In 1967, Aalten was filmed for the Landelijke Filmactie, a nationwide film project run by Enschede businessman Johan Adolfs. The silent village film offers a remarkable moving portrait of the town and its residents.
A moving photo album
Johan Willem Lambertus Adolfs (1917–1977) ran an extensive film project between 1948 and 1970. Village films were made in around 1,500 Dutch villages and small towns, usually commissioned by a local association or local businesses. The idea was simple: record as many residents and recognisable places as possible.
These films have since become valuable historical sources. They record not only buildings and streets, but above all everyday life: people in the street, schools, shops, businesses and local associations. What seemed completely ordinary while the camera was rolling is often what makes the footage most interesting decades later.
Aalten in 1967
Aalten received its own village film in 1967. Unlike a collection of still photographs, it shows the town in motion: residents walk through the frame, traffic passes and the streetscape comes to life. For people who knew Aalten at the time, the film offers recognition; for later generations it provides a direct view of daily life in 1967.
The film survives in two parts and can be watched on Old Aalten’s YouTube channel.
The film
Who and what do we recognise?
A film like this becomes even more valuable when the people, shops, businesses and locations in the footage can be identified. If you recognise someone or somewhere in the film, please let Old Aalten know. Those identifications can help us build a richer picture of Aalten in 1967.