Cath. poor of Aalten	14 m² house & yard (8x) including house numbers, between brackets after plot number)
1894	I-4581	the Roman Cath. poor of Aalten	1.600 m² almshouse, barn & yard
1913	I-4581	the Roman Cath. poor of Aalten	1,700 m² house, almshouse, barn and yard
1914	I-5615 I-5616	the Roman Cath. poor of Aalten	40 m² almshouse 1.660 m² house, barn and farmland

Residents

The overview below contains a link to the corresponding family card in the population register for each period and room/household from 1860 to 1910.⁵ ⁶ What we noticed: it appears that residents occasionally changed rooms; the residents were mostly single women (widows); and many had Bocholt as their place of birth. Our research is still ongoing, errors excepted!

1860	Resident(s)	1870	Resident(s)	1880	Resident(s)	1890	Resident(s)	1900	Resident(s)	1910	Resident(s)	1934	Resident(s)
88	M. Kalb, A. Huls	87/1	A. Huls	97/1	A. Bekink, J.A.H. Bloemers	90/1	J.A.H. Bloemer, J.G. Stritholt, B.J.M. Berendsen & 5 kinderen	112/1	J.A.H. Bloemer	A142/1		A143a
		87/2	A.H. Huitink	97/2	A.H. Huitink	90/2	J.A.H. Bloemer	112/2	E. Geuring	A142/2	A.J. Hubers	A143b	A.J. Hubers
88	H. Buiel, G. Veenhuis	87/3	G. Veenhuis, J.A.H. Bloemers	97/3	W. Jansen	90/3	J. Stöckert, J.C. Antink	112/3	J.G. Stritholt	A142/3	M.M. Boekwinkel	A143c	Wed. A.H. Sauer
89	H. Unland	87/4	H. Unland	97/4	H. Unland	90/4	P. Lorijn, J.G. Stritholt	112/4	T. Huls	A142/4		A143d	Wed. J.G. Albers
89	L. ten Haken	87/5	L. ten Haken, A. Bekink	97/5	Harmina Bennink	90/5	H. Bennink, T. Huls	112/5	No mention (found).	A142/5
89	J.E. Benning	87/6	J.E. Benning, J.E. Bokkers	97/6	J.A.H. Bloemer	90/6	C. Bartholomeus, E. Geuring	112/6	A.E. Doinck, A.J. Hubers & W.G. Hubers	A142/6
				97/7	J.E. Bokkers	90/7	No mention (found).	112/7	Harm Bakker
		87/6	A.H.E. Gintherr	97/8	A.H.E. Gintherr	90/8	A.E. Doinck	112/8	No mention (found).

Sources

R. de Boer, in response to Facebook page Old Aalten ↩︎
Delpher ↩︎
Cadastral map ↩︎
Land Registry ↩︎
WieWasWie (WhoWasWho) ↩︎
ECAL ↩︎

1 January 1900

Gallows Hill

The Galgenbulte (Gallows Hill) on the Hollenberg, also known as Klaeskesbulte, was formerly the site where the gallows were erected. This was where condemned criminals, witches, and other scum drew their final breath.

The execution site was strategically located along the road from Aalten to Bredevoort. The hill was excavated in 1939 to widen the main road.

Approximate location

Vehmic Court

During the medieval period, a veemgericht (Vehmic court) was established on the Hollenberg, near the ’t Walfort manor. This was a special court whose sessions were held in the open air near a thicket known as ‘Sleehegge’. Four times a year, justice was administered here at sunrise. A nearby small farmstead is called Galgenhutte. It is said that the equipment for the executions was stored there in a small building. According to local lore, those sentenced to death were permitted to eat their final meal there.

Read more

Havezathe ‘t Walfort, Jan de Beijer, 1743

Berend de Dücker

In 1430, Free Count Berend de Dücker, then the mayor of Bocholt, presided over the court here. He led the Vehmic court for 60 years. This Berend was notorious for his severe sentencing, frequently condemning individuals to hanging. The condemned person was hanged with a noose made of willow withes by three anonymous veemschepenen (Vehmic jurors).

A well-known threat used by parents for disobedient children, which persisted until the 20th century, was: ‘De Düker zal ow halen‘ (The Dücker will get you).

Records from the ‘Administrative Organisation of the Lordship of Bredevoort’ indicate that the residents of Kempink and Goorhuis in Heurne were responsible for transporting the convicted criminal to the Hollenberg after the sentence had been read at ’t Zand in Bredevoort. By order of the officer, they were also required, without exception, to transport the gallows, wheel, cross, and other instruments of execution to the site.

By the end of the sixteenth century, the Vehmic court at ’t Walfort had disappeared. It is the only location in the Netherlands where the existence of a Vehmic court has been proven.

Klaas Nijman

On 3 October 1729, following a trial in Bredevoort and sentencing at ’t Zand, Klaas Nijman—32 years old and born in the district of Bocholt—was executed on the Hollenberg. He was a ‘beggar and vagabond’ accused of violent theft, arson, and other offences. Although he had been banished from various places, he continually returned. As a deterrent to others, he was strangled on the Hollenberg and subsequently set on fire.

Read more

Verdict Klaas Nijman

Harmen Brunsink

On 12 February 1770, Harmen Brunsink was executed on the Hollenberg. He lived at the Vosheurne farm in Lintelo and had murdered ‘Aunt’ Hendersken Tannemaat. Harmen did not get along with this live-in aunt of his wife. He claimed to alerted neighbours that she had fallen, but the number and nature of the injuries made his story unbelievable.

Harmen was sentenced to death. The executioner bound him to a wooden cross; first his legs and then his arms were broken. He was subsequently beheaded with an axe. His body was placed on a wheel atop a pole and secured with chains. His head was placed on a stake above it to deter others.

Read more

Verdict Herman Brunsink

The Last Execution

In 1938, G.H. Rots wrote:

“The fact that death sentences were carried out even after the time of the Vehmic court proves that the end came for many a condemned soul in the vicinity of ’t Walfort. To the right of the road to Bredevoort, hidden under brushwood and trees, is a small mound. That is where the gallows were erected. When someone was to be executed, a number of men were officially summoned to form a circle around the place of execution. This was in case the noose should break or the condemned should break free; the circle of men stood hand-in-hand to prevent escape.

After a long period in which no more death sentences were passed, the last gallows is said to have been erected at the beginning of the last [19th] century. The condemned man was named Klaësken, and surrounded by the circle-closers, he went in procession to the gallows. It seems, however, that they wanted to give the man a chance to flee, for when they reached the Walfortallee, they said to him: ‘That is the road to Prussia.’ The man did not take the hint, and on the hill, as the last in a line of condemned men, he met his end on the gallows. That is why that small mound is still called the Klaëskesbulte.”

Other references

Aaltensche Courant, 2 March 1910

Aaltensche Courant, 3 March 1939

Aaltensche Courant, 31 March 1939

12 February 1770
The Latin School in Bredevoort
Bredevoort in 1743 by Jan de Beijer, for illustration purposes

In the eighteenth century, the fortified town of Bredevoort was home to a Latin School — an educational institution where boys were prepared for a university or ecclesiastical career.¹ Although no physical remains exist, several archival records offer a glimpse into the existence of this school.

A teacher from Molsberg

The first indication comes from the Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant of 1 November 1763, in which Lotharius Frederik Wurm advertises that he has been working as a praeceptor (teacher) in Bredevoort for two years. His appointment therefore dates from approximately 1761. He announces his intention to start a boarding school and offers lessons in Latin, High German, French, history, rhetoric, poetry, and psalm singing.²

Less than a month later, on 26 November 1763, an almost identical advertisement appears in the Amsterdamsche Courant.³ A year after that, on 13 September 1764, another similar advertisement follows in the Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant.⁴ This shows that Wurm actively and repeatedly presented himself to recruit pupils.

On 29 October 1765, he appears in the newspaper again, this time as rector of the Latin School in Bredevoort, appointed by “His Serene Highness the Hereditary Stadtholder.” In this capacity, he offered tuition in Latin, Greek, history, rhetoric, and poetry, alongside private lessons in French and High German.⁵

Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant, 29 October 1765

Wurm originated from Molsberg, in the Electorate of Trier (now Germany). He married Elisabet Eliveret in Bredevoort on 9 August 1764.⁶ He passed away before September 1774, as Elisabet remarried at that time as the “widow of the late Lotharius Fredericus Wurm.” ⁷

A schoolmaster with ecclesiastical duties

On 26 March 1773, it is noted in the Marriage Register of the Dutch Reformed Congregation of Bredevoort that Alette Diemont, widow of schoolmaster Jan Hendrik Prevenier, is handing over the marriage register. The entry reads:

“Anno 26 March 1773, received this booklet from Juffr. Alette Diemont, widow of the Schoolmaster of this city, Jan Hendrik Prevenier.”
— signed: H. Conradi, senior sijn⁸

This note confirms that Prevenier was a schoolmaster. The fact that he was in charge of the marriage register indicates that he was also responsible for maintaining church records — a task often performed in small towns by the schoolmaster or precentor.⁹

Additionally, Prevenier is mentioned in other sources as the city steward (stadsrentmeester), responsible for the financial administration of Bredevoort.¹⁰ This makes it clear that he fulfilled a central role not only in education and the church, but also in the municipal administration. It is plausible that he was associated with the Latin School, as in small towns the roles of schoolmaster and teacher at the Latin School were often combined.¹¹ While this is not explicitly recorded for Bredevoort, given the context, a combination of functions is highly likely.

Location unknown

The exact location of the Latin School in Bredevoort is unknown. It may have been no more than a room in or near the church, or the teacher’s residence — as was common elsewhere in small towns in Gelderland.¹² The presence of such a facility in a small town like Bredevoort nonetheless indicates a relatively high level of education and culture in the 18th century.¹³
Sources
1. Latijnse School (Wikipedia) ↩︎
2. Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant, 1 November 1763 (Delpher) ↩︎
3. Amsterdamsche Courant, 26 November 1763 (Delpher) ↩︎
4. Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant, 13 September 1764 (Delpher) ↩︎
5. Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant, 29 October 1765 (Delpher) ↩︎
6. Aalten, trouwboek, 9 August 1764 (Genealogiedomein) ↩︎
7. Aalten, trouwboek, september 1774 (Genealogiedomein) ↩︎
8. Bredevoort, trouwboek 1639-1981 (Genealogiedomein) ↩︎
9. A.Th. van Deursen, Bavianen en Slijkgeuzen (1974) ↩︎
10. Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers, Doetinchem. Toegang 0098 Drost en Geërfden van Bredevoort, 1608-1794 (Rekeningen van stadsrentmeester Jan Hendrik Prevenier; afgehoord 1773) ↩︎
11. W. Frijhoff & M. Spies, 1650: Bevochten eendracht (1999) ↩︎
12. A.J. van der Aa, Aardrijkskundig Woordenboek der Nederlanden (1839–1851) ↩︎
13. J.L. van Zanden e.a., Nederland 1780–1914 (2000) ↩︎
30 October 1765
Bredevoort Castle
Bredevoort Castle, 3D impression by Paul van Druten

Bredevoort Castle was a fortress in the heart of the eponymous town and former Lordship of Bredevoort in the County of Zutphen within the Duchy of Guelders. It was one of the most significant castles in Gelderland. During the 13th and 14th centuries, Bredevoort Castle played a major role in the struggle between Guelders and Münsterland.

The castle was first mentioned in 1188 on a list of properties belonging to the Diocese of Cologne as “Castrum Breidervort“. At that time, the castle was a site of contention. Consequently, it had multiple owners, leading to a centuries-long struggle for control. In 1238, the castle came into the hands of Ludolf van Steinfurt and Herman van Lohn as a shared inheritance. The castle was to be fortified, with both parties sharing the costs. In 1278, the fortress was destroyed by Count Everhard I von der Mark during an act of revenge. Following this, the castle remained a ruin for 23 years. A deed of sale from 1284 refers to the “area castri Bredevort”.

After years of conflict over Bredevoort between Münster and Guelders, the castle eventually returned to the hands of Count Herman van Lohn II in 1301. In that year, the bishops of Münster and Cologne pledged to assist Herman van Lohn with the restoration of the fortress. In the turbulent times that followed, the fortress frequently changed hands between Münster and Guelders through combat or sale. The bishops of Münster and Cologne were required to jointly fund the reconstruction of Bredevoort Castle.

After centuries of fighting over the castle, the Bishop of Münster abandoned the struggle and sought peace negotiations. Following years of negotiation, peace was finally signed on June 28, 1326, with the Treaty of Wesel. This significant treaty was also signed by the cities of Zutphen, Groenlo, Emmerich, and Arnhem. As a result, Reinoud II of Guelders acquired the pledge of the jurisdictions in Winterswijk, Aalten, and Dinxperlo, as well as the County of Bredevoort. This move definitively incorporated the area into Gelderland.

In 1882, J. Craandijk produced two drawings intended to represent Bredevoort Castle. Whether these are accurate, however, remains a matter of debate.

Bredevoort Castle, ‘the Hall’
Floor plan

In 1562, the lord of the manor of Bredevoort, Diederik van Bronckhorst-Batenburg, Lord of Anholt, commissioned a floor plan of the castle at Bredevoort. This plan also described the functions and structural condition of the various components. Measurements were recorded in Rhineland feet. A Rhineland foot is over 31 cm long. The castle was a rectangle measuring 42 m long and 36 m wide. The walls were approximately 65 cm thick. An earthen rampart surrounded the castle, with roundels at the corners. The rampart was approximately 2 m wide.

Floor plan of Bredevoort Castle, 1562

Explanations of the descriptions on the floor plan (translated from old script):
1. This vault will collapse if it is not repaired soon.
2. Here is the staircase leading to the knights’ hall.
3. This wall is dilapidated. The vertical beams are rotted at the bottom. This is a large hall: 47 feet long and 23 feet wide, measured from the inside. Beneath it is a cellar. The floor consists of beams and planks and is finished with floor tiles. There is only one attic above the hall.
4. This is a staircase to enter the large hall.
5. This is the kitchen, 21 feet long and 23 feet wide. Beneath it is a cellar of the same size as the cellar under the large hall.
6. This shed was built by Drost Isendoorn. The walls are masonry set between beams.
7. This is the rampart that runs around the castle.
8. This is a very dilapidated shed, much like a pigsty.
9. The prison tower. It is 38 feet square (measured from the outside). The walls are 8½ feet thick. [This tower was likely used later as a powder tower, Ed.]
10. Here are two roundels.
11. The Drost’s chamber (Maarschalcksekamer) above the gate. [The name ‘Maarschalckse kamer’ dates from the period 1534-1555 when Marshal Maarten van Rossum was Drost of Bredevoort, Ed.]
12. This is the chapel.
13. From here, the hearth of the knights’ hall is stoked.
14. This is the knights’ hall. The room is 36 feet long and 19 feet wide. Below this are the rooms of the burgrave (castle warden) and the steward. The gate entrance is also located below here.
15. This wall is in good condition, as far as it can be seen above the rampart.
16. This wall is built between wooden beams and has a thickness of half a brick. [The bricks used were ‘kloostermoppen’ of approximately 14 cm in width, Ed.]
17. A dilapidated spiral staircase.
18. Another room. Below this is a laundry room. Because the rampart rests against the laundry room, the wall is rotted. The stones are loose.
19. This wall is largely built between wooden beams and is very dilapidated.
20. This contains the grain mill and the baking ovens. Above is the servant’s room, with two attics and a chimney.
21. This is where the Drost sleeps. The room is 28 feet long and 23 feet wide. Beneath it is a meat cellar.
22. This room is divided in two. The floor is made of wood. The meat cellar also lies beneath this area.
23. This upper room is called the salon (state room, armory). Below it is the armor room.
24. Here the rampart touches the wall, causing the wall to let in moisture and show defects. The wall is very thick, and if the water could be kept out, it would likely provide some improvement.
25. These two rooms, as well as the granary, are located above the bakehouse and brewhouse.
26. This drawing was made in Arnhem after everything was measured as accurately as possible. The drawing is fairly accurate. However, in reality, some parts are slightly larger than depicted here, such as the chapel, the spiral staircase in the courtyard, and the prison tower.
External Appearance

Bredevoort Castle, by Piet te Lintum

Not much is known about exactly how Bredevoort Castle looked. While drawings of the castle exist, they are partly based on assumptions and imagination.

The castle was built on a sandy ridge of approximately 42 x 26 meters, making it one of the larger castles in the Netherlands. Old maps show the main fortress to be a typical concentric castle, featuring double moats and a thick curtain wall. It included an outer bailey with heavy corner towers and a rectangular castle wall equipped with four corner towers, three of which were later lowered to become roundels.

The castle and the town were separated by a double moat. Access to the castle from the town was via a bridge. One had to pass through two gates, the second of which was equipped with a barbican, and finally a gatehouse in the curtain wall before reaching the inner courtyard. Within the fortress, various buildings stood around a spacious inner court. These depictions changed over time, and the appearance and stature of the castle would have been altered frequently throughout the centuries due to conflict, war, city fires, and other causes.

Destroyed

The castle was heavily damaged by the Gunpowder Tower Disaster in 1646. Following this, the castle dominated the cityscape as a ruin for over 150 years until around the end of the 18th century. The last known mention of a visible ruin dates to 1791, recorded in the Bredevoort church council minutes when William V viewed the remains during his visit to Bredevoort. The main building (excluding the outer bailey, roundels, and curtain wall) had dimensions of approximately 42 x 36 meters. This made it one of the larger castles in the Netherlands.

Bredevoort Castle in 1597

Remains

Today, the remains of the castle—in the form of foundations, vaults, tunnels, and rubble—lie beneath and around the ‘t Zand square and the Hozenstraat in the heart of the town. In the spring of 2009, during archaeological research around the former school on ‘t Zand, part of the foundations was uncovered. Wall remains between 2.5 and 4 meters thick were found. On ‘t Zand square, foundations of the barbican were discovered. The contours of this gatehouse have been made visible in the paving with brass-colored bands.
1 January 1188