BERGEN OP ZOOM IN PICTURES

Sunday, August 19, 2012

MARY - The holy virgin

58 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, a strong symbol of the Roman-Catholic version of Christianity, 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.

Antwerpsestraat 36.

Antwerpsestraat 64.

Bolwerk 14.

Bolwerk 37.

Bolwerk 158.

Boutershemstraat 22.

Bredasestraat 44.

Buitenvest 20.

Burgemeester Mathonstraat 10.

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.

Grote Markt, in St. Gertrudis Church.

Hofstraat, above the entrance of the chapel.

Hofstraat, chapel The Markiezenhof.

Hofstraat, a niche in the chapel of The Markiezenhof.

Hofstraat, in the chapel of The Markiezenhof.

Hoogstraat 7.

Huybergsestraat 14, on the corner of bar/restaurant De Hollandsche Tuyn.

Kerkstraat, garden of St. Gertrudis Church.

Kerkstraat 8.

Kladseweg 42.

Kloosterstraat 2A.

Kortemeestraat 9-11.

Kortemeestraat 26.

Kortemeestraat (corner Fortuinstraat).

Kremerstraat 10.

Lange Parkstraat 8.

Le Grandstraat, on a wall of Mollerlyceum (college).

Maria-Hoek / Mary's Corner, where Lievevrouwestraat, Fortuinstraat, Kortemeestraat and Steenbergsestraat meet.

Meeussenstraat 22.

Lievevrouwestraat 35-37.

Lievevrouwestraat, in a niche of Lievevrouwepoort.

Meeussenstraat 2.

Noordsingel 230.

Noordzijde Zoom 78.

Noordzijde Zoom 79.

P. Turqstraat 6.

Potterstraat 58.

Prins Bernhardlaan 7.

Sint-Catharinaplein 21, on the former Vismarkt (Fish Market).

Sint-Catharinaplein 22, on the former Vismarkt (Fish Market).

Steenbergsestraat 38.

Van Dedemstraat 105.

Steenbergsestraat, Courtyard Cultural Centre Het Markiezenhof.

Wassenaarstraat 50.

Westersingel, in a niche of Lievevrouwepoort.

Westersingel 7.

Zandstraat 143.

Zuidsingel 9.

Zuidwestsingel 208.

Zuidmolenstraat 43.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

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

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

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.

www.alberthagenaars.nl

Monday, April 30, 2012

STEENBERGSESTRAAT

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

www.alberthagenaars.nl

Monday, March 26, 2012

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.

www.alberthagenaars.nl

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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