This villa, designed in the nineteenth-century Neo-Renaissance style, was completed in 2012. Its architecture is inspired by the historic Aalten director’s villa, de Beukenhof. As a tribute to the ‘original’, the name Lindenhof adorns the facade of this mansion. The house was commissioned by living rock legend Angus Young, guitarist of AC/DC, and his wife, Ellen van Lochem, who is originally from Aalten.
The enormous house features three floors above ground and a recording studio for the musician underground. Several architectural jokes have been incorporated into the facade as subtle references to the master of the house. For instance, at the top of the facade, on both sides of the house name, there is a sculpted head featuring devil’s horns. Many fans immediately associate this with the cover of the 1979 album Highway To Hell. The stained-glass window above the front door incorporates a lightning bolt, taken directly from the band’s logo.
Publicity
Since the construction plans were announced, many articles about this house and its owners have been published online, in newspapers, and in magazines. In 2023, an article appeared in Nieuwe Revu which once again explained how Angus Young ended up in Aalten (link).
Previously, the so-called Wijkgebouw (community centre) stood on this plot.
This director’s villa was built in 1893–1894 by textile manufacturer Herman Driessen, concurrently with the former steam weaving mill situated next door. In later years, the stately villa served as a foster home for Estinea for a long time. Behind the house once lay what was likely the first tennis court in Aalten.
The villa is constructed in a Neo-Renaissance style and features 10 bedrooms across the first and second floors. It is a national monument and retains many monumental details, including a very fine staircase with original Art Nouveau-patterned tiles and various original stained-glass windows. This characteristic property is currently in private hands and is undergoing restoration.
In 2015, Jalf Flach wrote to Oud Aalten:
“I recently rediscovered a text I wrote 25 years ago following an interview with Mrs Bella Driessen. In 1893, the Hofstraat was still called ‘Het Blik’, and in that year, a steam weaving mill and a house were erected there, which would be occupied by members of the Driessen family for the next 75 years. It was not until 1953 that the house was named ‘Beukenhof’ by one of its residents. But by then, the house already had an eventful history behind it.
Bella Driessen lived in the house from her early childhood until 1969, when the factory closed and the house changed hands. That is a period of over 60 years. In those days, the Beukenhof was a true patrician residence, as is evident from the interior photograph she kindly lent me. In later years, she occupied the small house that had been built onto the main building, which, much to her sorrow, was demolished in 1976 when the house was converted into a foster home. That brought an end to what was colloquially and irreverently referred to as ‘Bella’s pimple’.
Mrs Driessen’s stories about the war years were fascinating. There were a couple of magnificent stained-glass windows in the stairwell. One depicted the weir on the Smees, and the other, the cathedral of Malmédy, from where her mother originated. After a German soldier had first shot through them because of a breach of blackout regulations, they were completely destroyed during a bombing raid on Aalten. For the remainder of the war, planks were nailed over them, and the residents, billeted German soldiers, and evacuees had to find their way in the dark.
After the war, simpler stained-glass windows were installed, which still adorn the staircase in an Art Nouveau style today and, together with the beautiful tiles and wrought-iron bannisters, give the building a unique character.”
Staircase (photo provided by Jalf Flach)Dining room (photo provided by Jalf Flach)1920. The Driessen family playing a game of tennis on what was likely the first tennis court in Aalten, behind the Beukenhof. (photo from “De Slinge(r)bal. 1946-1996. 50 years of Altec tennis club”)
In the late 1860s, the small Roman Catholic cemetery on the corner of Varsseveldsestraatweg and Molenstraat reached its capacity. This created a need for a new cemetery for the Catholic community in Aalten.
In 1868, Anton Driessen, a textile manufacturer in Aalten, donated a plot of land on what is now Piet Heinstraat to the church to be established as a cemetery. In addition to the land, he donated an iron Calvary cross and an iron gate, both of which still stand today. Anton also stipulated that his family be buried in a contiguous plot next to the cross. The mortuary on the cemetery grounds dates from 1888.
Lack of space and closure
A century later, this cemetery also became full, and there was no room for expansion. From 1960 onwards, Catholic deceased were therefore buried in the new Roman Catholic section of the Berkenhove cemetery.
In the early 1970s, the cemetery on Piet Heinstraat was officially closed. The site was transferred to the municipality of Aalten for the symbolic amount of one guilder.
Notable graves
Several prominent Catholic former residents of Aalten rest in this cemetery, including various members of the Driessen textile family. This family is inextricably linked to the textile history of Aalten and had a major influence on the emancipation of the Roman Catholic population in the municipality.
The grave of Pastor Van Rooijen, who died on January 23, 1945, during a bombardment of Dijkstraat, is also located here. Additionally, there are graves of the sisters from the former Saint Elizabeth Convent on Dijkstraat. They provided primary education at the Saint Joseph School and nursed the sick of all faiths.
St Elisabeth’s Convent in Aalten was originally the residence of textile manufacturer Johann Heinrich Joseph (Heinrich) Driessen (Bocholt, 10 July 1794 – Aalten, 4 July 1879). On 29 June 1837, his eldest son, Theodoor, laid the foundation stone.
Heinrich was also known as “Den veursten Driessen” (The front Driessen); his cousin Anton also lived on what was then Landstraat, in Villa Beekhuize, slightly further south of the town centre, and was therefore known as “d’n achtersten Dreessen” (The rear Driessen).
Business premises were also established on the property, which served primarily as storage for yarns and woven fabrics. These fabrics were transported by wagon, usually pulled by an ox, to the bleachery in Dale. The driver carried the fitting nickname ‘Ossen Willem’ (Ox Willem).
After Heinrich’s death, the house came into the possession of the Roman Catholic Church, after which it was put into use as a convent for nuns. On 30 May 1882, six sisters were brought to Aalten from Lichtenvoorde-Groenlo station in a carriage drawn by four horses. The convent was named after Heinrich’s wife, Elisabeth. Locally, it was also referred to as the St Elisabeth Institute.
Education and Nursing
For eighty years, the sisters provided education here to the Catholic school children of Aalten. The sisters’ ‘sewing and knitting school’ was also based there. Not everyone held pleasant memories of the nuns. The sewing and knitting school, later the Fashion Vocational School, was highly regarded. Partly for this reason, it was not only Catholics who knitted there, but people of all denominations.
On 23 December 1962, the last sisters left for a convent in Bennebroek. Later, the convent served as accommodation for guest workers.
On 20 December 1980, a small fire broke out in the completely boarded-up building. Just as a ‘foundation stone’ had once been laid, the last stone was removed shortly after the fire. The building made way for the Parish Centre. This has since disappeared as well and has been replaced by an apartment building named ‘Kloosterhof’ (Convent Court).
Arnhemsche Courant, 3 January 1882St Elisabeth’s Convent, Dijkstraat, Aalten St Elisabeth’s Institute, Aalten Front door of St Elisabeth’s Convent, Aalten Rear entrance of St Elisabeth’s Convent and St Jozef’s School, c.1975
Villa Beekhuize serves as a reminder of the heyday of the textile industry in the village of Aalten.
Textile manufacturer Anton Driessen initially lived with the Meijerink family on Kerkstraat upon his arrival in Aalten. Later, he purchased a property on Landstraat. In 1833, Anton Driessen wished to build a new residence. To this end, he had purchased a house from the Degenaar estate at the end of Landstraat—the present-day Dijkstraat. He intended to demolish that house and construct a new, modern home on the site, complete with a warehouse, barn, and stables. However, he required more space than the existing plot provided. Anton Driessen subsequently submitted a proposal to the municipal authorities.
This plan necessitated the diversion of both the stream and the street. Furthermore, a new bridge was required. Because the piles of the old bridge had nearly rotted away, the construction of a new bridge was not only highly necessary but, according to Driessen, the relocation would also be less costly. In addition to diverting the stream and building a new bridge, Driessen also required land for his plans. To this end, he exchanged a plot of land with the municipality. Negotiations regarding the aforementioned matters lasted several years. Construction finally commenced in March 1835.
In addition to Anton Driessen, his nephew Heinrich also built a house on what was then Landstraat. Heinrich Driessen positioned a generous residence closer to the town centre, for which his eldest son, Theodoor, laid the foundation stone on 29 June 1837. Ever since, locals have referred to the two properties as ‘d’n veursten’ (the front) and ‘d’n achtersten Dreessen’ (the rear Driessen).
Owners
Overview is incomplete.
Year
Plot
Owner
Description
1832
I-1231 I-1233
Jan Berend Lohuis
199 m² house & yard 2.250 m² garden
Residents
1813
Aalten 37
Johannes Degenaar (Aalten, 25-10-1779), weaver son Evert Degenaar (Aalten, 10-05-1744), weaver father
The Oude Helenakerk has stood in the center of Aalten for centuries. It is the oldest and most prominent building in Aalten. This Late Gothic pseudo-basilica with its Romanesque tower is a monument of immeasurable historical and emotional value. Countless residents of Aalten have been baptized and married here, found solace within its walls, and were brought from this church to their final resting place.
History
Around the year 800, when the Saxons were subjugated by Charlemagne, he decreed that every community should provide a so-called ‘hoofdhof’ (head court) for the construction of a church. In the settlement of Aladna, the ancient name for Aalten, this was likely a piece of land belonging to the later Havezate de Ahof.
The first small church on this site was presumably built in the Carolingian style, a precursor to Romanesque architecture. The church was dedicated to Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity.
In the 12th century, a Late Romanesque tower was added to this first church. The Romanesque architectural style is characterized by heavy, massive walls with small round-arched windows. In contrast to the later Gothic style, Romanesque architecture features little ornamentation. The tower is constructed entirely of tuff, a soft volcanic stone that was widely used in these regions at the time for building churches and castles. The spire takes the form of a so-called constricted needle spire.
Between 1470 and 1483, the three-aisled nave of the church was built, also from tuff. This part of the church was executed in the Late Gothic style, characteristic of the 15th century, with large windows featuring pointed arches that point, as it were, toward heaven. The higher choir on the east side of the church dates from the period between 1440 and 1450. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, murals were applied to the vaults and walls.
Reformation
Until the end of the 16th century, the parish of Aalten fell under the Diocese of Münster. With the conquest of Bredevoort—the administrative center of the lordship of the same name to which Aalten belonged—by Prince Maurice on October 8, 1597, the Reformation also reached this region.
At that time, Pastor Theunissen, a native of Bocholt, served the Aalten church. He fiercely resisted the reform. According to tradition, however, he had to flee in 1601 to the Burlo monastery, or according to others, to Rhede. He later died in Warendorf, where the small but valuable monstrance he had taken from Aalten reportedly remained until the middle of the 19th century.
Presumably, shortly after 1597, the stone Stations of the Cross depicting the Passion of Christ were also removed. The stations, likely created around 1530 by the Westphalian sculptor Heinrich Brabender, disappeared but were rediscovered in the 19th century. Today, they can be admired in the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht.
The then-chaplain of Aalten, Anthonius van Keppel, originally from Doetinchem, was mentioned in 1602 as the first minister of the Aalten church community, which had recently converted to Protestantism. How did this come about? To expand the Reformation to the countryside, the cooperation of the local Roman Catholic clergy was required. In 1598, many of them were summoned to appear at the classical assembly in Zutphen. The clergy from Aalten were also present. At this meeting, the attending pastors and vicars were required to renounce the Catholic religion and profess that the Reformed religion was the true one.
In the classical assembly of 1603 in Zutphen, the participants from Aalten, Winterswijk, and Zeddam declared their willingness to conform to the conditions set for them. By 1633, the number of members was sufficient to proceed with the establishment of a church council.
Shared use
After the conquest of the Achterhoek in 1672 by troops of the Bishop of Münster, the churches of Aalten, Winterswijk, and Dinxperlo were given to the Minorite fathers by the episcopal commissioner. The Reformed congregation in Aalten reached an agreement with the occupiers. This arrangement meant that Catholics and Protestants could use the church in Aalten alternately. However, a short time later, the use of the church building was forbidden to the Protestants. This situation did not last long. At Pentecost 1674, the Münster troops left Aalten and the church became available to the Reformed congregation once again.
Disturbances
In early 1750, the quiet town of Aalten was shaken by a series of striking religious phenomena. During church services, people burst into tears, sighed loudly, or collapsed as if they had lost consciousness. Some even spoke of encounters with angels or attacks by the devil. These events drew national attention and would go down in history as the Aaltense beroeringen (Aalten disturbances).
Doleantie (Schism)
In 1834, the movement of the so-called ‘Afscheiding’ (Secession)—manifesting through the departure of Rev. H. de Cock and the church council of Ulrum (Gr) from the Dutch Reformed Church—gained some following in Aalten. By 1840, the circle in Aalten had grown sufficiently to found a congregation. A few decades later, the movement of the so-called Doleantie emerged within the Dutch Reformed Church.
Restorations
In 1973, the plaster layer in the church was restored. Beneath the six to seven layers of whitewash, exceptional paintings were discovered. These murals include depictions of the twelve apostles, a representation of the Last Judgment, the Coronation of Mary, and—highly unique in Western Europe—an image of Emperor Constantine the Great together with his mother Helena, the namesake of the church. The paintings were subsequently restored.
Burial vault
Also in 1973, carpenter Henk Heijnen discovered a burial vault under the choir during work, containing three coffins with human remains. The vault was quickly resealed by order of the church board, but before that happened, Heijnen had already climbed inside and accurately measured and photographed everything. In 2019, he completed a wooden replica of the burial vault.
Death knell
For centuries, the bells of the Oude Sint Helenakerk in Aalten have tolled at set times to inform the population of deaths, a practice known as ‘overluiden‘.
Owners
Overview is incomplete.
Year
Plot
Owner
Description
1832
I-1498
the Reformed Church of Aalten
3,060 m² church & yard
1862
I-2640
the Reformed Church of Aalten
2,966 m² church & yard
1882
I-3735
the Reformed Church of Aalten
2,924 m² church & yard
1911
I-5447
the Reformed Church of Aalten
2,938 m² church, catechism room & yard
1914
I-5613
the Reformed Church of Aalten
2,720 m² church & garden
1959
I-8339
the Reformed Church of Aalten
3,085 m² church, house & yard
1963
I-8941
the Reformed Church of Aalten
2,925 m² church, house, yard, park, part. community center, road
Fragment of cadastral map, 1862Tubantia, 16 March 1887Old Helena Church, Aalten, illustration by Piet te LintumInterior of the Old Helena ChurchMural in the Old Helena Church
The war memorial on the Wheme was erected in memory of all fellow citizens who died during the occupation years as a result of acts of war. The memorial also commemorates the liberation.
The establishment of the memorial was an initiative of the Monument Foundation 1940-1945 committee. Immediately after the liberation, the population of Aalten felt the need to honour the war victims with a monument.
The monument consists of a statue of a male figure with a woman and child. The sculpture of French limestone is placed on a terrace. The pedestal consists of masonry, concrete and natural stone. The memorial is 1 meter 31 high, 1 meter 43 wide and 90 centimeters deep.
The group faces south from where the tribulation, but also the deliverance, came. Artist Bé Thoden van Velzen described the sculpture as follows: “… representing man, woman and child, as a symbol of the entire Dutch people, expectantly looking forward to liberation, unbowed and unweakened.”
The Air Watchtower in Aalten was a concrete watchtower that was part of the national network of air watchtowers that was established in the Netherlands during the Cold War. The tower was located on the Koningsweg, on the outskirts of the village, and was intended to detect enemy aircraft flying lower than the radar systems could detect.
The Aalten air watchtower was a so-called ‘honeycomb construction tower’, recognizable by its characteristic honeycomb structure, a construction that offered both stability and strength. The tower, built of reinforced concrete, was fourteen meters high and the head of the tower was an open observation cabin with a hiding corner to protect against shrapnel. Neighboring municipalities such as Varsseveld and Winterswijk also had high lookouts, but not as characteristic as those in Aalten.
Searching for the enemy
The air watchtower in Aalten, codenamed ‘Isaac 1’, was inaugurated in 1953, at a time when the tension of the Cold War led to heightened preparedness. The tower was part of a network of 276 lookouts spread throughout the Netherlands and fell under the Air Guard Service Corps (KLD), a part of the Royal Netherlands Air Force that was under the Air Defense command. The Aalten tower was part of the command center KLD Deventer.
The purpose of the towers was to visually detect enemy, especially Russian, aircraft that flew below 200 meters and therefore remained out of range of radar equipment.
Crew and equipment
The crew of the tower consisted of two men who, regardless of the weather conditions, observed the airspace. Women were excluded from these tasks at the time. The crew members wore uniforms and were equipped with headphones and a mouth microphone. The observation was done with the help of a tripod equipped with a scope and a pointing needle. The ranks in the Aalten air guard consisted of soldier, soldier first class, corporal and sergeant. Mr. H.J. Prinzen from Aalten was local commander for a while.
The crew was trained to warn the surrounding towers in case of emergency and via a hotline also the command center. The staff was in an underground, nuclear-free bunker in Deventer. The tower was not continuously manned; only during exercises. Every two weeks there was a theory evening for aircraft recognition at a location in Aalten or Winterswijk.
Recruitment of volunteers
On May 20, 1953, a recruitment meeting was held by the Air Guard Service in the Society on the Hofstraat in Aalten. Commander Ruseler from Deventer provided information to the men who had been called up for this purpose. As an incentive to sign up, exemption from military service or participation in the Population Protection was offered. A number of men volunteered and joined the KLD.
Removal and demolition
With the advent of more modern control systems and improved radar equipment, the need for visual perception became smaller and smaller in the 1960s. This eventually led to the dissolution of the Air Guard Service. The Aalten air watchtower was demolished in 1970, a spectacle that attracted a lot of interest from the local population. The heavy concrete foundation of the tower is still hidden underground and is a silent reminder of this chapter in history.
The memorial for people in hiding (Onderduikersmonument) on Stationsstraat is an expression of gratitude from those who were once in hiding to the people of Aalten for their hospitality, and to the members of the Resistance who were the driving force behind finding accommodation for them.
The monument consists of a brick memorial wall with a fountain. A bronze plaque and two sculpted fragments of natural stone are set into the memorial wall.
The monument was unveiled on 4 October 1947 by Mrs D.G. Wikkerink-Eppink, the wife of Resistance leader Hendrik Jan (Ome Jan) Wikkerink.
The text on the plaque reads (translated from Dutch):
PRESENTED TO THE MUNICIPALITY OF AALTEN BY PERSONS IN HIDING WHO DURING THE YEARS OF OCCUPATION 1940-1945 FOUND A SAFE HAVEN HERE.
The sculpted fragments bear the text of Psalm 91:5 and 6.
The text of the left fragment reads:
THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID FOR THE TERROR BY NIGHT, NOR FOR THE ARROW THAT FLIETH BY DAY; NOR FOR THE PESTILENCE THAT WALKETH IN DARKNESS, NOR FOR THE DESTRUCTION THAT WASTETH AT NOONDAY.
The text of the right fragment reads:
FOR HE SHALL COVER THEE WITH HIS FEATHERS, AND UNDER HIS WINGS SHALT THOU TRUST.
The sculpture on the left depicts three studded boots belonging to the barbarian horde, threatening to trample a young, sprouting fruit. This symbolises the overwhelming force and occupation, portraying the vulnerability of young life that continues to germinate despite the danger. The fragment on the right depicts a pelican with outspread wings, protecting its nest and young. The pelican is a Christian symbol of total self-sacrifice; according to legend, the bird feeds its young with its own blood. It symbolises the contribution of the resistance in the struggle against the occupier. The waning swastika in the background represents the transience of the threat.
During the occupation years, a ‘Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule’ was located for a short time in the Public Primary School on the Herenstraat in Aalten.
After the Normandy landings, Hitler wanted to launch a large-scale counterattack on the Western Front as soon as possible. With this he wanted to bring the Allies to a standstill. This should give Germany time to complete their “secret project,” which is the development of weapons of mass destruction.
The Germans made preparations in a very tactical manner and the necessary combat units were assembled. This is also the case in Aalten. Here, Freiherr Von der Heydte had to put together a Kampfgruppe in preparation for a special deployment in this new offensive. In these months, Aalten was overrun by German troops. They requisitioned almost all school buildings for the quartering of these troops.
School for paratroopers
The so-called ‘Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule’ (October 1944 – February 1945) was established in the public school on the Herenstraat. The majority of the Germans were also billeted here. Non-commissioned officers and officers were billeted with civilians in Aalten.
The school was intended to train aspiring officers of the German paratroopers in practice and prepare them for work at the front. In addition, experienced instructors gave courses on how to disable the enemy’s armored vehicles with the resources and weapons that the Germans had at the time. And finally, a special Kampfgruppe (combat unit) was formed. He was going to receive a special assignment, namely an in-force parachute jump behind Allied lines during the Ardennes Offensive. At its peak, about 1200 German paratroopers were gathered in Aalten. They formed the so-called ‘Kampfgruppe Von der Heydte’.
German paratroopers were billeted everywhere in Aalten and surrounding villages. Not only in large school buildings but also privately in people’s homes. The soldiers had to go to the district office that was located in the town hall. Here they received a certificate of quartering, as they called it at the time, and continued their way to the address where they were allowed to stay. In addition, almost all cafes in Aalten were used by the German troops and converted into so-called kasinos. Not to watch films here, but to entertain the soldiers in their spare time with fun and trinkets.
Strict regime
There was a strict regime among the German troops. Valuable time was efficiently used to turn this mixed group into a real Kampfgruppe as soon as possible. Every morning the troops were expected to complete a march of about 10 km on an empty stomach. Furthermore, shooting exercises were held on some training grounds around Aalten and the battle groups were trained in fighting in wooded areas.
An eyewitness has seen German paratroopers in sports uniforms, on their way to swimming pool ‘t Walfort. Here the paratroopers jumped from an elevation into the loose sand. When they came into contact with the sand, they made a so-called para-roll to break the fall. They had to master this maneuver before they went on a parachute jump to avoid injury.
After Von der Heydte had left the so-called Kampfgruppe, Hauptmann Von Hütz took over command of the Waffenschule in Aalten. During the remaining period, this new battle group deployed a number of operations. These were described as very harsh by both the Allies and the Germans themselves.
Deze website gebruikt cookies voor een optimale ervaring en analyse van bezoekgegevens. Ga je hiermee akkoord? Zonder toestemming werken sommige onderdelen van de site mogelijk minder goed.
Functioneel
Always active
De technische opslag of toegang is strikt noodzakelijk voor het legitieme doel het gebruik mogelijk te maken van een specifieke dienst waarom de abonnee of gebruiker uitdrukkelijk heeft gevraagd, of met als enig doel de uitvoering van de transmissie van een communicatie over een elektronisch communicatienetwerk.
Voorkeuren
De technische opslag of toegang is noodzakelijk voor het legitieme doel voorkeuren op te slaan die niet door de abonnee of gebruiker zijn aangevraagd.
Statistieken
De technische opslag of toegang die uitsluitend voor statistische doeleinden wordt gebruikt.De technische opslag of toegang die uitsluitend wordt gebruikt voor anonieme statistische doeleinden. Zonder dagvaarding, vrijwillige naleving door je Internet Service Provider, of aanvullende gegevens van een derde partij, kan informatie die alleen voor dit doel wordt opgeslagen of opgehaald gewoonlijk niet worden gebruikt om je te identificeren.
Marketing
De technische opslag of toegang is nodig om gebruikersprofielen op te stellen voor het verzenden van reclame, of om de gebruiker op een site of over verschillende sites te volgen voor soortgelijke marketingdoeleinden.
