Four nominees for the 2025 Heritage Award of the municipality of Aalten
The municipality of Aalten presents the Heritage Award annually. Individuals and organizations can be nominated for this award. Based on the advice of the Environmental Quality Committee, the mayor and aldermen have nominated four candidates who are eligible for the 2025 Heritage Award.
The four nominees are
Farm and yard at Teubenweg
In 1923, the house at Teubenweg in De Heurne was built by G.J. Krajenbrink (the grandfather of the current resident Gerrit Krajenbrink) and his brother. The farm was named Reint or Kleine Prins, after De Prins in IJzerlo. It is characteristic that the original yard, the buildings, the interior of the house, and the rear house have remained as intact as possible to this day. Gerrit and Bertha Krajenbrink have lived on this farm since 1978.
Evert de Niet
As an amateur historian, Evert de Niet has been studying the evacuation of the Atlantic Wall (1943) for sixty years. Evert experienced this evacuation as a 3-year-old. Together with approximately 500 other residents of Scheveningen, he was housed in Aalten at the time. Evert now has an impressive collection of photographs, slides, and documentation. His exhibitions can be seen at various locations, and he gives presentations and lectures. His research has now gained national recognition. A Scheveningen Room has also been set up in the National Hideout Museum in Aalten in memory of the Scheveningen evacuees. This year, the book Scheveningse Evacuees in Aalten (Scheveningen Evacuees in Aalten) was also published. As an amateur historian, Evert makes a significant contribution to preserving the memory of the evacuation.
The Ladies to Beast House
Het Dames te Beesthuis, a national monument dating from 1623, is located at Raadhuisstraat in Dinxperlo. In 2023 and 2024, this house underwent renovation and sustainability improvements with the aim of restoring it to its original style. The attic still features a half-timbered wall from the 18th century. According to the plaque, the foundations of the house date back to 1623. After a fire, the building was rebuilt in 1776. As a reminder, a plaque was embedded in the facade with the text: BUILT 1623, REBUILT 1706. In 1876, this house was occupied by village blacksmith J.G. Beest and his daughters. The house is now occupied by Taco and Wies Keulen.
Bert Stronks
As an architect, Bert Stronks has been involved in several restoration, renovation, and new construction projects for buildings that fit in with the protected townscape of Bredevoort. Examples include 't Koppelhuis (2010), Kulturhus Bredevoort, and Basisschool 't Bastion. He has also contributed to new 'green' heritage, such as the Food Forest in Bredevoort. Bert records archaeological finds in Map relates them to old city maps. In addition, he is a former board member and volunteer of Bredevoorts Belang. He is involved in the renovation and redesign of the fortification park. He has also worked to have the tower clock from 1966 designated a municipal monument. He is currently working on compiling an integrated vision for the fortifications in Bredevoort and has been digitizing the archives of Bredevoorts Belang and De Protestantse Gemeente in Bredevoort for years. These archives will be transferred to the ECAL (Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers), so that they will be accessible to current and future generations.
About the Heritage Award
The Heritage Award is presented annually to a person, organization, or association that, on its own initiative and with considerable effort and/or financial contribution, has restored or had restored a building of historical value. Major overdue maintenance that has prevented deterioration is also eligible. In addition, individuals or organizations that make a significant contribution to heritage in the municipality of Aalten may be nominated. The prize consists of a cash sum of €250 and a work of art worth €350 that relates to the building or area for which the winner has worked.
Heritage Award ceremony
One of the nominees will win the Aalten Municipality Heritage Award 2025. The announcement will take place on Thursday evening, September 4, during a festive gathering for invited guests and interested parties at the Koppelkerk in Bredevoort. You can register for this festive evening via aanmelden@aalten.nl.
Open Monument Day
The annual Open Monument Days will take place on Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14. During these days, monuments throughout the country will be open to the public free of charge. This year's theme is "Heritage and Architecture." Monument owners in the municipality of Aalten will also be opening the doors of their monuments. The program will follow in August.