Landstraat 5, Aalten
Landstraat 5 in Aalten is a characteristic residential and commercial building dating from 1911, built for the Heijmans firm, drapers and cloth merchants. The new building replaced an older house on the same site. The Aalten architect Jan Brill was responsible for the design.
In the 1930s, Bulten’s Bloemenhuis (flower shop) established itself here, and two greenhouses were erected at the rear of the property. In 1947, the narrow northern section of the building—originally consisting of a room, kitchen, and upper room—was incorporated into the business. The ground floor then housed a garage/workshop, a florist’s workshop, a small kitchen, and an office, with a storage attic above.
Geling’s Department Store
In the late 1950s, S.H.J. Geling established a department store here, specialising in household goods and toys. Under his instruction, the building underwent extensive renovations in 1960, based on a design by H.A. and J.L.F. Waalders. During this project, the building was fitted with new shopfronts and a modernised layout.
Three years later, in 1963, a significant expansion followed on the western side, including additional shop and warehouse space, also designed by the Waalders architectural firm from Winterswijk. In the following decades (1960s and 1970s), the shop and its facade were further modernised, and the workshop was integrated into the retail area.
Following the closure of Geling’s department store, Theissen Tweewielers (a bicycle shop) occupied the premises for some time. Currently (2025), the building has been vacant for many years.
Owners
Overview is incomplete.
| Year | Plot | Owner | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | I-1269 I-1270 I-1271 I-1272 | widow of Jan Hendrik Brethouwer | 38 m² house & yard 51 m² house & yard 192 m² house & yard 350 m² garden |
Residents
1813
Aalten 63
Jan Hendrik Brethouwer (Aalten, 14-06-1761), cloth merchant
1 man
1 woman
Population register 1823-1838
Harmina (Hendrika) Manschot (Aalten, 21-12-1766), shopkeeper
widow of Jan Hendrik Brethouwer
Next residents:
Joseph Wilhelm Stephan Blomesath (Bocholt, 26-12-1806), weaver
Johanna Magdalena Vultink (Aalten, 21-03-1811)
Population register 1838-1850
Joseph Wilhelm Stephan Blomesath (Bocholt, 26-12-1806), weaver
Johanna Magdalena Vultink (Aalten, 21-03-1811)
Next residents:
Derk Prins (Aalten, 09-09-1794), farmer
Willemina Aleida Freriks (Aalten, 30-11-1801)
Next residents:
Johan Henrich Geuting (Bocholt, 06-03-1808), cotton spinner
Johanna Hafkenscheid (Ulft, 23-08-1803)
Next residents:
Derk Hendrik Gerhardus Brethouwer (Aalten, 25-02-1794), farmer
Johanna te Bokkel (Aalten, 15-02-1807)
Population register 1850-1860
Derk Hendrik Gerhardus Brethouwer (Aalten, 25-02-1794), farmer
Johanna te Bokkel (Aalten, 15-02-1807)
Next residents:
Johan Wilhelm Carl Schmeinck (Bocholt, 26-02-1803), office clerk
Antonetta Kramer (Aalten, 16-08-1816)
Next residents:
Population register 1860-1870
Hendrikus Brethouwer (Aalten, 06-08-1823), grocer
Everdina Wilhelmina Margaretha Smits (Winterswijk, 18-07-1834)
Next residents:
Population register 1870-1880
Maria Adriana Ledeboer (Oud Beijerland, 04-09-1815)
Next residents:
Nathan Salomon Heijmans (Groenlo, 14-11-1826), merchant
Bettij van Oss (Emden/D, 12-01-1847)
Population register 1880-1890
Nathan Salomon Heijmans (Groenlo, 14-11-1826), merchant
Bettij van Oss (Emden/D, 12-01-1847)
Population register 1890-1900
Nathan Salomon Heijmans (Groenlo, 14-11-1826), clothier
Bettij van Oss (Emden/D, 12-01-1847)
Population register 1900-1910
Nathan Salomon Heijmans (Groenlo, 14-11-1826), clothier
Bettij van Oss (Emden/D, 12-01-1847)
Next (head) resident, son:
Simon Nathan Heijmans (Aalten, 01-11-1877), clothier
Population register 1910-1920
Simon Nathan Heijmans (Aalten, 01-11-1877), clothier
Address directory 1934
Aalten A131 > Landstraat 5
Address directory 1967
Landstraat 5
Features
| Cadastral no. | I-8118 |
| Function | Residential house, Shop |
| Architect | Jan Brill |
| Year of construction | 1911 |
| Listed | Municipal monument |
Sources
- ‘Aalten zoals het was – zoals het is’, E.M. Smilda & G.J. Timmer
- Address directory Aalten (1934 & 1967)
- De Beukelaer Archive / EHDC collection EHDC
- Aalten Municipal Building Archive, file Landstraat 5
- Delpher
- ECAL
- HisGIS
- Land Registry
- Cadastral map
- WieWasWie (WhoWasWho)
