THALIAPLEIN

Remembrance plaque in honour of local soldiers killed in Indonesia during the post-colonial war, often euphemistically called police actions (Politionele Acties). Only two such expeditions took place, which, altogether, lasted four weeks.
In the period 1945 - 1949 alone, 5000 Dutch troops died, a small number compared to the fatal casualties among the Indonesians, roughly 100.000 (including civilians).


Photo: © Albert Hagenaars, 20-12-2009.
www.alberthagenaars.nl

WITTOUCKSINGEL

The last smokestack of the Nedalco factory, an alcohol mill, once a source of pollution which by the way not all the people in Bergen op Zoom disliked, now a newly restored industrial monument. Nedalco is an abbreviation for Nederlandse Alcohol. This chimney, in its heyday one of the tallest in the country, is thought to become the landmark of Schelde Vesting, a district in progress around the old harbour, which will enlarge the surface of the downtown area.
The building crane to the right indicates the construction of residential complex Vissershaven, due to completion in 2014.



The situation in 1923. This picture was taken from an KLM-plane.




The street, untill 1889 Singelweg, is called after a family of Flemish entrepreneurs. Wittouck etymologically may mean 'Witte hoek' (White corner) in Dutch. Another theory claims the name is a corruption of wind + hoek (wind + corner/area), which seems to be more logical.
In 1863 Felix Wittouck established a sugar mill in this area, the first one in BoZ. His son Paul combined the factory with a similar one in nearby Breda and called the combination NV Sucreries de Breda et de Bergen op Zoom. He also started the Société Hollandaise de Maltose, in 1886, which became De Zuid-Nederlandsche Melasse Spiritusfabriek, three years later.
The buildings on the picture are waiting to be demolished.




The remnants of industrial activity in their splendor of decay.



All pictures: © Albert Hagenaars, 2013, 2014.

ZUIDMOLENSTRAAT

In Bergen op Zoom there are many sculptures, statues and statuettes, old ones and new ones, old new ones and new old ones...This little angel (?) doesn't seem to bother, too busy as it is carrying a considerable weight, almost too busy to be felt spotted.

Zuidmolen means south mill. In this case zuidmolen is a corruption of zandmolen (sand mill). The mill after which the street is called was situated on a sand hill in the heart of town.



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STEENBERGSESTRAAT

The Markiezenhof (the palace of the marquis) during the carnival parade, which always takes place on tuesday just before ash wednesday.

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BEUKENDREEF

At the end of the Beukendreef one could, until the seventies, reach the so-called Duintjes (The little dunes), a natural reserve washed by the Oosterschelde, an arm of the North Sea.
Many people from Bergen op Zoom and its vicinity mastered here the noble art of swimming. After the construction of the Oesterdam (Oyster Dam), one of the compartmentilizations of the Delta Works, the tidal movements were no longer possible.
The 'Kurhaus' itself really was nothing more than a shed where nevertheless all kinds of activities took place.
















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GROTE MARKT

Bergen op Zoom is, together with Maastricht and 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), one of the hotspots of carnival in The Netherlands. Many people, also from other places, flock to the centre to celebrate this very old spring festival.
This picture shows that even the tower, nicknamed Peperbus, of Saint-Gertrude's Church is decorated.



On Tuesday, at exactly 23:45 o'clock, the festival comes to an abrupt ending when the crow of Wana, the witch from the once competing trading town Reimerswaal (drowned centuries ago) is shot down, a fascinating moment with a lot of noise, tremendous light effects and a massive final dance.


Photos: © Albert Hagenaars, 2012.
www.alberthagenaars.nl

KEIZERSTRAAT

The narrow Keizerstraat, more an alley, in the direction of Hoogstraat.
This picture was taken because of the visual rhyme.
Photo: © Albert Hagenaars, 20-12-2009.
www.alberthagenaars.nl