Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Brabant-du-Nord

During our second visit to the Oisterwijk forests and fens ( Oisterwijkse bossen en vennen ) - again on a grey, gloomy day - we made a walk along the so-called Kolkvenroute (about 3.5 km's). This nature reserve is one of the Netherlands’ most unique nature reserves with 80 fens in a stunning green expanse. Unlike many other fens, the formation of Kolkven is not created by the action of wind, but by melting water of a former river. Kolkven (main image) is a lot deeper than the others, which makes it suitable for fishing. The fen is rented by a local angling club. On our route we passed three smaller fens, including the Brandven (PiP’s). This fen (“Fire Fen”) got its name because in the past its water was used as firewater. Nowadays most of the nature reserve is owned and managed by Natuurmonumenten , a Dutch society for protecting nature reserves. (for more pictures of the area see: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/46395468/in/album/537905 )

Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1212. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate in 1559. Several noble families ruled Bergen op Zoom in succession until 1795. The city was built on a place where two types of soil meet: sandy soil and marine clay. The sandy soil pushed against the marine clay, accumulating and forming hills over several centuries. Those ‘hills’ are called Brabantse Wal , literally meaning ‘ramparts of Brabant’; Bergen in Dutch means mountains or hills and Zoom refers to the border of these ramparts. Bergen op Zoom became a trading city and merchants from all over Europe came to the city to sell their goods. The beautiful historical buildings on the Grote Markt (Market Square) reflect the wealth of the city. The city hall (right) is a late Gothic building, dating back to the year of 1398; several fires put the building to ashes; the current building with its late-Gothic façade, dates from 1611. In front of the town hall stands a statue of ‘Anton van Duinkerken’, a local writer, poet and professor (PiP2). Hotel De Draak (left) is the oldest hotel in the Netherlands and is at least dating back to 1397, when a fire almost burnt down the entire city, but the inn was one of the few buildings which survived. City archives turned into ashes and smoke during this city fire, but experts say that Hotel de Draak was at least 100 years old when the city fire emerged.

In the centre of Oudenbosch - not far away from the impressive basilica: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/46381994 - is the Big Chapel of the former boys boarding school Instituut Saint Louis . This boarding school was led by the Congregation of the Brothers of Aloysius Gonzaga; better known as the Brothers of Saint Louis. The neo-baroque chapel - modelled after Italian model with some similarities with the Saint Peter in Rome - and its former boarding school complex were built in 1865-1866. The interior is richly decorated and still almost intact with a 30 metres high dome, realised in 1889 (due to the limited opening hours we couldn’t visit the interior of the chapel). In 2008, the Saint Louis Chapel was transferred to a foundation ( Stichting Behoud Cultureel Erfgoed Saint Louis for the preservation of this cultural heritage in Oudenbosch. This foundation wants to ensure that the chapel will be preserved and that it will accommodate social and cultural activities, like concerts and exhibitions. The rest of the institute's buildings are renovated and act as appartments, a senior home and a hotel

The Begijnhof (or officially Catharinabegijnhof Breda ) was first mentioned in 1267, but must have existed some time before that. The beguinage was moved to its current location in the centre of Breda around the year of 1535. In the 19th century, the court was expanded with a second courtyard and the single-nave St Catherine church. The walled complex of the beguinage consists of 29 houses around an herb garden with 300 different kinds of spices and lawn, which was used as bleachfield by the beguines. The last living beguine in the Netherlands - Cornelia Catherina Frijters - died in 1990. The Begijnhof has a small museum, where one gets insight into the living of the beguines. Nowadays the houses around the courtyard can be rented, but still only by single women.

Heusden is located on the river (Bergsche) Maas. The history of the town began around the year 1200 with the establishment of an urban settlement. During the Eighty Years’ War ( Tachtigjarige Oorlog : 1568-1648) against the political and religious hegemony of of Spain, massive fortifications - with earthwork ramparts with bastions, moats and ravelins - were built on the orders of Willem van Oranje . Heusden became an important garrison town with thousands of soldiers. Towards the end of the World War II Heusden was seriously damaged. The fortress has been fully restored since 1968. The restoration of the town was based on the 17th century drawings made by the famous Amsterdam cartographer Joan Blaeu. The city harbour of Heusden was built during the construction of the fortifications after 1580. In 1904 the inner harbour was filled in to create a city park, but in the 1970’s it was restored to its original form. Nowadays it is one of the picturesque corners of Heusen with a white drawbridge and a black postmill (one of three on the ramparts).

The construction of the Grote Kerk or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) started in 1410 and was completed around 1540. The church - covered with natural stone - is built in the Brabantine Gothic style. This is reflected in the gables, high windows and a large number of flying buttresses, as well as many details and decorations. The tower has a height of 97 metres and is one of the finest and richly decorated church towers in the Netherlands. Work on the tower started in 1468 and was finished 38 years later. In the past the church was far more furnished than today. Much was destroyed during the Iconoclastic Fury in 1566 and the occupation of the church by the Protestants. During the Eighty Years' War (1568 - 1648) the church changed various times between protestant and catholic use, to become finally protestant in 1637. The most important chapel in the church is the Prinsenkapel (PiP 2). This Prince Chapel is the old mausoleum of the House of Orange-Nassau. The chapel was built from 1520 until 1525 on orders of the Lord of Breda, Hendrik III van Nassau-Breda . Seventeen family members are buried in the chapel. The church building is free to visit and is nowadays mainly used for concerts, courses, symposia, fairs, fashion shows, school excursions and exhibitions. Nowadays there are about ten church services a year and also regular baptisms, weddings, memorial services and funerals. But the huge building is mainly used for concerts, courses, symposia, fairs, fashion shows, school excursions and exhibitions.

Oisterwijk is well known for its Bossen en Vennen , located south of the village. It is an area of 410 hectares with forests and dozens of fens. These fens were created during the last ice age by heavy southwestern winds, blowing sand away. The created bowls were later filled with rainwater. Because of loamy or primal (iron) layers, the water remained in the bowls, creating fens in a bare landscape. The forests around the pools have been planted since the nineteenth century. Most of the nature reserve is managed by Natuurmonumenten , a Dutch organisation founded in 1905 that buys, protects and manages nature reserves in the Netherlands. I took this pictures on a grey day at the Groot Aderven , one of the many fens.

The Basilica of Oudenbosch - officialy Basilica of H.H. Agatha and Barbara - is a Roman Catholic church in the village of Oudenbosch in the province of North Brabant. The initiative for building this church was taken by father Willem Hellemons (parish priest 1842 - 1884), who had a great devotion to the Pope and the city of Rome. He inspired his 3.500 parishoners that much that within months, he collected enough money to start building the church. Famous Dutch architect Dr. P. Cuijpers - responsible for the Rijksmuseum and Central Station in Amsterdam -designed a church with nave and interior modeled aftter St. Peters’ Basilica in Rome. With a length of 81 metres, a width of 55 metres and a highest point of the dome at 63 metres, the internal space of the basilica is 16 times smaller than that of Saint Peter’s. But it is still quite impressive, especially given its location in a rather small town. The façade - designed by Prof. G.J. van Swaay - is a copy of the front of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Construction started in 1865 and was completed in 1892. In 1912 the church was elevated to the rank of ‘basilica’. The interior is richly decorated with frescoes and sculptures. Most paintings in the church were hand painted on site (also in the big dome) by local C. Raaymakers and most statues are made by Antwerp artist F. de Vriendt. A narrow staircase with more than 140 steps brings one to the dome - nearly 30 metres above the floor of the church - with amazing views into the basilica.

The protestant church of Nuenen was built in 1824 and is a simple aislesless church in neoclassic style, which seats about 60 people. Originally it was known as ‘Willemskerkje’, as King Willem 1 often hunted nearby Nuenen and supported the construction of the church. But the church became world-famous after Vincent van Gogh - while living in Nuenen - early 1884 created an oil painting of the church. Vincent painted the church - where his father was parson - and dedicated it to his mother, who was in bed with a broken thigh bone. After he added the churchgoers more than a year later it became its present name “Het uitgaan van de Hervormde Kerk te Nuenen” (Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen). See PiP. The painting was exposed in the Amsterdam Museum of Van Gogh for a long time, until 2002, when it was stolen. In September 2016 the painting was recovered in the home of a high member in the Italian mafia.

The mill in Kilsdonk is dating back to the year of 1433, when it was mentioned as a watermill. Originally there were two watermills on the banks of the River Aa. Due to flooding and problems with the drainage process in 1491 was determined that the mills only in winter could be used. A new miller wanted to use the mills during the year and got permission to built a windmill (1813). After a devastating fire, which burned down the mills, the mill complex was reopened in 1842. Flooding persisted and the mill was bought by the municipality of Veghel and the wheels were removed. Water problems solved, but the mill fell into disrepair. Nowadays the Kilsdonkse Molen (Kilsdonk Mill) is owned by a foundation, which was able to perform extensive restoration works in 2003-2008. The combination of a water- and windmill is quiet unique even in the Netherlands with its numerous mills.

Kasteel Heeswijk (Heeswijk Castle) was originally built around 1080 by inhabitants of the valley of the river Aa as a motte, a moated refuge.’Count Almericus van Heeswijk’ ís the first (1156) known castle dweller. In the 13th century the castle becomes the property of the family ‘Van Bentheim’, who enlarged the castle at the end of that century. In subsequent years, the castle had several owners and it was rebuilt and expanded many times. In 1834 Belgian ‘André baron van den Bogaerde van Terbruggen’ bought Heeswijk Castle and of course it was rebuilt again. He and his descendants were art collectors and decorated the castle with all kinds of art and the castle was partly used as a museum; its nickname was ‘Musée de Bogaerde’. The last noble descendant died in 1994 and since that time the castle is owned by The Heeswijk Castle Foundation. Nowadays the castle, gatehouse and coach house are used for cultural activities and/or are housing a café, restaurant and conference rooms. The castle can be visited during a guided tour, while the garden and surrounding park are free of charge.

‘Huis Zwanenburg’ (Manor Zwanenburg) is the only remaining manor of the six medieval fortified houses which once stood in Dinther. It was built in several stages. Around the year of 1400 a so called ‘steenen kaemer’ (stone room) was built on the site of the current manor. Such a stone room was not meant for permanent residence, but served as a shelter for the owner of the estate, when he came to Zwanenburg consulting his tenants and managing the estate. The part of the building with the gabled roof is probably built between 1500 and 1520. In the 17th century the house was extended and at the end of that century radically rebuilt. In 1733 the house was completely dilapidated, but later it was restored. Around1950 a major restoration followed and the manor became its current look. ‘Huis Zwanenburg’ is picturesquely situated in the valley of the river Aa between Dinther and Veghel and is located in the hamlet Beugt.

The oldest parts of ‘Kasteel Croy’ (Croy Castle) most probably are dating back to the middle of the 15th century. In 1477 Jacob van Croy, member of the noble Burgundian family De Croy, bought a ‘slotje’ (= little castle) with a farmhouse. However ‘Van Croy’ was only seventeen years owner of the "slotje", when he sold it to Cornelis I van Bergen, who probably built the castle (PiP 1) and gatehouse (PiP 2) in its final size. Several noble families inhabited the imposing castle; the last one was family was the Van der Brugghen family. The last inhabitant was Freule (Lady) Constance van der Brugghen. She died in 1873 and left the building to the municipality of Stiphout with the obligation to use it for the help of poor elderly people. This came to an end in 1977, when the castle was disapproved for housing (elderly) people. After a fully restoration of the interior (1990), the castle nowadays houses a number of companies. The gatehouse is used as a bed & breakfast.

The ‘Collse Watermolen’ (Watermill at Kollen) was built by monks in the 13th century. Later it became in possession of the Duke of Brabant. The watermill burned down and was rebuilt in 1681. Thee rmill is located along the river ‘Kleine Dommel’, which rises nearby the Belgian border. It has two undershot water wheels, which each serve a different mill. One is operating a corn mill and the other one an oil mill (pressing oil from rapeseed). Nowadays the mills are operated by volunteers and open to the public on Saturday mornings. Since 1972 the watermill is listed as a national monument. The ‘Collse Watermill’ is famous because Vincent van Gogh - living for a couple of years in nearby Nuenen - painted the mill in the year of 1884 (PiP 3).

‘Kasteel Gemert’ (Caslte Gemert) is dating back to the year of 1391. It was inhabited by knights of the German Order and was built by order of Commander Hendrik Reinaart van Husen.. Originally the castle was a defensible fortress. From the 14th to the 20th century it was often renovated and extended. In 1740 the (current) new main building was constructed, consisting of three wings surrounding a courtyard. In 1794, the French took possession of the castle and the German Order was dissolved by order of Napoleon Bonaparte. At the end of the 19th century the castle and grounds were sold to Jesuits. Afterwards it was used as a monastery by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit; they built a chapel on the grounds. Due to a lack of new recruits, the brotherhood finally left the castle a couple of years ago. Nowadays the castle is owned by a private investment company and is waiting for a new future. There were restorations on the main buildings going on during our visit (November 2015). The grounds were closed and I only could make a picture of the drawbridge and the 17th century gatehouse.

Mill Laurentia was moved from the village of Bleskensgraaf, where it was used as drainage mill in the polder Alblasserwaard. In the year of 1893 the mill was rebuilt and started a ‘second life’ as flourmill nearby the village of Milheeze. Laurentia is an octagonal whitewashed ‘beltmolen*’ on a stone foundation with a reed covered superstructure. Originally the mill was called ‘Ludolizawi’, a contraction of the names of of the former owners. After a restoration in 1965 the mill became its current name Laurentia. *beltmolen = belt is a man made mound, providing more wind for a mill.