Old Aalten

Tag: Aalten Achteruit

  • The Hessenwegen in Aalten and Bredevoort

    The Hessenwegen in Aalten and Bredevoort

    For centuries, German merchants traveled through the Achterhoek with their heavy carts via the so-called Hessenwegen: ancient trade routes that connected the region with Germany and the Dutch trading cities. One of these roads ran from Bocholt via Aalten towards Zutphen and Doesburg. The Hessenwegen were of great importance for early modern trade in this region.

    The term Hessenweg has been used since the 17th century. The traditional explanation refers to the merchants who came from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel and the surrounding area. Within etymology, however, the name is explained differently: it is said to be a corruption of hers, meaning horse. These roads usually ran over high, dry sandy soils and along ridges.

    Four major Hessenwegen ran through the Achterhoek. Three of them followed a northern route, from Vreden and Ammeloe via Groenlo, Rekken, and Neede, among others, to Deventer or Zutphen.

    In the southern Achterhoek, a Hessenweg ran past Aalten. From Bocholt, this route crossed the current border at the Kesenbulte and continued via the Bodendijk, Dijkstraat, Landstraat, Berkenhovestraat, and the Romienendiek to De Radstake. From there, the road continued past Zutphen and Barneveld, with a branch between Halle and Zelhem towards Doesburg.

    Misterstraat 87, Bredevoort - Leste Stuver
    De Leste Stuver near Bredevoort

    From the IJssel cities, the Hessenwegen crossed the Veluwe, converged in the Gooi, and continued to Amsterdam. The Hessenwegen had numerous branches. One of these ran near Aalten from the Romienendiek, via the Koningsweg, Hessenweg, past the Walfort, via Bredevoort and Winterswijk to Vreden.

    The Hessians stayed overnight in inns along the road, such as De Radstake and the Slikkertap. In Aalten, there were lodgings such as De Leeuw, De Roskam, De Landman, and Stad Munster. In Bredevoort, De Zwaan and, just outside the town, De Leste Stuver were well-known stopping places.

    Hessenkeerls

    For those living along a Hessenweg in the 19th century, the arrival of the Hessenkeerls was quite an event. On the windward side of the procession walked men with heavy clubs, dressed in their characteristic blue Hessenkiel: a shirt of fine linen, closed with copper hooks in the shape of lion heads and three small bone buttons. Decorated facings were applied to the chest and shoulders.

    On the road, donkeys trudged through the loose sand, with a basket of woven willow twigs full of merchandise on either side. Once they arrived in a village, the men tied their donkeys near an inn or on the village square. The animals were fed and watered, while the men refreshed themselves at the village pump.

    Afterward, the baskets were opened and the Hessians went from house to house peddling. Their merchandise included light glassware and soft straw hats. These hats were in high demand: as soon as the Hessians arrived, customers were already waiting for them to buy a new summer hat. The hats were elastic and therefore almost always fit. After a few hours, the Hessians moved on.

    Pottenkeerls, musicians, and hannekemaaiers

    In addition to the Hessenkeerls, pottenkeerls also appeared on the Hessenwegen. They used heavy covered wagons that stood high on their wheels, the so-called Hessenkaoren, pulled by sturdy Holsteiner horses. The carts were full of Cologne pottery: gray or yellow-brown pots with blue decoration. The horses wore richly decorated harnesses, fitted and hung with copper decorations, so that their arrival could be heard from afar.

    The carter with his Hessenkar

    An image of a carter with his Hessenkar from around 1830, from the Popular Prints collection of Museum ‘t Oude Slot in Veldhoven, with the text:

    The blue-smocked Hessian travels from the Uplands,
    And guides his long team with ‘Hu’ and ‘Hot’ and ‘Haar’.
    His high-laden cart brings many kinds of wares,
    Which the Dutch ship carries again to North and South shores.

    In the spring, groups of German musicians traveled over the Hessenwegen to the Netherlands. Some bands were very well known in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. Although they presumably came from the same region, they were not called Hessians because they did not wear the Hessenkiel.

    In addition, the hannekemaaiers came by in the summer: seasonal workers from Westphalia who helped in Holland with mowing grass and during the harvest. Women and children stayed behind at home to work on the land, while the men earned money elsewhere for the winter.

    The end of the Hessenwegen

    In the course of the 19th century, the significance of the Hessenwegen declined. In 1875, the last Hessians were seen near Zelhem, a meager group compared to former times. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the subsequent industrial boom in the Ruhr area provided the Germans with a livelihood closer to home. Even many young people from the Achterhoek went that way to earn good money. With that, the Hessenwegen had had their day.

    Older origins

    Although the term Hessenweg was used from the 17th century, archaeological finds along these roads indicate that they had been in use for much longer. For example, in Aalten, at De Hoven near the Landstraat, traces of an 8th-century settlement have been found, including remains of sunken-floor huts, refuse pits, and spindle whorls. This is a strong indication that the later Hessenwegen built upon much older traffic routes, the so-called volkerenwegen (peoples’ roads).

    It is therefore logical to assume that the village of Aalten partly owes its origin to this ancient peoples’ road. De Hoven was a favorable spot, because in the middle of the wild landscape of forest, heath, and marshes, there was a hill here, high and dry, directly on a through road. Moreover, a stream flowed at the bottom of the hill, providing fresh water.

    Hessentocht

    The memory of the Hessians still lives on. In 2011, a Hessentocht (Hessian Trek) was organized for the second time in the vicinity of Bredevoort and Aalten. During this trek, in which a historical caravan was simulated, an impressive ox cart took part: 2.60 meters wide, six meters long, and four meters high. In addition, three wagons participated, each pulled by three horses. Jan Oberink captured the trek on film and created the atmospheric impression below.

    Acknowledgements

    The content of this article is largely based on the article by G.J. Klokman (Zelhem, 1864), published in 1937. There are numerous other publications about Hessenwegen that present a different picture on some points. For this article, Klokman’s description was primarily chosen because his memories and observations specifically relate to the Hessenweg near Zelhem, the same route that also ran through Aalten.

    Sources

    1. G.J. Klokman, De Hessenwegen, in: Eigen Volk. Algemeen tijdschrift voor volkskunde (folklore) en dialect, 1937. National Library of the Netherlands
    2. G.J. Klokman, De Achterhoekers, in: De Nederlandse volkskarakters, 1938. DBNL
    3. Wikipedia, Hessenweg
    4. Hummelo.nl, Hessenwegen, Hanzewegen en Koningswegen (RdH004-27-2-2007). Hummelo History
    5. De Veluwenaar, Hessenwegen
    6. Old Aalten, Traces of 1100-year-old settlement in Aalten
    7. YouTube, Hessentocht travels through the municipality of Aalten, 2011
  • Origin of the place name Aalten

    Origin of the place name Aalten

    Several theories circulate regarding the origin of the name Aalten. But what are they based on and how credible are they? Old Aalten delved into history to discover more about this.

    We begin with the oldest historical mentions of Aalten, as these may contain clues about the origin of the name. Next, we examine what toponomy (the study of place names) can teach us about this. We then discuss several theories regarding the origin and meaning of the name Aalten and conclude with our findings.

    Deed from 1234, in which Aalten is mentioned twice as 'Alethim'
    Deed from 1234, in which Aalten is mentioned twice as ‘Alethim’

    Earliest mentions

    There are several medieval documents containing a reference to Aalten, with varying spellings. The best-known mentions are Aladna and Aladon, after which the Aladnaweg and a school are named. Below is an overview of historical mentions, including a reference to the oldest known source.

    828A charter from 828 describes how a certain Geroward donated all his possessions, including those in Aladna, to the St. Martin’s Church in Utrecht on February 7 of that year. Little is known about Geroward’s identity, but he was presumably a Frankish nobleman in the service of the Carolingian Emperor Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne.1
    1138/
    1139    		In 1138 or 1139, Godschalk of Versnevelde (Varsseveld), with the consent of his brother Count Gerhard (II) of Lohn, enters into an exchange agreement with the canons of the St. Mary’s Church in Rees. He transfers an estate in Megchelen near Gendringen, including associated hunting rights, two fields, a meadow, and nine serfs of both sexes. In exchange, he receives a property in Alethnin, with all yields and seven serfs.2
    1152In 1152, Count Godschalk (II) of Lohn, son of Gerhard II, reached a settlement with Bishop Frederick II of Münster. Godschalk claimed authority over the parishes of Lon, Winethereswik, Aladon, Versnevelde, Selehem, and Hengelo on the basis of his comital title. The bishop held a different view, after which it was formally established that Godschalk did not hold these territories in his own right, but was to administer them as a liegeman of the bishop.3
    1188In 1188, during the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, priest Everhardus, chaplain to Count Henry of Dalen and Diepenheim, compiled an inventory of Henry’s feudal (vassal) and allodial (free) possessions. The feudal properties were recorded under the parishes to which they belonged, including Ecberghe, Gronlo, Winterswic, Nehde, Ghesterne, Lochem, Almen, Dotinchem, Zelhem, and Althen.4
    1234In 1234, Count Herman (I) of Lohn, Lord of Bredevoort, together with his brothers Henry, provost of Zutphen, and Otto, canon of St. Gereon in Cologne, as well as his brothers-in-law Werner van Herden, Sweder van Ringelberg, Herman Werecen, Herman van Munster and their spouses, and all their further heirs, entered into an exchange with the Bethlehem Monastery. In this agreement, the monastery receives from the count, among other things: duabus warandiis, una in marchia Alethim et altera in marchia Silvolden (two hunting grounds; one in the mark of Aalten and the other in the mark of Silvolde). Witnesses include the parish priests Johannes from Bocholte, Conradus from Alethim, Ernestus from Winterswic, and Johannes from Versevelde.5
    1254In 1254, mention is made of the “curtis Grevinkhof sita in parochia Alethe“ (the estate Grevinkhof, situated in the parish of Aalten): Gotscalco de Reme receives from Otto van Loon in castle-fief the curtis Grevinkhof in Aalten, with the mill and further appurtenances, with the exception of the timber court. Present here Gerardus Canoninicus “frater domini G. de Reme”.6
    1313In a register of churches belonging to the Diocese of Münster from the year 1313, the following parishes, currently located in the Netherlands, are mentioned: Alten, Dinxperle, Eiberghe, Gheesteren, Grolle, Hengelo, Neede, Seelfwalde, Selehem, Versevelde and Wynterswik.7
    1386Derich Willemssoen van Lyntloe has been granted Varenvelde in parish Alten, sabbato na Briccii ep. (17 November) 1386.7
    1409Derk van Linteloe and his children Derk and Herman, declare to have sold to Johan Rensynck the estate ten Nygenhues, located in the hamlet of Lynteloe under Aelten and held in fief from the Lordship of Borculo, 1409 July 24 (in vigilia beati Jacobi apostoli maioris).8

    Toponymy and sound development

    Toponymy, or the study of place names, is a branch of linguistics that studies place names and seeks to explain their origins.9 A generally accepted principle within toponymy is that the sound development of a name is more reliable than its spelling, as written mentions in pre-modern times were inconsistent and influenced by scribes, dialects, and time-bound conventions. The sound of a name, by contrast, usually remains more consistent and therefore offers better insight into the original pronunciation and meaning.

    Now, we are not toponymists, but when we view the sound development of the earliest mentions of Aalten chronologically, we believe we recognize a pattern:

    Aladna → Alethnin → Aladon → Althen → Alethim → Alethe → Alten → Aelten → Aalten

    For a period of four centuries (9th-13th century), these mentions consist of three syllables, starting with ‘ala’ or ‘ale’, followed by a d or t, and in most cases ending with an n. Although the spelling varies, the sound structure remains largely consistent. From the 13th/14th century onwards, we see that the second syllable gradually disappears and that the name corrupts into Althen/Alten/Aelten/Aalten.

    Theories on origin and meaning

    Below we discuss the best-known theories regarding the origin and meaning of the name Aalten.

    Place on a hill

    A frequently cited theory states that the name Aalten is derived from the Latin altus, meaning ‘height’. This explanation seems primarily based on the fact that Aalten originated on a hill and the phonetic similarity between altus and Aalten. However, there is no historical or linguistic evidence for this theory. Furthermore, this explanation does not take into account the sound development in the oldest known mentions of the name.

    Homestead by the altar

    Another theory suggests that Aalten was inhabited around 150 BC by Angles from the area that is now Berkelland. According to this explanation, the name is derived from the Anglian ael (altar, place of sacrifice) and thun (garden, enclosed yard). This would lead to Aelthun, or ‘homestead by the altar.’10 This explanation is also speculative and does not fit the sound pattern of the medieval mentions of the name.

    Plant or tree name

    In Gelderse plaatsnamen verklaard, Gerald van Berkel states that the name Aalten may be related to a plant or tree name and refers to the Old Norse alað (nourishment, food), aldin (edible tree fruit), or alda (fruit-bearing oak).11 Although there is no direct evidence for this explanation, it does fit the sound pattern of the medieval mentions.

    Place by the water

    In Prehistorische waternamen Maurits Gysseling suggests that the name Aalten is derived from the Indo-European Alatanā, meaning “situated in a bend of a stream”.12 In the case of Aalten, this would refer to the Slingebeek. Van Berkel, however, calls this theory far-fetched in Gelderse plaatsnamen verklaard.

    Place name researcher Bas Kloens disagrees. In his study on place names and their origins, Valkuilen in de Plaatsnaamkunde, he states that it is actually “abundantly clear” that Aalten, like many other similar place names, owes its name to its location on a watercourse or stream.13

    Conclusion

    No single theory regarding the origin of the place name Aalten can be supported with hard evidence or completely ruled out. It remains, therefore, largely a matter of speculation. Nevertheless, we lean towards the theories of Gysseling and Kloens, who state that Aalten owes its name to its location on a watercourse, namely the Slingebeek.

    Furthermore, despite Van Berkel’s skepticism, a connection with the Indo-European Alatanâ, which bears a strong resemblance to Aladna, seems plausible to us.

    In short, although not scientifically proven, our nomination for the most plausible explanation for the origin and meaning of the name Aalten goes to Place by the water / situated in a bend of a stream.

    The village of Aalten, situated on a hill by the Slingebeek (topographical map from 1845)
    The village of Aalten, situated on a hill by the Slingebeek (fragment of a topographical map from 1845)

    Sources

    1. Aladna in the Year 828 ↩︎
    2. Knipping, R. (1901) Die Regesten der Erzbischöfe von Köln im Mittelalter, p.62 ↩︎
    3. Sloet, L.A.J.W. (1872) Oorkondenboek der Graafschappen Gelre en Zutfen, p.292 ↩︎
    4. Sloet, L.A.J.W. (1872) Oorkondenboek der Graafschappen Gelre en Zutfen, p.371 ↩︎
    5. Gelders Archief, archive number 0314, Bethlehem Monastery near Doetinchem ↩︎
    6. Geldersche volks-almanak voor het jaar 1889, p.17 ↩︎
    7. Leenacten van Gelre en Zutphen 1376-1402 (Delpher) ↩︎
    8. Gelders Archief, archive number 0312, Nazareth or Schaer Monastery near Bredevoort ↩︎
    9. Wikipedia, Toponymy ↩︎
    10. Kranenburgia, Anglicana ↩︎
    11. Berkel, van, G. (2017) Gelderse plaatsnamen verklaard, p.16 ↩︎
    12. Gysseling, M. (1982) Prehistorische waternamen, p.35, 55-56 ↩︎
    13. Kloens, B. (2009) Valkuilen in de plaats-Naamkunde, p.179, 197-198, 286, 313, 333, 518 ↩︎
  • Burials in Aalten

    Burials in Aalten

    Around 800 AD

    Belt fitting, found at Damstraat in Aalten
    Belt fitting, found at Damstraat in Aalten

    Archaeological finds indicate that the early inhabitants of Aalten were already burying their dead around 800 AD in a burial field on the current Damstraat. During excavation work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, traces of a Merovingian-Frankish burial field were discovered there. Notable finds, such as spearheads, stirrups, a shield boss, and silver belt links, suggest that a warrior may have been buried here.

    On De Hoven, traces of habitation from the same period have been found, consisting of various so-called sunken huts – rectangular pits that served as work or storage spaces. Pottery fragments found here correspond with the finds from the burial field on the Damstraat.

    The Christianization of Aalten

    Following the subjugation of the Saxons by Charlemagne around 785, the Christianization of Aalten and the surrounding area began. Missionary Liudger, later Bishop of Münster, played a significant role in the founding of churches in the region, presumably including the first church in Aalten.

    This church, originally likely a simple wooden chapel, was founded on a strategic and symbolic site: the elevated location where the current Old St Helen’s Church stands today. This site became the religious and social center of the community.

    Archaeological research has shown that the residents of De Hoven abandoned that site around the year 1000. It is possible that, after converting to Christianity, they decided to live closer to the recently founded church to enjoy the protection of the faith. From that time on, the deceased were also presumably buried in and around the church.

    Churchyard

    A churchyard developed around the church, which played an important role in the life of the community during the Middle Ages. The churchyard in Aalten was originally much larger than the current plot surrounding the Old St Helen’s Church. It served not only as a burial ground but also as a place for social and religious gatherings. In those days, people even lived around or on the churchyard, often officials such as sextons or clergy who were directly involved with the church.

    In recent centuries, skeletal remains have been frequently encountered during excavation work in the ground around the church, such as on the Köstersbulte, the path along Elim, and also on the Kerkstraat, where buildings now stand. The original burial ground around the church was therefore much larger than the current site on which the church stands.

    Until the 19th century, the deceased were primarily buried in and around the church. Burial inside the church itself was reserved for people of status, such as clergy, nobles, and benefactors. It was believed that a grave within the church guaranteed a better position in the afterlife. However, most people were buried in the churchyard surrounding the church. Individual tombstones were rare in the Middle Ages; many people were buried in unmarked graves.

    Health Risks

    However, burial inside the church brought significant problems. A lack of space and the decomposition of bodies led to health risks; churchyards became overcrowded, and the situation became untenable.

    Subsidence in the floor occurred regularly within the church, and the owners of the respective graves often failed to carry out the necessary repairs. The odor of decay in the pews near the hole in question was sometimes unbearable for weeks, especially during the summer months.

    Aalten Market with church and charnel house, ca. 1740 - drawn by Piet te Lintum
    Aalten Market with church and ‘bone hall’, ca. 1740 – drawn by Piet te Lintum

    Epidemics such as the plague exacerbated this problem. Consequently, a regulation was established stating that churchwardens, in cases of negligence, were permitted to contract out the necessary repairs, whereby the respective plot would revert to the church.

    The condition of the burial ground around the church was also often poor. Because burials had not been conducted at a sufficient depth for a long time, bones frequently came to the surface. A bone collector would gather these remains from time to time, for two bushels of rye per year, and cast them into the bone hall (also known as a charnel house), a small building in the churchyard on the Market side. When the supply became too large, it was cleared away.

    Royal Decree of 1827

    In 1827, King William I decreed by law that, from 1829, cemeteries had to be established outside built-up areas. For many people, this was a major step—to break with all traditions and leave the dead outside the village “just anywhere in the ground.”

    The practice of burial in and around the church symbolized an era in which religion, death, and community were closely intertwined. The ban on this practice was a turning point that not only benefited public health but also marked a shift in how death was handled: individual graves were given more space, more funerary monuments appeared, and cemeteries were landscaped.

    Cemeteries in Aalten

    Burial mound, Nannielaantje, Aalten
    Burial mound Nannielaantje

    Burial mound Nannielaantje

    Christiaan Caspar Stumph, Mayor of Aalten since 1811, was annoyed by burials within the village. In 1818, he therefore had an ‘outside cemetery’ created for himself and his family on his estate, Het Smees. His son Abraham Anthony was the first to be buried here, followed by Stumph himself in 1820. In total, seven people rest on this unusual burial mound, which is still visible on the Nannielaantje in Aalten.

    Old Cemetery

    Following the royal decree of 1827, a site on the Varsseveldsestraatweg in Aalten was designated as a cemetery. Due to the growth of the village, this cemetery became increasingly enclosed by the early 20th century. In 1923, the Berkenhove cemetery was put into use. Although the Old Cemetery has since taken on the function of a memorial park, it is still sporadically used for the interment of the deceased in existing graves.

    Old Catholic Cemetery Varsseveldsestraatweg

    When the cemetery on the Varsseveldsestraatweg was established, the Catholic community was given its own section across the street, on the corner with the Molenstraat. This cemetery became full after only thirty years, after which a new Roman Catholic cemetery on the Piet Heinstraat was put into use in 1868. The small old cemetery later took on the function of a public green space.

    Jewish Cemetery

    On the Haartsestraat in Aalten, just outside the village, lies the Jewish cemetery of Aalten. 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. There are about seventy tombstones on the site, varying in age and design. At the entrance on the Haartsestraat stands a metaheer house, a ritual building used for the cleansing of the deceased according to Jewish traditions.

    Catholic Cemetery, Piet Heinstraat, Aalten
    Catholic Cemetery, Piet Heinstraat, Aalten

    Catholic Cemetery Piet Heinstraat

    When the Catholic cemetery on the Varsseveldsestraatweg became full, textile manufacturer Anton Driessen donated a piece of land on the current Piet Heinstraat in 1868 to be laid out as a cemetery. He also donated an iron Calvary cross and an iron gate. The bier house dates from 1888. A century later, this cemetery also became full. From 1960 onwards, Catholic deceased were therefore buried in the new Roman Catholic section of the Berkenhove cemetery.

    General Cemetery Berkenhove

    After the Old Cemetery on the Varsseveldsestraatweg became full, the ‘Berkenhove’ cemetery on the Romienendiek was put into use in 1923. The original section is enclosed between the Romienendiek, the Barloseweg, and the Koningsweg. Over the years, the cemetery has been regularly expanded. In 1960, a Catholic section was added because the Roman Catholic cemetery on the Piet Heinstraat was full. A modern funeral center and crematorium are located at Berkenhove.

    Cemeteries in Bredevoort

    Old Cemetery

    The Old Cemetery on the Prins Mauritsstraat was established around 1830, simultaneously with the adjacent Jewish Cemetery. The site became available after the dismantling of the fortifications on the eastern side of the town. In 1925, a new entrance gate was installed, and a bier house was built a few years later.

    Old Jewish Cemetery

    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.

    Jewish Cemetery

    The Jewish Cemetery on the Prins Mauritsstraat was established around 1830, simultaneously with the adjacent general cemetery. The last Bredevoort Jews to be interred in this cemetery were brother and sister Levi and Sara Sander. Both died in 1938, shortly after one another. The cemetery is not accessible to the public.

    Kloosterhof Cemetery, Bredevoort
    Kloosterhof Cemetery, Bredevoort

    Kloosterhof Cemetery

    The Kloosterhof cemetery on the Kloosterdijk in Bredevoort was established in 1862-1863 and originally served as a Roman Catholic cemetery. The oldest, centrally located part has a symmetrical layout with a characteristic entrance gate, a bier house, and a Calvary cross. In the 1980s, the cemetery was expanded with a general section. A mortuary was also erected in 1989.

    Sources

  • Traces of 1100-year-old settlement in Aalten

    Traces of 1100-year-old settlement in Aalten

    In August 2024, archaeological research was carried out on a site at De Hoven in Aalten, shortly before apartments are built. This research, carried out by members of the antiquities association ADW led by archaeologist Willem Doodeheefver, provided valuable insights into the early medieval history of Aalten.

    The finds, which include remains of hut bowls, waste pits and metal objects, offer a unique insight into life around the year 900 AD. Previous excavations in this area, in 1982 and 1892, had already found traces of a so-called Frankish-Merovingian settlement.

    Hut bowls

    This is what the Aalten hut bowl could have looked like (sketch made by Willem Doodeheefver)
    This is what the Aalten hut bowl could have looked like (sketch made by Willem Doodeheefver)

    The most striking finds during the excavations in 2024 are the remains of some hut bowls, which became visible due to dark discolorations in the soil. A hut bowl was a half-buried, rectangular building, about three meters wide and four meters long. The pit was 0.5 to 1 meter deep and had no above-ground walls; The roof construction rested partly on ground level. This construction method provided shelter from the summer heat and provided relative warmth in winter.

    Hut bowls served as craft rooms, usually on a farmyard. They were used for activities such as weaving, woodworking, metalworking or working bone. Slag was found at one of the hut bowls found at De Hoven, remnants of molten rock. This may indicate that the hut may have served as a blacksmith’s shop.

    Waste pits

    Several waste pits have been found scattered around the site. The waste left behind by the residents at the time provides valuable information about their daily lives, utensils and the dating of the hut bowls. Among other things, shards of pottery were found in the waste pits, dated around the year 900 AD.

    1100 years of habitation

    The finds give a picture of the landscape as it looked more than 1100 years ago. A favorable circumstance is that the soil of De Hoven has remained largely untouched during the past thousand years. The name ‘De Hoven’ refers to the gardens that were here for centuries, and the area has remained largely undeveloped to this day.

    This and earlier archaeological finds on De Hoven, but also on the Damstraat, confirm that people were already living in Aalten 1100 years ago. This period coincides with a mention of a place that was mentioned in a document from 828 Aladna .

    Why this place?

    The choice of this place of residence in the early Middle Ages is easy to explain. Aalten is located on seven slopes that were formed in the ice age. De Hoven is located on one of the higher, dry and safe parts. For the residents, it was only a short walk to the Slingebeek, where they could get water and fish. De Hoven is also a stone’s throw from the Landstraat. It is possible that this was already an important traffic route in the Achterhoek at that time, an area that was still quite empty and largely unexplored at the time.

    Sources

  • Aalten Library

    Aalten Library

    Hofstraat, Hogestraat & Lage Blik, Aalten

    The history of the library in Aalten begins in 1894. In that year, the Aalten branch of the Christian workers’ union Patrimonium already began lending books to members. It was, therefore, not yet a public library. At the end of 1893, P.W.J. Krijnen placed an appeal in De Standaard to donate books for the library. Krijnen was a teacher and lived in the Hoekstraat.

    Agricultural Library

    In the Netherlands at that time, libraries and reading rooms were established in several places, usually organised according to the prevailing social and religious beliefs of the day.

    In 1922, the Coop. Boerenleenbank in Aalten founded an Agricultural Library for members of the bank and the agricultural association. The aim was to provide the agricultural section of the Aalten population with the opportunity to increase their knowledge. How long this library existed and what happened to its collection is currently unknown to us.

    Patrimonium

    In 1926, the first stone was laid for the Patrimonium building on the Hofstraat. The Christian folk library was located at the back of that building.

    On 6 December 1960 Dagblad Tubantia reported:

    On 10 December, the new Christian library in Aalten, furnished according to modern requirements, will be officially opened, and the new lending system will be introduced under the guidance of qualified library technical staff. This marks the end of an era in which much hard work was done to provide Aalten with good library facilities.

    Patrimonium Building, Hofstraat 5
    Patrimonium Building, Hofstraat 5

    The Christian Folk Library „Patrimonium” has been active in this field for many years and has seen this work grow into a significant cultural contribution to the community in Aalten. The book loans, rising from 8,400 in 1951 to around 30,000 in 1960, speak volumes. The foundation board was mindful of this development and recognised that the existing provision had become insufficient to meet the ever-increasing interest. The board turned to the Central Rural Library for Gelderland.

    The C.P.G. carried out the coordinating work and, after the board of „Patrimonium” had decided to erect a new building, was able to furnish the library according to the requirements set out in the national subsidy conditions. Because the library can now fully meet the requirements with its new setup, it can make use of the services of the Central Rural Library.

    Relocations

    In the early 1990s, the Aalten library moved to a new building at Hogestraat 10. Above the library, the Albert Heijn supermarket was located. The differences in elevation in the centre of Aalten made it possible for both the library and the supermarket above it to have their entrances on the ground floor, the latter at the higher-situated De Hoven.

    In 2021, the library moved again. This time from the Hogestraat to a building on the Lage Blik, where the Aldi supermarket was previously located.

    Library – Hogestraat 10, Aalten
    Hogestraat 10
    Library – Lage Blik 28, Aalten
    Lage Blik 28

    Newspaper reports

    Patrimonium Library – De Standaard, 11 November 1893
    De Standaard, 11 November 1893
    Agricultural Library - De Graafschapper, 20 October 1922
    De Graafschapper, 20 October 1922
    Patrimonium Library – Aaltensche Courant, 27 July 1923
    Aaltensche Courant, 27 July 1923

    Sources

  • North-South Line

    North-South Line

    Aalten is situated on the Arnhem–Winterswijk railway line, which traverses the municipality from west to east (or vice versa, if you prefer). However, in the second half of the 19th century, there were also various plans to construct alternative routes running in a (more or less) north-south direction.

    Below is some information regarding these plans. It is perhaps superfluous to mention that none of these projects ever came to fruition.

    Zutphen–Aalten

    Railway line Zutphen-Aalten – Arnhemsche Courant, 8 September 1865
    Arnhemsche Courant, 8 September 1865

    In the mid-19th century, there were no railways in the Achterhoek yet. However, in 1865, plans were drawn up to build a railway line from Zutphen to the ‘Prussian borders’. The line was intended to run via Vorden, Hengelo, Zelhem, and Aalten. This route would be the shortest and, moreover, offered the advantages that the ground was ‘firm, level, and inexpensive, and no major engineering works would be required’. It is unknown to us why these plans were never executed.

    Gelsenkirchen–Aalten–Zutphen

    In the spring of 1872, an engineer from the German Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (Railway Company) in Berlin arrived at Aalten town hall to gather information for the potential construction of a railway line from Gelsenkirchen, via Bocholt and Aalten, to Zutphen. As the adjacent newspaper article shows, plans were already underway at that very same moment for a railway line from Winterswijk heading westwards, passing Aalten.

    “Should one of these lines come into being, this village, one of the largest in the county, will very swiftly attain a high degree of prosperity, particularly as an unparalleled desire for progress in every field is observed here among the core of the populace.”

    However, these plans were never carried out. This was likely due to the fact that the Nederlandsch-Westfaalsche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NWS) had only just been founded, having already been granted the concession to build the Zutphen–Winterswijk railway line on 27 March. A year later, the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft received the concession for the Winterswijk–Borken–Gelsenkirchen railway line, which would connect to the Dutch line.

    Railway line Gelsenkirchen-Aalten-Zutphen – Zutphensche Courant, 18 April 1872
    Zutphensche Courant, 18 April 1872

    Rees–Aalten

    Railway line Rees-Aalten - Zutphensche Courant, 5 juni 1885
    Zutphensche Courant, 5 June 1885

    In 1885, there was once again talk of the potential construction of a railway line that would pass Aalten in a north-south direction. This time, the planned route ran from Rees, via Isselburg and Dinxperlo to Aalten. Later, we also found Groenlo added to this list. It was, incidentally, also considered as a steam tramway. At the end of the year, however, the Graafschapbode reported that the preparatory work had been halted due to a disagreement between the German and Dutch sides regarding the location of the Dinxperlo-Suderwick station.

    Sources

    • Arnhemsche Courant, 8 September 1865 (Delpher)
    • Zutphensche Courant, 18 April 1872 (Delpher)
    • Graafschapbode, 25 April 1885 (Delpher)
    • Zutphensche Courant, 5 June 1885 (Delpher)
    • Graafschapbode, 12 December 1885 (Delpher)
    • Wikipedia
  • Smoking Competitions

    Smoking Competitions

    We can hardly imagine it nowadays, but in the last century, competitions were organised in which participants competed against each other in various disciplines related to the smoking of cigars and cigarettes.

    Smoking Competition in Aalten – Photo: Annemieke Klein Hesselink
    Smoking Competition in Aalten – Photo: Annemieke Klein Hesselink

    The Arnhemsche Courant wrote on 6 March 1908:

    In the Catholic circle in Aalten, a smoking competition was held in slow and fast smoking. Mr J. Betting received the first prize for fast smoking, smoking his cigar in 7 minutes, and in slow smoking, the 1st prize was won by H. Weijkamp, who took an hour and 45 minutes over his pipe of tobacco. A useful way to pass the time as well!

    In the 1960s, Dick Fries organised smoking competitions in Aalten. On the right, you can see a photo of the “Throwing a cigarette butt in the air and catching it in the mouth” event.

    Smoking Competitions in Aalten, 1960s
    Photo: André Heersink

    On 21 March 1961, the Dagblad Tubantia wrote:

    Aalten has another smoking champion

    Mr E. Jentink, Lintelo 67, became the champion cigar smoker of Aalten on Monday evening, for the time being for a year. He won this title during the annual smoking competition held at the Sociëteit on the Hofstraat. As is known, this competition is about the longest cone of ash on a 110 mm cigar. Mr Jentink managed to produce one of no less than 104 mm, however 1 mm shorter than last year’s champion.

    The interest in this smoking festival grows every year and had already grown to over 200 participants yesterday. It went without saying that when the command “fire” was given around half-past eight and the brand was lit in over 200 cigars simultaneously, all were soon shrouded in dense mists.

    It cost the participants effort to see how far his neighbour was progressing with the ash cone. It did not take long, however, before exclamations of “Oh, what a shame, I’ve lost it” rang through the hall.

    After about an hour, there were only a few left who could be eligible for the championship. Very carefully, an attempt was still made to take one last puff in order to stretch for another millimetre. The result, however, was usually a couple of “glowing” fingers and an avalanche of ash over their clothing.

    When the last cone had fallen and the balance could be made, it turned out that Mr Jentink had become champion with 104 mm. Mr A. Pokhuizen occupied second place with a cone of 103 mm. For the third prize, there were two candidates, namely Mr A. Driessen and Mr W. Winkelhorst, each with a cone of 102 mm.

    After this battle, the participants were treated to a somewhat “lighter” programme, namely with a performance by Rudi Carell and Dick Harris.

    Dagblad Tubantia, 19 March 1963:

    Champion smoker produced an ash cone of 100 millimetres

    Geert did not have it easy

    With an ash cone of exactly 100 mm, Mr G. te Lindert, Lankhofstraat 23, became the champion cigar smoker of Aalten last night. It was certainly not an easy task for Geert, because more than 200 hopefuls competed with him for this title. It was the tenth time in succession that this competition was held.

    Great tension and “avalanches”

    Little has changed, however, over the course of the years. This was hardly possible, for since the first time this competition was held, this gathering has been at the centre of attention. Only the occasion with which numerous participants enter the fray has grown larger annually. For many, it is no longer a “gamble,” as they practise busily months in advance, and many let their nails grow longer to be able to hold the “butt” for as long as possible.

    The sociability of the evening and the tension are certainly no less. From the moment the over 200 cigars go “into the fire,” a deathly silence prevails in the hall. “Shrouded in mists,” the jury members move between the tables to use the callipers where necessary.

    “Skew burners” and “curvers” are already plentiful halfway through the competition. Familiar phenomena yesterday were again the avalanches of ash, under which a face, lapel, or jacket were often buried.

    Geert te Lindert, a true lover of the cigar, succeeded in bringing the ash cone to 100 mm before it fell. How tense the battle was is proven by the 99½ mm ash cone that his competitor, and last year’s cup holder, Mr D.A. Driessen managed to produce. With a cone of 99 mm, Mr L.C. Rodenburg, who also won prizes last year, took third place.

    After this exciting battle, a sociable evening was made of it with the cooperation of Lubbert van Gortel and Kees Schilperoort. The NCRV broadcaster recorded the competition for broadcast in the radio newspaper.

    Dagblad Tubantia, 9 March 1965:

    Smoking competition was a success

    With an ash cone of exactly 100 mm, Mr A. Driessen became the winner on Monday evening of the annual and 12th smoking competition, which was held to great interest in the sociëteit. When the starting signal was given at a quarter to eight, the fire was lit in over 200 substantial cigars at once.

    Within a few minutes, the smoke was so thick you could cut it, and the participants could hardly distinguish their neighbour. Of course, that was not necessary, as everyone had enough to do with themselves. Especially when the ash cone increases in length, and then often tends to start pulling askew, no one has any need to interfere with their neighbour’s smoking art.

    It becomes different when, after half an hour, the first “victims” see their ash cone fall into pieces with a face of “Oh, what a shame.” Then the dropouts gather in large numbers around the survivors who, often at the cost of a blister and twisting themselves into all sorts of contortions, try to add a few millimetres to the wobbly cone by taking a few more puffs. It becomes deathly quiet in the hall, and the tension can be read on the faces.

    So too last night, when all attention was focused on the smoking art of Mr Driessen, who finally succeeded in emerging from the smoke screen as the winner. Last year, he also won the 1st prize. If he succeeds in winning the championship again next year, he will become the definitive owner of the challenge cup.

    In second place finished Mr H. Arentsen with a cone of 99½ mm. Mr J. Pluimers came in third place with a cone of 99 mm.

    After the smoke screen had cleared somewhat, the participants were treated to a cheerful programme, provided by a cabaret company from Apeldoorn, under the motto: “Lachen is troef” (Laughter is trump).

    Sources

  • Bredevoort Marksmen’s Guild

    Bredevoort Marksmen’s Guild

    As a garrison town, Bredevoort has had a civic guard, or markmen’s guild, since the Middle Ages. At that time, civic guards were established as local militias intended to guarantee the order and safety of the citizens.

    After the civic guards were officially disbanded in 1901, voluntary markmen’s guilds emerged in many places. These had a more folkloric character and organized events such as marksmen’s festivals, the fair, and the king shoot. Many markmen’s guilds also have a brass band and/or flag wavers.

    Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild

    Today, Bredevoort still has a markmen’s guild, namely the Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild. The first written mention in which this markmen’s guild is referred to by name was found in the Aaltensche Courant of October 25, 1905. It is assumed that the association had already existed for some time by then. During that same period, Bredevoort appears to have had as many as two markmen’s guilds.

    The association possibly owes its founding to the year 1898, when the coronation of Queen Wilhelmina was celebrated exuberantly. In Bredevoort, a committee was established for this occasion that organized various festivities. These consisted of a fair and a procession of riders with banners. Additionally, a so-called Wilhelmina tree was planted on the Markt square in honor of Wilhelmina’s birthday. Afterward, a marksmen’s festival took place, with the king shoot as the main event. This tradition is still kept alive during the annual folk and marksmen’s festival held in June.

    Restart

    During World War II, the association was banned and the banners were destroyed by the occupiers. Immediately after the war in 1945, the Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild Bredevoort was officially (re-)established. In 2020, the markmen’s guild celebrated its 75th anniversary.

    The banners of the Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild feature a crow’s foot, the coat of arms of the Satink family. In the 18th century, Benjamin Satink (1704–1769) was the acting bailiff of the Lordship of Bredevoort, commissary of the national warehouses, and military auditor.

    The Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild plays an active role in the Bredevoort community. The markmen’s guild’s flag wavers perform serenades at members’ anniversaries and organize the reveille, early in the morning, and the king shoot during the annual fair. The ‘headquarters’ is the markmen’s house on Boterstraat.

    Wilhelmina Markmen's Guild, Bredevoort
    Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild, Bredevoort
    Fair and Marksmen's Festival Bredevoort - Aaltensche Courant, 12 October 1901
    Aaltensche Courant, 12 October 1901

    40th Anniversary

    In 1985, the Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild in Bredevoort celebrated its 40th anniversary (after its re-establishment):

    The Wilhelmina Markmen’s Guild occupies a special place in the Bredevoort community and is an integral part of special events in the old town. On October 12, the markmen’s guild celebrates its 40th anniversary. In reality, Bredevoort has had a markmen’s guild for much longer. This is evidenced, among other things, by four old banners that are still held in honor and date from the end of the last century.

    “An outsider wouldn’t give a penny for them and would throw the whole lot with the rags. But for the members of the markmen’s guild, they are worth their weight in gold,” says the current chairman of the markmen’s guild, Hans Wensink from Boterstraat in Bredevoort. This 58-year-old resident of Bredevoort has been chairman for 30 years and also experienced the founding in 1945. “Perhaps we should speak of a re-establishment. It was after World War II, and during the war, the markmen’s guild was disbanded. However, on October 17, 1945, the markmen’s guild once again became a reality.”

    Hans Wensink remembers well that Hendrik Frenken was the first commander. A man with a magnificent commanding voice. “When he gave the command: “battalion forward,” the R’s rolled out so beautifully,” Hans Wensink recalls. He also remembers that during marksmen’s festivals, Frenken did not allow himself to be addressed simply by his name. You had to call him captain, no matter how well you knew him. “That was the atmosphere at the markmen’s guild. After the Frenken period ended, J. van Merkenstein took over command, and now it is D. Dibbets who gives the orders.”

    Core group
    The markmen’s guild has always had a core group. After the war, there were only the old banners. These were later replaced because it was a pity to continue using them. Uniforms also arrived only later. In 1959, the traditional marksmen’s festival came to an end when it was decided to collaborate with the Folk Festival to create a joint celebration.

    The markmen’s house has changed over time, but now they are back at their old base, Café Munsterbrug. The banners, however, are “maintained” by Mother Wensink. She meticulously ensures that everything is handled correctly. The 90-year-old is an enthusiastic supporter of the markmen’s guild. She can also tell stories about the markmen’s guild that was active in Bredevoort at the beginning of this century. Her husband, who passed away in 1938, was already an adjutant with the markmen’s guild in 1913 and rode on horseback with the group. In those days, ranks in the markmen’s guild were purchased. People came from far and wide to the markmen’s guild in Bredevoort. Mrs. Wensink also knows that the oldest banner dates from 1898 and was waved by Wubbels Sr., who also had three sons who were flag wavers.

    “Ma” Wensink also ensures that the marksmen receive their coffee and bread on time during the bird shoot. In the past 40 years, it has happened seven times that the title of marksman king has gone to the Wensink family. “Then it is a real marksmen’s festival; I leave everything as it is and go to the markmen’s house,” says the elderly resident of Bredevoort.

    Celebration
    The markmen’s guild has 160 members, 40 of whom are “active.” The executive board consists of: Hans Wensink, chairman; Hans Piek, secretary; Engelbert Ebbers, treasurer. On Saturday, October 12, attention will be given to the 40th anniversary.

    A reception will be held at the Munsterbrug markmen’s house from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and in the evening, there will be a party for the members. “Whatever may change in the coming years, the markmen’s guild must be held in honor. This is something that was started by our ancestors. We must not tear that down. We must be careful with the traditions and customs,” says Hans Wensink.

    In 2022, a jubilee book was published, titled ‘Schutterij Wilhelmina Bredevoort’, written by Jos Wessels.

    See also: Aalten Markmen’s Guild

    Sources

  • ‘Volksfeest’ (Annual Fair)

    ‘Volksfeest’ (Annual Fair)

    The Aalten Volksfeest is an event that many residents of Aalten look forward to every year. Nowadays, it is celebrated during the third weekend of September. In earlier years, it was also celebrated on other dates. The folk festival is also often referred to as the ‘kermis’ (fair). However, the actual fair, meaning the attractions, is nowadays called the ‘lunapark’.

    For many decades, the king shooting and the fair were held on the grounds near the Community Hall / ‘De Pol’. Nowadays, however, these activities take place in the center, primarily on the Markt and the Hoge Blik.1

    The oldest mention of the fair in Aalten dates back to 1835. That year, the ‘Geldersche Volks-almanak’ mentioned that the fair in Aalten would take place on October 19.2

    In the ‘Eleventh report on the state and activities of the Dutch association for the abolition of strong drink’, published in 1855, it is written: “the fair in Aalten is insignificant, mostly children’s joy”.3

    Volksfeest 1876 – silver medal

    Medals are often a material reminder of an event in the past. This also applies to the small medal depicted here:

    Silver medal Aalten Volksfeest, 1876 (photo: H. Schutte)
    Silver medal Aalten Volksfeest, 1876 (photo: H. Schutte)
    Aalten Annual Fair - Zutphensche Courant, 12 August 1876
    Zutphensche Courant, August 12, 1876

    The medal consists of a silver plate with a diameter of 22 mm, to which an eyelet has been soldered. The front is engraved with the text: AALTENS VOLKSFEEST, with a ribbon surrounded by a border of stripes. On the reverse is the date 16 Aug 1876, within a border of small lines and stripes. The edge of the medal is serrated; the plate is presumably a ground-down coin. It is striking that the engraving was carried out quite amateurishly.

    Regarding the occasion for the folk festival, the Zutphensche Courant of August 12, 1876, reports: the opening of the Telegraph Office in Aalten. The precise reason for the production of the medal is unknown; it may have been awarded as a prize during the star shooting.4

    Stichting Volksfeest Aalten

    In September 1973, a ‘Volksfeest Committee’ was established, created by the merger of the Community Hall, the Schuttersvereniging (Marksmen’s Association), and the Fair Committee. Later, this became the ‘Stichting Volksfeest Aalten’. Ten years later, Wout Delleman (1927), Jan Willem Bilderbeek (1920), and Johan Diederik Beskers (1918) appeared before notary Obbink for the establishment of Stichting Volksfeest Aalten (SVA).

    Volksfeest Parade, corner of Markt-Landstraat, 1970s
    Parade during the Volksfeest in Aalten, 1970s

    The core activities of Stichting Volksfeest have hardly changed in 50 years. Long before SVA was established, a festival, then called a fair, was organized every year. Children’s games, a lantern parade, king shooting, and the Allegorical parade are traditionally part of the ‘festival for everyone’. The locations have changed several times, and the Volksfeest has also moved from June to the third weekend of September.

    Previously, the Volksfeest was held from Thursday to Saturday. Since 2014, Sunday has been added to the program with Frühshoppen.

    The tradition of king shooting has been known in Aalten since well into the last century. In addition to king shooting, Aalten also had ‘fladder’ and target shooting, and bird clubbing for ladies. Furthermore, at the beginning of the last century, one could also participate in ring tilting on horseback or bicycle.

    The winners of the shooting competitions on Friday may call themselves king, queen, and youth king/queen of Aalten for a year. The following day, they are driven around in a carriage or cabriolet during the allegorical parade to greet the public. This is followed by the tribute to the flag by the flag wavers of St. Helena on the Markt.

    King Shooting

    Marksman King Mr. Veldhuis, ca. 1965 (photo via H. Schutte)
    Marksman King Mr. Veldhuis, ca. 1965 (photo via H. Schutte)

    A traditional part of the folk festival is the king shooting or bird shooting. King shooting is an old custom found in large parts of Europe. King shooting originates from the schuttersfeest, the annual festive folk entertainment of the local marksmen’s guild.

    Newspaper reports

    (click to enlarge) 5

    Aalten Fair - Graafschapbode, 30 October 1880
    De Graafschapbode, 30 October 1880
    Fair Fun Aalten - Graafschapbode, 20 October 1888
    De Graafschapbode, 20 October 1888
    Aalten Fair - Graafschapbode, 26 October 1889
    De Graafschapbode, 26 October 1889
    Aalten Fair - Graafschapbode, 24 October 1891
    De Graafschapbode, 24 October 1891
    fair, no carousel - Graafschapbode, 20 October 1894
    De Graafschapbode, 20 October 1894
    Aalten Fair - Graafschapbode, 24 October 1896
    De Graafschapbode, 24 October 1896
    Fair and Marksmen's Festival Bredevoort - Aaltensche Courant, 12 October 1901
    Aaltensche Courant, 12 October 1901
    Volksfeest Aalten - 22 March 1907
    22 March 1907
    Aalten Fair abolished - Graafschapbode, 14 November 1908
    De Graafschapbode, 14 November 1908
    Spogterig - Aaltensche Courant, 15 July 1919
    Aaltensche Courant, 15 July 1919
    Volksfeest Parade float Aaltens Belang, 1927
    1927
    Aalten Fair - 5 May 1914
    5 May 1914
    Volksfeesten in Aalten, 1928
    1928
    Carousel at the fair behind the ‘Festival Hall’
    Carousel at the fair behind the ‘Festival Hall’, year unknown
    Graafschapbode, 22 July 1930
    De Graafschapbode, 22 July 1930
    De Graafschapbode, 20 July 1936
    De Graafschapbode, 20 July 1936

    Sources

    1. volksfeest-aalten.nl ↩︎
    2. Geldersche Volks-almanak, 1835 ↩︎
    3. Ned. ver. tot afschaffing van sterken drank, 1855 ↩︎
    4. Photo and information submitted by H. Groenendijk ↩︎
    5. Delpher ↩︎
  • Aalten Marksmen’s Guild

    Aalten Marksmen’s Guild

    Marksmen’s guilds, or civic guards, were established in the Middle Ages as local militias intended to guarantee the order and safety of citizens. In 1815, a law was passed stipulating that three percent of men between the ages of 18 and 50 were liable for service in the civic guard. In 1827, this was changed to two percent of men between the ages of 25 and 34.

    In 1901, the civic guards were officially disbanded and replaced by a Landwehr (reserve army), which consisted of conscripts and volunteers. Later, voluntary marksmen’s guilds were established in many places, which anyone could join.

    In 1906, the marksmen’s guild in Aalten was instrumental in the establishment of the Community Hall. In the decades that followed, we were unable to find any mentions of the Aalten marksmen’s guild in the Delpher online newspaper archive. It was not until the early 1950s that we found several mentions again, regarding the St. Helena Marksmen’s Guild.

    Aalten Marksmen’s Guild in front of the Community Hall
    Aalten Marksmen’s Guild in front of the Community Hall, early last century (photo via H. Schutte)

    However, in 1957, a report also appeared regarding the establishment of a marksmen’s guild by the NV Community Hall in Aalten, which was to be named ‘De Eendracht’. Exactly how this fits together remains unclear to us for the time being.

    In September 1973, a ‘Volksfeest Committee’ was established, formed by the merger of the Community Hall, the Marksmen’s Guild, and the Fair Committee. This later became the ‘Aalten Volksfeest Foundation’.

    This page includes several photos and newspaper articles of and about the Aalten marksmen’s guilds that we have collected over recent years. We hope to receive more information in order to write a more complete history of the Aalten marksmen’s guilds in the future.

    Newspaper reports and photos

    (click to enlarge)

    Song of the Aalten Marksmen (1830)
    Song of the Aalten Marksmen, 1830 (melody)
    26 March 1906 Marksmen's Festival, Community Hall and Volksfeest
    26 March 1906
    Marksmen’s Competition Aalten – Zutphens Dagblad, 29 April 1957
    Zutphens Dagblad, 29 April 1957
    St. Helena Marksmen’s Guild organised a successful competition in 1961
    1961
    St. Helena Marksmen’s Guild, Aalten – Zutphens Dagblad, 13 June 1952
    Zutphens Dagblad, 13 June 1952
    Markmen's Guild established – Dagblad Tubantia, 10 May 1957
    Dagblad Tubantia, 10 May 1957
    Weekblad voor Aalten, Breedevoort, enz., 17 July 1897
    Weekblad voor Aalten, Breedevoort, enz., 17 July 1897
    St. Helena Markmen's Guild, Aalten
    St. Helena Markmen’s Guild, year unknown (photo via A. Wolterink-Jansen)
    Aalten Marksmen’s Guild
    Aalten Markmen’s Guild, year unknown (photo via H. Schutte)
    Folk festival in Aalten, 1936
    Folk festival in Aalten, 1936
    St. Helena Markmen's Guild, flag waving at Markt square in Aalten
    Flag waving at Markt square, year unknown

    Read also: Bredevoort Markmen’s Guild

    Sources

  • Traveller Caravans

    Traveller Caravans

    Your contribution is welcome! We would appreciate receiving more (historical) information and photographs regarding traveller caravans, families, residential sites, and related matters within the municipality of Aalten. Can you help us? Please comment below or send us a message!

    In 1928, the municipality of Aalten published an ‘Ordinance on Caravans’. This designated a site on Tolhuisweg as the only location where caravans were permitted to park.

    Ordinance of 22 Dec 1927 regarding the designation of a site for caravans in Bredevoort
    Ordinance of 22 Dec 1927 regarding the designation of a site for caravans in Bredevoort

    World Travellers in Bredevoort

    De Graafschapbode, 22 February 1935:

    World Travellers in Bredevoort – Graafschapbode, 22 February 1935

    “Our Gelderland Achterhoek region is currently enjoying the honour of a visit from two ‘world travellers’, who are housed in the pictured, very practically and efficiently equipped caravan. In the front section is the sleeping area for the pair, as is understandable primitive in design, yet just sufficient. They provide for their livelihood by selling postcards.

    From a chat with the travellers, it emerged that they originate from South Slavia, one of the Balkan states. Since 1928, they have been busy completing their ‘Journey Around the World’. A large part of the mainland of the European continent has already been ‘covered’, while currently, the Dutch—in this case, Achterhoek—soil is the focus of their visit.

    The living area in the wagon contains ‘furniture’ of, believe it or not, a table and two chairs. The wall decoration consists of an extensive and certainly noteworthy collection of postcards from almost most countries and larger cities in Europe. To the question: ‘How is travelling here in Holland?’ we received the reply in broken Dutch that it is far preferable here to most other countries. A police officer might come to your bedside at night, but they have had almost no trouble with raids by rowdy youths or, as sometimes happens, from bandits trying to make their move. We also learned that another four years will be needed before the trip can be considered finished as a whole.”

    What to do with Travellers?

    Traveller site Bredevoort – Graafschapbode, 15 October 1937
    Graafschapbode, 15 October 1937
    What to do with Travellers? – Nieuwe Winterswijksche Courant, 21 October 1964
    Nieuwe Winterswijksche Courant, 21 October 1964

    1968 Caravan Act

    In 1968, the national government prohibited the nomadic lifestyle of the Traveller community as a result of a new Caravan Act (Woonwagenwet). They were forced to relocate to large, regional caravan sites. On 1 May 1970, the regional camp ‘Dennenoord’ was opened in Winterswijk.

    All Traveller families, from Winterswijk to Zevenaar, were obliged to live at this site. The site featured a primary school, a clubhouse, and a scrapyard. There were paved roads, and every caravan had its own toilet.

    With the abolition of the Caravan Act in 1999, housing policy for Traveller communities became the responsibility of local municipalities. In the municipality of Aalten, there are currently only a few residential sites for caravans remaining on the Singelweg.

    Traveller site, Singelweg, Aalten
    Traveller site, Singelweg, Aalten

    Newspaper clippings

    Whenever Traveller families were mentioned in the Aalten news, it was often in a negative context. A search on Delpher yielded, among other things, the following reports:

    Caravan, wild man – Zutphensche Courant, 14 December 1904
    Zutphensche Courant, 14 December 1904
    Caravans, theft – Aaltensche Courant, 23 October 1917
    Aaltensche Courant, 23 October 1917
    Theft solved – Tubantia, 14 November 1951
    Tubantia, 14 November 1951
    Tubantia, 28 June 1962
    Tubantia, 28 June 1962
    Traveller caravan Firing burned down – Arnhemsche Courant, 9 December 1912
    Arnhemsche Courant, 9 December 1912
    Traveller site Bredevoort – Nieuwe Aaltensche Courant, 6 July 1923
    Nieuwe Aaltensche Courant, 6 July 1923
    Caravan Act, fined – Graafschapbode, 19 December 1924
    Graafschapbode, 19 December 1924
    Brawl at caravan site – Tubantia 19 April 1960
    Tubantia 19 April 1960
    Caravan with a false floor – De Telegraaf, 5 April 1917
    De Telegraaf, 5 April 1917
    Bicycle stolen – Zutphensch Dagblad, 14 April 1947
    Zutphensch Dagblad, 14 April 1947
    Power diverted - Tubantia, 8 August 1961
    Tubantia, 8 August 1961
    Tubantia, 19 October 1961
    Tubantia, 19 October 1961
  • Hidden in Aalten

    Hidden in Aalten

    Text: Ad Ermstrang

    During the final years of the Second World War, many people in hiding (onderduikers) found refuge in the Achterhoek region. Aalten topped the list, with an estimated 2,400 people pursued by the Germans. “The inhabitants were not only devout, but also linked that faith to providing shelter to those who had been driven from their homes.”

    Pieter Schaap (84) now lives in a tidy apartment in the centre of Aalten, having purchased the property with his wife, who is nearly 80, several years ago. “We lived a little further away, but the house was too big, and we could no longer keep up with the garden.”

    That is not to say that the Aalten resident and his wife are not spry. The couple regularly visits their children in the west of the Netherlands and travels by plane to visit a son in Norway. Pieter’s wife regrets that they can no longer make those trips by car and boat. “You see so much more that way.”

    The Aalten resident, distinguished by a thick shock of grey hair, still drives in the Netherlands. Among other things, he delivers meals for Tafeltje Dekje (Meals on Wheels). “But the physical ailments are starting to show. I recently had cataract surgery on one eye, and my hands shake a little; I can no longer write properly. I am considering stopping with the meal deliveries this year.”

    Spoiled butter

    Sixty-five years ago, Pieter Schaap came to the Achterhoek for the first time. The native of The Hague was forced to report to Winterswijk in late 1942 following a summons from the Germans, who were coercing young men into forced labour. “I reported to Kamp Vosseveld as instructed. It was very German there, very strict. We were allowed to go to church on Sundays, at least.”

    Schaap grew up in a Reformed family but later joined the Gereformeerde church. “After the service, the minister invited us for coffee. We were regularly allowed to stay for a meal. They thought we were starving in that camp. That wasn’t true, but as a young guy, you could always manage a bit extra.”

    Photo: Jan Ruland van den Brink

    He disliked the conditions. “We repaired backroads and replaced sections of railway track. Everything was done by hand. You only had a spade and a wheelbarrow. Meanwhile, you were being drilled. We had to sing all sorts of nasty songs. I didn’t like the regime. I spoke about it, and then the minister said: ‘Why don’t you go into hiding?’ He said he could arrange an address. However, we were being watched closely; there were constant roll calls, making it impossible to escape. Until the moment we were served spoiled butter. That was early 1943; I don’t remember the exact date. Almost everyone had diarrhoea, and there was no roll call. That was when I slipped away. Together with Henk Bossemeijer, a lad from the Alphen aan den Rijn area.”

    Pieter and Henk exchanged their uniforms at a family’s home in Winterswijk, put on civilian clothes that had been laid out for them, and boarded the train to Aalten. “The minister had said we would be taken care of. And indeed, we were met by members of the resistance. Through Ome Jan, the leader in Aalten, we were given shelter for the night. The next day, we went to ‘t Paske farm in the rural district of Dale.”

    Schaap immediately felt that the presence of him and Bossemeijer was too much of a burden on the farming family. “The responsibility for two people in hiding was too great. ‘Do you know of another place for one of us?’ I asked. After a few weeks, I was able to go to ‘t Heegt farm in Lintelo, another rural district. There, with the Rensink family, I stayed until the end of the war.”

    A hollow above the horse stable

    The young man from the west with a technical background was quickly retrained as a farmer. He ploughed and harrowed the land using horses, cleaned stables, and fed the cows. “I even learned to milk, thanks to the family’s eldest daughter, who had just taken a course in it.”

    At first, Schaap slept in the opkamer (parlour) of the farmhouse. Later, a group of 500 people from Scheveningen arrived in Aalten, having been driven from their village by the Germans in connection with the construction of the Atlantikwall. Schaap remembers it well. “The Gereformeerde evacuees went to Aalten, while the Hervormde evacuees from Scheveningen went to Winterswijk. That had been agreed upon with the local churches. Some of the Scheveningen evacuees were also offered shelter at ‘t Heegt.”

    For the rest of the war, he slept in a hollow above the horse stable. “Above the manger where the horses ate. If I stood on that, I could just reach a small hatch that couldn’t be seen from below. I had a bed there, and some light fell in through a glass roof tile.”

    He was not there often. Pieter spent most of his time in the fields. The man in hiding did not find it truly dangerous. “We didn’t have much trouble from the Germans. We did have to watch out for landwachters (Dutch collaborators), but they were always spotted in this area long in advance. I would usually go to a piece of land further away, somewhat hidden behind the trees. Or I would crawl away. I never stayed on the farm if there was trouble.”

    A wagon full of crispbread

    He stayed at ‘t Heegt for two and a half years, amidst many other people in hiding. Aalten was teeming with them. “There were more and more of them. The Germans also began to notice, and on 30 January 1944, the Westerkerk was surrounded by SS soldiers during a service. A number of people in hiding tried in vain to escape past the organ. The churchgoers were checked and fined if they had left their identity cards at home.”

    The story of Gerrit Hoopman (19), a person in hiding, is well-known; in the chaos, he was provided with an outer skirt, a shawl, and a traditional headpiece by a woman from Scheveningen, allowing him to escape the church. That did not apply to a large group of other people in hiding; more than forty men were arrested.

    Schaap, a faithful visitor to the Westerkerk, was not there that day. “We felt it was becoming too dangerous, so that Sunday we organised a service in a secret location for one of the first times. We called that the ‘underground church’. We did that at farms, always at different addresses. Often one of the boys would lead the service; sometimes we had a minister.”

    Later, German soldiers were billeted at the farm. “They were young boys, paratroopers who no longer had any planes and therefore had to serve in the infantry.” He had little trouble from them. “To them, I belonged to the family. When they requisitioned a horse and wagon from the farmer at one point and gave the command ‘Bauer mit!’ (Farmer, come with us!), I jumped onto the driver’s seat. We headed toward Bocholt, but during a bombing raid, my passengers quickly disappeared—they looked for cover elsewhere. I waited for a while until I saw farmers with horses and wagons driving back and forth from a large warehouse in the area. I went over and said I had been sent to pick something up. I was given a wagon full of knäckebröd (crispbread), ha ha! I drove back with that.”

    He was also part of the farming family to others. “All those years, I was ‘Piet van ‘t Heegt’. Some people still know me by that name today. We were recently at a gathering where we met an acquaintance from that time. She lives in Zeeland now. ‘Hey, there’s Piet van ‘t Heegt,’ she said.”

    He did not suffer from hunger in the Achterhoek. “Every two weeks, I even sent a large rye bread to my parents. The postman was called ‘the baker’ at their place; he helped distribute the bread.”

    Until his retirement, Schaap worked as a technician for the Royal Netherlands Army. His pre-war ideal of becoming a marine engineer did not come to fruition due to the war. In the hamlet, Pieter met his future wife. “She lived a few farms away.” The courtship did not go smoothly, as her father thought she was too young, and after the liberation, Pieter signed up as a volunteer for the Dutch East Indies. Only years later did he return to Aalten, where the farmer’s daughter was still waiting for him. “We have now been married for 56 years. We were truly destined for one another.”

    Pieter Schaap passed away on 11 October 2013.

    For more information on the period in hiding: Nationaal Onderduikmuseum, Aalten

    Sources

  • Swimming and Bathing Facilities

    Swimming and Bathing Facilities

    Before the construction of formal bathing facilities, the people of Aalten sought cooling in the Slingebeek during warm days.

    As early as 1906, local interest group ‘Aaltens Belang‘ searched for a suitable place to swim. The location had to be reliable, but the stream was occasionally too shallow. The most suitable spot was found to be the pool at De Pol, where the water mill once stood. Swimming once took place there within a casing, a type of weir. Around 1920, people could “enter the water” in the stream near Nannielaantje (Smeeslaantje); however, the water board removed the weirs from the stream.

    Bathing facility Aalten, 5 July 1924
    Bathing facility near the Smeeslaantje in Aalten, 1924

    In 1920, the municipality purchased a site between Aalten and Bredevoort known as ‘Oosterman’ with the intention of establishing a new general cemetery there. This plan was later reconsidered. On 4 July 1930, during a meeting of the municipal council, the question was raised whether the Mayor and Aldermen were inclined to submit proposals regarding the establishment of a municipal bathing and swimming facility.

    In 1933, it was decided to construct a swimming pool on the Oosterman site. Seventy unemployed individuals were deployed as part of the job creation scheme, and the work was completed under the direction of D. Roenhorst of the Nederlandse Heidemaatschappij. Using wooden wheelbarrows with iron-rimmed wheels and shovels, the sand was moved to the sides, creating an earthen embankment around the pool. The construction costs amounted to approximately 14,500 guilders. On 23 June 1934, the ‘Walfort’ swimming pool was opened with swimming and diving demonstrations provided by the Winterswijk water sports association and the women’s swimming club ‘Inter Nos’ from Amsterdam.

    Newspaper reports

    Opening swimming pool Aalten – Zutphensche Courant, 11 July 1885
    Zutphensche Courant, 11 July 1885
    Swimming facility Aalten – Graafschapbode, 1 June 1920
    De Graafschapbode, 1 June 1920
    Bathing facility Aalten – Graafschapbode, 22 June 1920
    De Graafschapbode, 22 June 1920
    Swimming facility Aalten – Aaltensche Courant, 15 October 1920
    Aaltensche Courant, 15 October 1920
    Swimming facility Aalten – Graafschapbode, 22 October 1920
    De Graafschapbode, 22 October 1920
    Bathing and Swimming Facility Aalten – Aaltensche Courant, 11 May 1923
    Aaltensche Courant, 11 May 1923
    Bathing and Swimming Facility Aalten – Zutphensche Courant, 16 September 1925
    Zutphensche Courant, 16 September 1925
    De Graafschapper, 4 August 1931
    De Graafschapper, 4 August 1931
  • Old Aalten Bottlenecks

    Old Aalten Bottlenecks

    Due to the increase in motorised traffic in the twentieth century, several houses in the old village centre of Aalten at one point stood – both literally and figuratively – ‘in the way’. On this page, we have gathered a number of these so-called ‘bottlenecks’. Do you know of any others?

    Peperstraat

    De Graafschapbode, 5 January 1934

    A “Stumbling Block” in Aalten, which is to disappear very shortly!

    The 203-year-old house and smithy of Mr Buesink in Aalten, situated on the corner and entrance of the Peperstraat there, had long stood in the way of widening the busy Peperstraat, located right in the heart of the village.

    In the last council meeting, it was decided, in agreement with the owner, to have this property demolished, whereby the owner will be given compensation of ƒ2,500, on condition that the street at that point achieves a width of 13 metres and that his new property will have risen within 8 months.

    Buessink's Smithy, Peperstraat, Aalten

    Whilst it is highly commendable that this street, which is always so busy but so narrow at that spot, is to be significantly widened and that the new building will embellish the surrounding area and the square there, it is at the same time a pity, viewed from an antiquarian standpoint and from that of picturesque village beauty, that yet another of the oldest and most typical houses from the heart of the village is to disappear for the benefit of modern traffic. It should also be mentioned that until now, the Peperstraat was closed to all motor vehicles due to its narrowness!

    Varsseveldsestraatweg, ‘Strait of Dover’

    De Graafschapbode, 29 July 1930

    'Strait of Dover', Aalten

    A difficult traffic problem in Aalten

    The beautiful village of Aalten, built on hills by past generations, has several steeply sloping, rather narrow streets with sharp bends, as a result of which the village, as a traffic junction, often presents difficulties. In particular, the confluence of Landstraat, Kerkhofstraat and Veemarktstraat can be designated as a “dangerous intersection”, where collisions and accidents are a near-daily occurrence and where, with the development of today’s fast-moving traffic, double the caution and alertness are required.

    This problem has engaged the attention of the local authority for years and years, and the Vereeniging „Plaatselijk Belang” (Local Interest Association) and the K.N.A.C. (Royal Dutch Automobile Club) have also been active in this matter for many years, though without tangible result. The right solution seems hard to find, but given the large number of accidents, which for understandable reasons are increasing rather than decreasing, it really is high time that vigorous action is taken here by the authority concerned, before even more serious accidents than have occurred hitherto force them to look to locking the stable door.

    Oosterkerkstraat

    Dagblad Tubantia, 14 December 1949

    Aalten Council to judge on traffic obstacle

    The Aalten council will convene for a meeting this coming Thursday afternoon at half past two. The agenda to be dealt with is by no means unimportant. For instance, a decision will have to be made on a proposal from the executive executive (College van B. en W.) regarding the purchase of the house on the corner of Oosterkerkstraat and Lichtenvoordsestraat. This house is a major obstacle to traffic and a thorn in the side of all motorists who have the misfortune of having to go from Oosterkerkstraat to Lichtenvoordsestraat.

    Lately, parking signs have even been erected, indicating that the last five metres of Oosterkerkstraat are a prohibited area for four-wheeled vehicles. Thus, one can now see almost daily that cars coming out of Oosterkerkstraat clandestinely drive across the forbidden section of the road to the Lichtenvoordsestraat. Usually, a fellow passenger is first asked to have a quick look to see if there happens to be a policeman nearby. It is absurd, people judge, that one has to drive out of the entire Oosterkerkstraat in reverse – as one cannot turn in this street – in order to reach the Lichtenvoordsestraat via a massive detour.

    Bottleneck Lichtenvoordsestraatweg–Oosterkerkstraat

    Mr M. Meijerman, the current owner of the house that is the cause of all the trouble, has declared his willingness to part with the property for ƒ4,000, and the executive are eagerly seizing the opportunity. The council undoubtedly no less so. We do not know whether the executive consider it justifiable to demolish the house in the near future. On the one hand, the current housing shortage has a strong say in the matter, but on the other hand, the question is whether the house should remain standing until accidents happen, especially now that traffic is becoming heavier.

    More bottlenecks

    Bredevoortsestraatweg 2-4, Aalten

    Bredevoortsestraatweg 2 – Photo Hubers

    Hogestraat 1, Aalten

    Landstraat / Hogestraat – De Haas’s clothing shop.

    Café De Landman, Landstraat, Aalten

    Landstraat 26 – Café De Landman

    Prinsenstraat–Veemarkt, Aalten

    Prinsenstraat 44 / Veemarkt – D.W. Vaags’s coffee roastery.

  • ‘Knonnepoetse’

    Around 1960, a little woman with the peculiar nickname ‘Knonnepoetse’ lived in Aalten. She resided in the Luutenshuus, a centuries-old farmhouse on the corner of Polstraat and Haartsestraat, which was demolished in 1962 to make way for the extension of Polstraat.

    On their way to school, children would dare each other to knock on her windows. A furious old woman, who spoke half-German, would then come storming out. The children were absolutely terrified of her.

    Guste Mina

    In local parlance, she was also known as Guste Mina. She was said to be of Polish origin and had fled to Germany around the wartime period. She later married a man from Aalten named Koskamp.

    This man Koskamp was “on the wrong side” during the war (fout). He used to walk around the village with a rifle slung around his neck. He referred to this rifle as ‘seine Kanone’ (his cannon). He cleaned his rifle frequently, often saying: “I just need to polish my Kanone.” After his death, the little woman inherited the nickname ‘Knonnepoetse’ (Cannon Polisher). The name had therefore originally been intended for her husband.

    The couple initially lived on the corner of Stationsstraat and Admiraal de Ruyterstraat in Aalten, in Lurvink’s old house. This property was later demolished, and Nijman established his petrol station there—later Veneman petrol station, and currently the café-takeaway ‘De Admiraal’. The Koskamp couple subsequently moved to the Luutenshuus.

    Luutenshuus, Haartsestraat, Aalten
    The ‘Luutenshuus’, demolished in 1962

    Who was she?

    Auguste Schürmann (1894–1967)

    Her real name was Auguste Koskamp-Schürmann. She was born in Sterkrade (Germany) and married Bernardus Gerhardus Koskamp in Aalten in 1919. Around 1920, they lived in the village of Aalten at address A211a, which was later renumbered to B215a. This address presumably later became, or is currently, Hogestraat 60a.

    In the 1967 Directory of the Municipality of Aalten, she is listed at the address Polstraat 17a. On 18 August of that same year, Auguste passed away in a nursing home in Zevenaar. She was buried alongside her husband at Berkenhove Cemetery.

    ‘Knonnepoetse’ did not have an easy life; she was quick to anger. The local youth knew this and took advantage of it. Bullying was something that very much occurred in those days as well.

    Sources

  • Aalten in wartime

    Aalten in wartime

    In April 1939, a border guard detachment of 36 men was stationed in Aalten, housed in farms. Sand filled tubes are placed here and there as obstacles. Around 1 September, at the beginning of the Second World War, several hundred residents of Aalten left by train for the various garrison places. On 9 May 1940, the municipal architect was instructed to install barricades on several roads.

    On 10 May, German army units thundered into Aalten. The soldiers stationed around farms offer no resistance. A few days later, Dutch prisoners of war are seen being transported to Germany in open trucks. Four people from Aalten are killed at the Grebbeberg. A group of five hundred returned prisoners of war are enthusiastically welcomed in the party building and then travel on by train.

    Two hundred and fifty Rotterdam children stayed here in the summer months. This was also the case in 1941. A lot of (young) people go to work in Germany because it earns well. There is already a lot on the coupon. Food production comes under control, for which Aalten is divided into three districts, each under a local office holder.

    Blockage Bocholtsestraatweg, 1939
    Blockage Bocholtsestraatweg, 1939
    Arrival of Scheveningen evacuees Aalten, 12 Jan 1943
    Arrival of Scheveningen evacuees in Aalten, 12 Jan 1943 (photo © Collection National Hiding Museum)

    People in hiding

    In the summer of 1942, the first people in hiding came to Aalten to evade the Arbeidseinsatz. Shortly before, the first group of employees of Dutch Button Works in Bredevoort had themselves photographed neatly in their suits with a view to employment in Germany. A group from the Driessen textile factory is also deployed.

    About five hundred Scheveningen evacuees found shelter here in January 1943. Almost all of them belong to the Reformed Church. In Winterswijk there are eight hundred, all Reformed. Once every three weeks a Scheveningen pastor stays here who also leads a church service.

    Hostages

    The Germans increased the pressure to get men to dig. The most intimidating thing was the detention of 12 hostages on October 18. The next day, 550 men leave for Zevenaar. Ten days later, another seven men are taken hostage and 250 people report. The pastors and R.C. clergy had made an appeal to ‘show mercy and charity towards those who are in immediate danger of death’.

    By circular, a representative group of municipal residents insists on a repayment scheme. It will come. A pastor in Zevenaar will be there at all times for support and spiritual care. But there is also a clandestine stencil circulating with the call to ask oneself ‘whether it is responsible to cooperate in the enemy’s defences, as a result of which many more than eleven human lives (…) will soon be lost.’

    The last months

    A few moments from the last three dark months: Individual food collectors keep coming, but a committee ‘Aid to the West’ also manages to collect a few cartloads of mainly grain. Doctor Der Weduwen succeeds in transferring sick people from camp Rees to the emergency hospital in Avondvrede on the Hogestraat. Serious cases go to the hospital set up in the boys’ boarding school in Harreveld. Der Weduwen is killed when his car is shot at from the air.

    There are deaths in bombing raids on the R.C. church and rectory, on farms between Grevinkweg and Elshoekweg, on the corner of Prinsenstraat/Bredevoortsestraatweg and on 24 March most heavily in a bombing raid aimed at the textile factory Gebr. Driessen and the Aalten Tricotage Factory, eighteen dead. The material damage is great every time.

    A drama is taking place around a resistance group that is hiding in the abandoned farm ‘De Bark‘. Close to the door, in ‘Somsenhuus‘, Germans were billeted while seven Allied pilots were in hiding there. The total number of soldiers in Aalten at this time is estimated at about four thousand.

    Liberation

    In the last days of March, it is clear that the denouement is near. How hard will there be fighting? Many leave the village, others seek protection in their shelter. There were still German soldiers roaming around. Then, on Good Friday, March 30, early in the morning, the English tanks rolled into Aalten from Germany. Here and there, Germans still put up fierce resistance. Ten British were killed on that day, in Barlo seven people were killed in a grenade hit in an air-raid shelter. Sadness and joy, Aalten has been liberated.

    Bombardment of Kruisstraat, Aalten (1945)
    Kruisstraat/Bredevoortsestraat
    Bombardment of Dijkstraat, Aalten (1945)
    Dijkstraat
    De Bark, Gelkinkweg, De Heurne
    The Bark
    Liberation of Aalten, 1945
    The liberation of Aalten ( © Collection National Hiding Museum, photo: J.H. Bennink)

    More information

    Sources

    • ‘Aalten in Wartime’, J.G. ter Horst – Messink & Prinsen, 1985, ISBN: 9090008802
  • Spuitbal

    Spuitbal

    Spuitbal was an annual recurring event organised by the Aalten Fire Brigade from 1981 to 2016. Each year, this water-filled spectacle attracted many participants and spectators.

    Game Setup

    In Spuitbal, two teams of six people competed against each other. Each team operated three fire hoses and tried to push a large ball into the opponents’ goal using powerful jets of water. Each hose was operated by a pair: the front player aimed the jet at the ball, while the rear player had to ensure there were no kinks in the hose. The team that scored the most goals in six minutes won.

    Spuitbal tournament at De Ahof (photo: Colenbrander family, via Leo van der Linde)
    Spuitbal tournament at De Ahof (photo: Colenbrander family, via Leo van der Linde)
    Spuitbal Aalten, 2015 (photo: RTV Achterhoek)
    Spuitbal Aalten, 2015 (photo: RTV Achterhoek)

    In the early years, the Spuitbal tournament was organised at various locations, including at De Ahof. In later years, the event took place at Camping Lansbulten on the Eskesweg. The necessary water was pumped from the nearby stream.

    In 2008, no fewer than six women’s teams and thirty men’s teams took part. Many teams returned every year, such as De Flippers, De Pimpels, De Pollekes, Atlantic, Schiller, ’t Noorden, and Jong Gelre.

    The 36th (and, as of yet, final) edition took place in 2016. In 2017, the event was cancelled due to insufficient interest, and it has not returned since.

    Video

    On YouTube, various videos can be found of Spuitbal in Aalten, such as the video below from Jong Gelre from 2012.

    Sources (including)

  • Why are the bells tolling?

    Why are the bells tolling?

    For centuries, the bells of the Oude Sint Helenakerk in Aalten have tolled to inform the population of deaths, the so-called ‘overluiden’.

    It frequently happens that the bells of Old St Helen’s Church are tolled at various times in the morning. In the past, this occurred more often than it does today. In former times, almost everyone knew what this signified. Based on the time and the number of strokes, people could deduce in which rural district someone had died, as well as whether it was a child, a woman, or a man, and whether the deceased was married or unmarried.

    The custom of tolling the bells when a death has occurred is called ‘overluiden’. For many centuries, the sound of bells has emanated from the monumental tower of the church on weekdays. Many people pause for a moment and think: memento mori.

    The bells of Old St Helen’s Church on the Market Square in Aalten are still used for this solemn moment, always in consultation with the next of kin. The ‘overluiden’ can be performed for all deceased persons, not just for members of the Protestant Congregation.

    Significance

    If the bells are tolled at 9:30 AM, it concerns a resident of the rural district of Lintelo. If it occurs at 9:45 AM, someone from de Haart has passed away. At 10:00 AM, the bells toll for a death in Dale or IJzerlo, and at 10:15 AM for someone from the Aaltense Heurne. If it concerns someone from Barlo, the time is 10:30 AM. Often the bells toll at 11:00 AM, which signifies the ‘overluiden’ of a deceased person from the village of Aalten.

    For a man or widower, the clapper bell is struck three times before and after the tolling. For a woman or widow, the clapper bell is struck twice three times before and after the tolling. For an unmarried person or a child, this occurs three times twice before and after the tolling.

    Overluiden Aalten

    Sources

  • Aalten-on-Sea

    Aalten-on-Sea

    In 2011, Aalten made national headlines due to a remarkable story: a small religious community had settled at the Rensink farm in Lintelo, awaiting the Apocalypse. They called themselves the ‘Wachters van de Nacht’ (Watchers of the Night).

    At their farm, they were preparing for survival during the end times. According to them, the Apocalypse would soon arrive with a tsunami, causing large parts of the Netherlands to be submerged underwater. Higher-lying Aalten would, as a result, find itself located on the coast.

    Jokers posted satirical videos on YouTube in which Aalten-on-Sea was presented as a sunny seaside resort, where the local retail sector had effortlessly adapted to the demand for beach entertainment. However, according to the Watchers themselves, anyone who ignored their warnings would have to face the consequences. A drowning death awaited them. In the meantime, the Watchers stocked up on large food supplies for the refugees they expected to arrive from the Randstad (the major urban area in the west of the Netherlands).

    “Aalten could become a coastal town”

    “Aalten-on-Sea” part 1

    “Aalten-on-Sea” part 2

    “Aalten-on-Sea” part 3

    “Aalten-on-Sea” part 4

    Sources

  • Aalten and Lichtenvoorde are enclaves, not ‘naobers’

    Aalten and Lichtenvoorde are enclaves, not ‘naobers’

    Two neighboring villages: one Catholic, the other Protestant. Does rivalry still exist? Trouw investigates. Today part 2: Aalten and Lichtenvoorde. Aalten is known as the ‘Jerusalem of the Achterhoek’ thanks to its many Reformed churches. Neighboring Lichtenvoorde, by contrast, lies in a Roman Catholic enclave.

    Aalten and Lichtenvoorde

    Achterhoekers are not known for being pedantic. Except in Aalten. Those terraces on the Market in front of the Old St Helen’s Church? “That would have been considered blasphemy in Aalten in the past,” says Hans de Graaf. He was born in 1943 into a Roman Catholic family in neighboring Bredevoort. He has lived and attended church in Aalten for years. “As a child, you felt like you were a second-class citizen,” he recalls.

    In the 1950s and 60s, Protestants dominated Aalten, divided into ‘de fienen’ (the fine) and ‘de groffen’ (the coarse). The Dutch Reformed were not as strict. They lived Biblically according to the ‘coarse’ line. The seceded Reformed, numerous in Aalten, however, followed orthodox dogmatics with ‘fine’ precision.

    Jerusalem of the Achterhoek

    ‘Fienen’. You pronounce it with a long, drawn-out ‘ie’. Frits van Lochem does so too. In 1946, he was born into a Dutch Reformed family in Roman Catholic Lichtenvoorde, eight kilometers from Aalten. Between the two villages lies a rolling no-man’s-land. If you speak of Aalten in Lichtenvoorde, the conversation quickly turns to ‘those fienen’ and ‘the Jerusalem of the Achterhoek’. “We are more oriented towards Groenlo,” says Van Lochem.

    A folk faith prevails in the Achterhoek. In daily life, it does not matter whether your ancestors remained Roman Catholic or eventually converted to Protestantism. The Achterhoek tradition of naoberschap (neighborliness) transcends the dogmas of Rome and Protestant synods. The area is divided like a checkerboard pattern into villages with slightly more Roman Catholics and those with slightly more Protestants.

    Neighboring enclaves

    Two neighboring enclaves form a major exception: the Reformed Aalten and the Roman Catholic strongholds of Groenlo and Lichtenvoorde. How did this come to be and what is their relationship? Hans de Graaf and Frits van Lochem can draw from their experiences as members of a religious minority. They do not know each other. Yet they once cycled past each other daily—one on the way to the Protestant secondary school in Aalten, the other to the Roman Catholic one in Lichtenvoorde.

    The Johanneskerk (PKN) of Lichtenvoorde
    The Johanneskerk (PKN) of Lichtenvoorde

    Van Lochem enjoys being active for the community. He was once an alderman in Lichtenvoorde before the municipality merged with Groenlo to become Oost Gelre. Now he manages the administration of the Johanneskerk. As a Reformed boy, he had a pleasant childhood, he says. “Of course, you had a Protestant and a Roman Catholic school,” he says. “For secondary education, you had to go to Aalten. You simply went to a school of your own religion.”

    For a time, there was a separate Protestant football club and gymnastics association. The Protestant drum band did not play at Lichtenvoorde festivities on Sundays, he remembers. But in Lichtenvoorde, where 90 percent of the people were Roman Catholic, people interacted normally. “My father was an upholsterer,” says Van Lochem. “The monastery was an important client. He wouldn’t have earned a living from Protestants alone.”

    Protestants ‘determined everything’

    As easily as the people of Lichtenvoorde bridged the pillarized differences, the dividing lines in Aalten must have been difficult. “Very little was allowed,” says De Graaf. “Dancing was impossible. As Roman Catholics, we had our own youth club. Many marriages resulted from that. You thought in the 1950s: those Protestants determine everything here. And then the swimming pool issue arose. A massive row! People cut open the barbed wire around the pool to be able to swim on Sundays. Nowadays, everything is different. A worldly wind blows through Aalten. Still.”

    Lichtenvoorde and Groenlo were synonymous with a pleasant life for a Roman Catholic boy from Aalten. “There were the assembly days and the processions,” De Graaf remembers. Lichtenvoorde is frivolous with its flower parade, and Groenlo is known for its carnival. But for him, those places remained far away. In Aalten, during his youth, about 18 percent of the people were Roman Catholic. The Reformed identity weighed on everyone. The Roman Catholicism of ‘the enclave Groenlo and Lichtenvoorde’ was the subject of study for history teacher Thielen from Boxtel in 1966. Two developments explain how an enclave could arise, according to his book on ‘the enclave’.

    Religious struggle

    The struggle between the dioceses of Utrecht and Münster for control over this region lasted until 1823. The Bishop of Münster asserted himself quite strongly in the eastern Netherlands. Furthermore, around 1600, the Achterhoek had been the battlefield between the State armies of the House of Orange and the Spanish rulers. That struggle had left its religious marks.

    In 1597, the army of Prince Maurice conquered the towns of Bredevoort and Groenlo from the Spaniards on behalf of the (Protestant) States-General in The Hague. But in 1606, the ‘States’ lost the fortress again. Although Prince Frederick Henry recaptured Groenlo in 1627, he could no longer win over most of the inhabitants to Protestantism. The Roman Catholic movement of the Counter-Reformation had taken root there. Nearby Lichtenvoorde, which had its own chapel since 1496, also remained loyal to Rome. And Münster.

    Monumental

    Frits van Lochem shows the white-plastered Johanneskerk from 1648. It is monumental. The church stands on the foundations of the Roman Catholic chapel from 1496. “It is one of the oldest Protestant churches in the Netherlands,” he says. The chapel fell into the hands of the Dutch Reformed minority after 1627, who were aligned with the new State authority. They wanted a less dilapidated house of worship. “Collections were held throughout the country for this church,” says Van Lochem. “Frederick Henry also paid. Donations came from as far as Amsterdam and its surroundings.”

    Kruiskapel Hemden – map
    Old map with the Cross Chapel at Hemden, just across the border near Aalten

    The Roman Catholics who remained in large numbers in Groenlo and Lichtenvoorde, as well as an Aalten minority, became dependent on the Kreuzkapellen (Cross Chapels) that were built in border villages like Zwillbrock, Hemden, and near the city of Bocholt. The ‘papists’ walked to the border of the Republic with the Münsterland. But in large parts of the Achterhoek, including Aalten, the priest suddenly became a minister and solemnly renounced all Roman ‘superstitions’. His flock then became Protestant as well, though not immediately with full conviction.

    The nature of the Achterhoeker

    The nature of the Achterhoeker is, as Reformed minister J.H. Jansen wrote in 1957, seemingly quite easy-going. They tend to wait and see, he stated in a sociological study of religious life in the Achterhoek. The community takes precedence over the individual, he observed. Scribe Flip de Bruijn of the Protestant Congregation of Lichtenvoorde can still identify with that observation in 2010. “The community here is so interwoven and there are so many mixed marriages,” he says. “There are no sharp contrasts. People accept each other without conflict.”

    What then makes Aalten such an exception? In 1845, following the example of the Groningen minister De Cock, a portion of the Dutch Reformed in Aalten seceded. Subsequently, the Doleantie (1886-1892) found resonance in the Achterhoek, particularly in Aalten. From both schisms, the village gained the Christian Reformed and the Reformed Church. “The cause was that a beloved preacher ‘went along’ and was deposed by the classical board,” Jansen explained regarding the Doleantie in Aalten. “He took many families with him.”

    Ecclesiastical diversity

    Roman Catholic Helenakerk, Dijkstraat, Aalten
    The Roman Catholic St Helen’s Church in Aalten

    Most Achterhoek Protestants remained mildly Dutch Reformed. Aalten possesses an orthodoxy that now fits better with the ChristianUnion than the SGP. Members of the Reformed Association or the Restored Reformed are scarce in the Achterhoek, and the Reformed Congregations even more so. But the growing religious differences between Aalten and the rest of the region led to the nickname ‘Jerusalem of the Achterhoek’.

    Hans de Graaf is familiar with that nickname. “What do they mean by it?” he wonders. If it refers to the ecclesiastical diversity of Aalten, he can imagine it. He himself delved into the Roman Catholic church history of the region. Aalten owes the survival of its Roman Catholic community to the arrival of the spinning and weaving mill of the German Driessen family in the nineteenth century, he is firmly convinced. “Our church community stands on the shoulders of a small group of pioneers,” he says.

    Change

    Anyone driving into Aalten today is alerted by black billboards on the access road to the fact that ‘God is love’ and that ‘He loves you too’. In the village, you will find a unique church: a bilingual evangelical congregation for Germans and Dutch people known as the Euregiokerk. ‘Two nations, one faith’ reads the large text on the facade of the formerly Reformed Westerkerk.

    Hans de Graaf notices that Aalten is changing. “You can now easily organize something on a Sunday,” he says. “That is no longer an obstacle.” What has remained is the non-relationship with Lichtenvoorde. “The Aalten community does not look to the north,” he says. Yet, ecclesiastically, that will now be necessary. The Diocese of Utrecht recently merged nine parishes into one, so that Aalten now belongs with Lichtenvoorde and Groenlo. The Ludger Parish.

    “As Roman Catholics in Aalten, we have a strong self-awareness,” says De Graaf. “That stems from the idea: ‘we are still here too!’ The small Catholic pillar made itself clearly heard in society. In Lichtenvoorde, almost everyone is Catholic. There is a different attitude there.” De Graaf misses that resilience in the large parish. He is taking on new projects himself. Together with Catholics and Protestants, he is developing a walking route from Zutphen to Münster, following in the footsteps of the ninth-century evangelist Ludger. After all, he brought the gospel to all Achterhoekers, didn’t he?

    Ecumenism

    It is a language that Frits van Lochem and Flip de Bruijn in Roman Catholic Lichtenvoorde would understand. To their great regret, the once lively ecumenical tradition is disappearing there. Less and less is done together. “Ecumenism is fading,” says De Bruijn. “We want to. But Rome does not prioritize ecumenism. Now that the parishes have been merged, you notice there is less time for it.”

    Modern life in Lichtenvoorde largely exists without church attendance. On Sundays, you can shop there peacefully. Residents even shrug their shoulders at the Sunday opening of the supermarket, Van Lochem notes. No one here thinks of Aalten. There is more rivalry and at the same time kinship with ‘d’n Grolschen’ (Groenlo). The Protestant Congregation of Lichtenvoorde is now also looking in that direction for closer cooperation with the Dutch Reformed. “No, there are no ecclesiastical contacts with Aalten,” says De Bruijn.

    There is little affinity with Protestant orthodoxy in Lichtenvoorde. Yet it is precisely those believers from Lichtenvoorde who want to work the Achterhoek, an ‘ecclesiastical white spot’, through their Christian bookstore ‘Licht’. It is closed today. “That belongs to the Reformed-Liberated, doesn’t it?” De Bruijn and Van Lochem ask each other. “They aren’t from here. They probably think there’s some evangelizing to be done here.”

    ‘Keislöppers’ and ‘de fienen’

    The boulder with the lion statue on the Market of Lichtenvoorde
    The boulder with the lion statue on the Market of Lichtenvoorde (photo: achterhoek.nl)

    Lichtenvoorde is traditionally Roman Catholic. In 1496, the Lord of Bronckhorst founded a chapel there. On its foundations, the few Protestants built a new church in 1648 with ‘State funds’. In the nineteenth century, the town (now 13,000 inhabitants) received many migrant workers from Brabant for work in the shoe industry. To honor King William III’s 25th anniversary in office in 1874, these Roman Catholic shoemakers dragged a 20,000-kilogram boulder to the center and decorated it with a proud lion. They earned the people of Lichtenvoorde the nickname ‘keislöppers’ (boulder draggers).

    Aalten grew over the past century from a small village into a central town with nearly 13,000 inhabitants. Since the nineteenth century, Aalten distinguished itself through church secessions that were almost non-existent elsewhere in the Achterhoek. Many proved sensitive to a more ‘fine’ (fijnzinniger), Reformed faith, which earned the people of Aalten the nickname ‘de fienen’. The village still has a relatively large number of Protestant and Evangelical churches. The ecclesiastical variety on such a small scale is unique in this border region. This gave Aalten the name ‘the Jerusalem of the Achterhoek’.

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