VAN KONIJNENBURGWEG

6 pictures


Bergen op Zoom is blessed with over 850 listed historic buildings, of which about 310 are national monuments. Interesting modern structures however are hard to find. An example is the new fire station on Van Konijnenburgweg. The building, designed by Schaap en Sturm Architecten, refers to a fortified wall (for centuries there were defense works on this spot) as well as to the proximity of the Oosterschelde (Eastern Scheldt).




The eastern side.



All the mediaeval walls around the town have disappeared. Only one gate of that period still exists today. The wall above has nothing to do with BoZ but gives an idea of what the town may have looked like at its limits. The oldest walls were however located far from here.






The fire station is realized between the old harbor to the east and the entrance of its canal to the west. That's why the roofs are designed like waves, including the colours. The real waterfront is only a few hundreds of meters away. In a couple of years the building will act as a hinge between the revived historic harbour district and the new marina. Already many activities take place in the neighbourhood.



The fire station (left corner below) and its new surroundings in ScheldeVeste.



The road, leading to Theodorushaven (opened in 1964), was named after Emile van Konijnenburg (1869 - 1956). He was an important hydraulic engineer and as such involved in many international projects. Early in his career he helped to improve the river Maas, in The Netherlands streaming between Maastricht and Rotterdam/the North Sea. Later he did the same for the Suez Canal and the Danube, in Romania. He designed ports for Jaffa, Haifa, Beirut and Tripoli.
As a writer he published a trilogy about the history of Dutch shipbuilding, "De Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw vanaf zijn oorsprong" and about the separation of the rivers Maas and Waal, "Scheiding van Maas en Waal; beschrijving van den vroegeren waterstaatkundigen toestand in Noordbrabant, alsmede van de werken uitgevoerd voor de verlegging van den Maasmond".
As if this was not enough, he also made a name for himself as a painter, specialized in picturing landscapes and animals. He should not be mistaken however for the artist Willem Adriaan van Konijnenburg (1868 - 1943).
The town council of Bergen op Zoom also honoured him because the Schelde-Rijnkanaal between Antwerp and Rotterdam, one of the busiest canals in Europe, was built according to his plans. This canal is only 2 km away from the fire station.



More information will follow

LONDONSTRAAT

7 pictures


The entrance of Londonstraat, seen from the lower situated Lievevrouwestraat. To the left the house 'London', after which the street is called. To the right 'In de Draeck'.



Restored stone tablet of a dragon, belonging to the house 'In de Draeck'.



Linocut, made by a local artist in 1976, after a picture shot in 1901 (see below). Collection: Albert Hagenaars.



The Londonstraat in 1901: small and decayed dwellings, big families, poor health conditions. The authorities had their reasons to pull down large parts of town after World War II, but not just the houses disappeared...



The situation by the end of September 2014. The street was almost entirely demolished in the Seventies. One side of the street is rebuilt, the other part is still a parking lot. There are plans however to rebuild this side as well. In the distance, to the left, the mediaeval Gevangenpoort (Prisoner's Gate) can be seen, the oldest building of BoZ.



The so-called "Poort van Borghouts", at the junction of Londonstraat and Zuidmolenstraat, where Londonstraat reaches its highest point. Just before the old shed was demolished, a local artist made this paining (oil on canvas). Collection: Albert Hagenaars.



The same place as on the photo above, but new buildings. The architect more or less managed to respect the former volumes while coming up with a modern design.



Also see: www.alberthagenaars.nl

KOEVOETSTRAAT

21 pictures


As good as forgotten, this lion's head guards the eastern part of Koevoetstraat.



A 'koevoet' (literally cow + foot) is a crowbar. Since also the street is bent a little, as can be seen on this picture, the name Koevoetstraat may find its origins in that tool.




At number 9, the white house, WEL was located for some years, a publising house which specializes in poetry. WEL was co-founded by Frans Mink (who lived here) in 1973. In the seventies, there was a garage downstairs.



Number 23 housed Valckesteyn in the period 1978-1980. In this gallery the first art performances in West-Brabant took place. Valckesteyn is the historic name. Valckesteyn and the adjacent houses to the right were built around 1750, after the devastating bombardments by the French army during the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748). Over 25% of the town was flattened, more parts got heavily damaged. Until then the town was called La Pucelle (the virgin), since even the mighty Spanish armies didn't succeed to conquer it. It's only fair to say that during their most serious attempts, in 1588 and 1622, artillery was not as powerful and sophisticated as it was in the 18th century.



Not the biggest building in the street, neither the oldest, the former synagogue however is the most important complex here.



Initially, the Jewish community of Bergen op Zoom used the first floor of the local Weighhouse as a place of worship. According to the text on 'the first stone' of the present building, laid by Mr. S.L. van den Broeck, constructing began on the twelfth of the month Eloel.



The interior before World War II. Photographer: unknown.



The text "Door milddadigheid van den besten Koning 5593" means "Thanks to the benevolence of the best king 1832", refering to a gift by king William I (1772 - 1843), who ruled in the period 1813 - 1840. He was king of The United Netherlands (the actual Netherlands plus Belgium) as well as duke of Luxembourg. During his reign the Belgian Revolution (1830 - 1839) took place, which led to the independance of the Southern Netherlands, called Belgium from then on. The ties between the northern Netherlands and Flanders nevertheless remained tight.



Some lines from the poem by Benno Barnard, written especially for this place on request of Stichting Stenen Strofen (Foundation Stone Stanza's), an organization which strives for integrating poetry in the urban tissue. Some towns with similar intentions are Leiden (with over 100 texts), Middelburg and Den Bosch. In BoZ about 20 poems have appeared on buildings so far.



Barnard's complete text, refering to the fact that a local national-socialist used the complex as a depot for potatoes. David Colmer made the following English translation:



SHUL

On the wall of a former synagogue

Passer-by, this was a house of prayer
for nonzealous believers:
Salomon Samuel Frank, shopkeeper,
Nathan Jakob, of honest conduct,
name them. Here
they gathered: instructed
by forefathers, borne
by tradition.

Realise:
there is no such thing
as a former shul.

Think of the bastard who stored
his winter potatoes inside.
It is not nothingness
that terrifies
but its revelation in banality.

Even now, a cold millennium later,
an old man still stands
under the eternal lamp
mumbling in all his unshavenness
at the ark containing the names
of people death
scooped up like so many spuds:
Sam, Israel, Esther, Benjamin, Jakob.

You who are a passer-by,
as they were,
name them.




The newly formed square connecting the old and new shopping centres was called after Mozes de Hes (1864, Hoogeveen - 1942 Auschwitz), who was a religious teacher in Doetinchem, Smilde, Roermond, Gorredijk and Vlissingen. In 1926 he was appointed teacher and cantor in Bergen op Zoom. In 1942 he moved to Amsterdam. Shortly afterward, October 5th, he died in Auschwitz.



A plaque commemorating the opening of the restored synagogue by the ambassador of Israel in 1975. Between the end of the war and the early seventies, the building had fallen to ruin. Just before the remnants would be demolished in a slum clearance, the synagogue could be saved, thanks to the vigilance and perseverance of a small group of concerned residents.



The restoration works were also performed as a dedication to all the Jewish Dutch who didn't live to see the liberation. Few Jewish fellow townsmen returned to BoZ, too few to be able to reestablish the religious function of the building.



This sign explains that the synagogue was declared a national monument in 1975. Since 1996 the place is open to the public. On the first floor there is a exhibition. The new interior was, with much respect for the former functions, designed by artist Jan Wessendorp.



Many houses in the street were abandoned, due to their poor state after WW II. Since the eighties the downtown area has increasingly become a popular place to live in. Even on the Parade, a big square between Koevoetstraat and the main church, shops and apartments were built.



A new transom window in 'old style'.



All the shops, offices and apartments to the left are new, built between 2001 and 2006.



This double door is a design from the seventies.



After all the mistakes in favour of urban renewal during especially the sixties and seventies, most people in Bergen op Zoom realize it is essential to keep their town's heritage. In order to find a balance between old and new the town may not fossilize to become only a monumental area like some other historic 'fairy tale' towns. Since the centre has been classified as a protected area, new streets and constructions must however show respect to the environment, meaning for example that materials, size, colours and texture should fit. This process is continuously going on with ups and downs. The Parade-project, in which Koevoetstraat partially is situated, was designed by a group of international architects: Rob Krier / KCD, bOb Van Reeth / AWG, Sjoerd Soeters and Jan Weyts. Investors Rodamco and Vesteda made it possible to add 18.000 m2 retail space, 81 apartments and 2 parking garages with together 470 places to the town's functions and facilities. It helped Bergen op Zoom to be awarded Best Centre of The Netherlands in 2007, one year after completing the works. This corner is an example of mixing old and new elements.

THEODORUSHAVEN

75 pictures


After having been dependant, for many centuries, on its mediaeval port, Bergen op Zoom managed to realize a new port, called Theodorushaven after the polder in question, in 1964. The old port, which originated in a winding creek, was hardly fit to handle logistics as was demanded in the booming sixties. Besides, as a tidal port with sewers discharging their contents between the ships, the stench could be untenable. The local factories directed their waste water into the inner harbour. As if this was not bad enough, flooding of parts of the town was yet another problem which occured from time to time.




The old port managed only 250.000 tonnes of goods a year. Logically, expectations were high when the Theodorushaven was opened. Rightfully so, because anno 2014 the port houses 120 compagnies, including Sabic, Ricoh, Partner Logistics, Majestic, TNT Fashion as well as, since 2011, the promising Green Chemistry Campus. It employs about 5000 people. With a turnover of over 2.000.000 tonnes, Theodorushaven is one of the biggest inner ports of the country and still growing fast. Because of its strategic position on the busy Schelde-Rijnkanaal, which connects mainports Rotterdam and Antwerp, and on the crossroads of highways A58 (Vlissingen-Eindhoven and eventually Germany) and A4 (Amsterdam-Brussels) Theodorushaven serves an European purpose. Therefore it belongs to the so-called TEN-T (Transeuropean Transport Network). In order to reduce road transport Bergen op Zoom actively supports transport by ship. Since 2008 the town possesses the temporary Markiezaat Container Terminal (see picture above), which reached 70.000 TEU in 2012 and over 100.000 in 2013 ! These facts make MCT the fastest growing terminal in The Netherlands.
Different parties, including the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the municipality of Bergen op Zoom and Mepavex Logistics (which purchased 15 ha in 2014 for ten new warehouses) are in full gear to develop a much bigger terminal to the northwest, in the direction of the island of Tholen.




Fragment of the first map depicting the river Scheldt.
Commissioned by Burgundian ruler Karel de Stoute in 1468.
Collection: National Archives, Brussels.







BoZ on the second map of the river Scheldt. 1504.
Collection: The city of Antwerp.




The Sakko facility




The entrance of the port of BoZ on a map dating 1505.
Collection: Municipal archives, Antwerp.







Detail of the map of BoZ by Jacob van Deventer, ca 1545.
The open area north of the inner harbour is the site
of Theodorushaven.
Collection: The Royal Library, Brussels.




The modest marina, still cornered by factories. There are
plans to move the marina to a more suitable spot.




The situation in the middle of the 16th Century.
Detail of a map by Christiaen Sgrooten.
Dozens of villages as well as the town of Reymerswale
would soon be swallowed by the sea.
Collection: The Royal Library of Brussels.




Manufacturer De Schelde.
In the Roman era the river Scheldt was called Scaldis.




Fragment of an engraving by F. Galle, ca 1580.
Some elements of BoZ are easy to recognize.
The print, now reversed, was produced as a mirror image.




The Harbour Channel, about 2 km long between lock
and the southern quay.




The old channel between the two fortresses: the smaller
one being the Noordschans, the other one the Zuidschans
or Waterschans, which is due to reconstruction works.
Situation: the first half of the 17th Century.




Text will follow.




The well-known 'townscape' of BoZ (detail) by Samuel
de Swaef and J. ab Heede.
Atlas van Stolk, Rotterdam, 1634.




Blacktop producer APM.




Ham Square (Hamplein), with to the left the old inner
harbour and to the right 'the new one', on the spot
where anno 2014 the Vissershaven is situated.
Anonymous, ca 1650. Collection: Miss A. Oppé.







Engraving by N. de Fer,1698.
Collection: HCM




Text will follow




Detail of a military map, with a focus on the Theodoruspolder.
Lithograph, 1863.







The industrial port in 1910.







A photo taken by KLM in 1923.




Text




Another photo by KLM, 1924.







1926




Text




1950




Text





Filling up the most eastern part of the inner harbour, 1950.







The first works for Theodorushaven, ca 1959.




Text




Contruction of the lock 'Burgemeester Peterssluis', named
after mayor Leonard Antoon Hubert Peters, member of the
political party KVP (Katholieke Volkspartij), who was in
office 1952 - 1965.




The Burgemeester Peterssluis.




A draft of the megalomaniac ideas of E.A.B. van Vianen,
director of public works in BoZ. Realization of these
plans for an enormous portuary complex would have dwarfed
the ports of Vlissingen (left) and even Antwerp (below).
The ideas were published in the magazine 'Noord-Brabant',
year 1963, no. 3, a special edition about ports and
harbours in the province of Noord-Brabant.







A detail of the ideas by E. van Vianen, 1964.







Detail of a map of The Netherlands, 1: 25.000, published
by the Topografische Dienst te Delft, 1966.




One of the yachts, type Regina, built by shipyard Helstede.
This picture was taken in the Fluwelenbroekstraat (meaning
Velvet pants street) in the sixties.




Cargill




1973







1998




The former 'House of the Future', realized by General Electric
Plastics Europe. Now it is property of Saudi company Sabic.




Sabic's office buildings.




Cargill's loading facilities.