Tuesday, February 18, 2020

SMAKKESTRAAT



Smakke has to do with the Dutch verb 'smakken' which has many meanings, especially to throw, to strike, to toss. It may refer to handling goods, after all this little street is situated in the former port, and to dice, or playing a similar game.

More photos will follow



Smakkestraat seen from Noordzijde Zoom.








Friday, May 11, 2018

MARY - The holy virgin


64 locations, in alphabetical order.
Unless otherwise noted, all photos: © Albert Hagenaars.


Although Bergen op Zoom has not always been a predominantly Roman-Catholic town, one can still see many statuettes, figurines, plaques and plaquettes representing Mary, some of them having survived sieges and iconoclastic furies.

This page will bring together as many of the remaining images as possible. Some have historic value, a few are also artistically interesting and most of them are the result of serial production, as especially can be seen on houses of the Twenties and Thirties of the 20th century. All were given their place however with the firm belief that Mary would protect the residents, keep them from evil, or could provide prosperity.

Bergen op Zoom is also home to one of the few processions in The Netherlands dedicated to Mary, a result of a promise, done during World War II. If the town remained unharmed, its citizens would organize a yearly parade in honor of her. Although two 'Vergeltungswaffen' came down in the centre, killing dozens of people and causing of lot of material damage, this promise was kept, up to this day.




Bolwerk Zuid 14




Boutershemstraat 22




Bredasestraat 44




Buitenvest 20




Burgemeester Mathonstraat 10




Burgemeester de Roocklaan 35




Burgemeester Stulemeijerlaan 8




Glymesstraat 22




Glymesstraat 36




Grote Markt 5. Photo: Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg, 1965.
This statuette couldn't be saved during the restauration (in 1965) of the house it decorated. It was replaced by a new work (see photo below).




Grote Markt 5, the new version




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Grote Markt 10, Sint-Gertrudiskerk




Kerkstraat 8




Kerkstraat (in the garden of Sint-Gertrudiskerk)




Kladseweg 42




Kloosterstraat 2A





Kortemeestraat 26




Lange Parkstraat 8




Lievrouwestraat (Gevangenpoort/Prisoner's Gate)



Lievevrouwestraat 29




Lievevrouwestraat 32
The only image of Maria in town which is lit




Lievevrouwestraat 35-37




Meeussenstraat 2




Moeregrebstraat 66




Noordsingel 230




Noordzijde Zoom 78




Noordzijde Zoom 79




Pastoor de Meulemeesterstraat




P. Turqstraat 6




Potterstraat 58




Sibeliusstraat 32




Steenbergsestraat 38




Van Dedemstraat 105




Vismarkt 21 (= Sint-Catharinaplein 21)




Vismarkt 22 (= Sint-Catharinaplein 22)




Wassenaarstraat 50




Westersingel 7




Westersingel




Zuidmolenstraat 43




Zuidsingel 9




Zuidwestsingel 208



Will be followed!