There's something about borders between countries. Sometimes a border is visible as a line or a fence, but other times there's nothing to see. For instance, a border might run straight through a house. It intrigues, it simmers. A place of differences and disputes, a place for smugglers. One of the most fascinating border areas is Baarle, where the Netherlands and Belgium meet.
My first conscious memory of a border was actually a bit of a letdown. It was in Australia, and we were driving from the Flinders Ranges in South Australia to the east. There we crossed the border with the state of New South Wales. The only thing you could see of the border was a line across the road. Extending from that line, on both sides of the road, there was nothing. The landscape was the same on both sides. No fence or anything else notably to be seen. The most fun I could think of as a child was to place both legs on either side of that line so that the border passed beneath me. As an adult, I now view the lack of a border very differently…I enjoy borders that are not physically noticeable or visible, because they often are only a sign of regulation.
Borders can be intriguing places; where things may happen that do not bear the light of day, like smuggling. They can be places to argue about. One of the most remarkable border spots in the Netherlands, as far as we're concerned, lies in the south, in the border region with Belgium: Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog. The border region south of the Tilburg-Eindhoven line is called the Kempen. On the border of the Netherlands and Belgium lies the village of Baarle. You won't find that name on the map, but you will find Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog. Unlike many borders, the boundary through these two parts doesn't just run as a line separating them. There are 22 exclaves of Baarle-Hertog in Baarle-Nassau and 8 exclaves of Baarle-Nassau in Baarle-Hertog. As if that isn't confusing enough, some of these Dutch exclaves form enclaves within the Belgian enclaves in the Netherlands. An explanation is in order: an enclave is a piece of foreign territory surrounded by one's own territory. An exclave is a piece of one's own territory surrounded by foreign territory. So, the national borders constantly intertwine and even run through houses. Baarle-Hertog (belonging to the Antwerp province) consists of 26 pieces, 22 of which are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau. The 3,000 residents of Baarle-Hertog live in four residential areas: Baarle, Baarle-Grens, Zondereigen, and Ginhoven. Baarle-Nassau has 7 enclaves within the Belgian enclaves and has a total of 174 residents. Jan’s map clarifies this.
Now you might wonder how on earth this came about and why it still exists like this. It's not something that can be explained in a few words, but we'll do our best. A warning in advance is appropriate. It's a complex history. We can imagine you might get lost along the way. No problem; later in this article, we'll delve into what you can experience at the borders themselves.
It all starts in the late 12th century. Henry I, Duke of Brabant, governed the area from Leuven and later Brussels. To keep emerging cities on friendly terms, he granted them city rights. Dirk VII van Holland, Count of Holland, wanted to expand his influence southward. The Barony of Breda was one of his first choices. Henry I of Brabant opposed this because he didn't want a strong power as a neighbour. The duke saw an ally in Godfried II van Schoten, Lord of Breda. After clever negotiations, Godfried II van Schoten acknowledged the duke's ownership rights over the Barony of Breda. In return, Godfried received pieces of land around Baarle on lease.
For some pieces of land, exceptions were made. They were already leased to others at the time, or the duke retained them himself because he could collect taxes on cultivated and inhabited pieces of land. That's why those pieces remained 'under the duke' (‘hertog’ in Dutch); the uncultivated lands fell 'under Breda'. This agreement dates back to 1198. There were also areas of Baarle that still fell under the Abbey of Thorn; these became known as Baarle-under-Thorn. These were mainly areas in Loveren. In 1363, Baarle-Hertog became part of the Land of Turnhout, which was granted to his daughter Maria by Jan III of Brabant in 1347. Borders now arose between Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-under-Breda.
Not much changed until around 1400. All roads of Baarle belonged to the Lord of Breda. The inhabitants of Baarle-under-Breda paid the Lord of Breda an annual fixed amount to be allowed to use the roads and the heathlands. The inhabitants of Baarle-Hertog began to make illegal use of this. This annoyed the inhabitants of Baarle-under-Breda, who from 1404 onwards began to call themselves after the Lord of Breda, Engelbrecht I van Nassau-Siegen: Baarle-Nassau. The inhabitants of Baarle-Nassau denied the inhabitants of Baarle-Hertog access to their roads, upon which Baarle-Hertog denied the inhabitants of Baarle-Nassau access to the Saint Remigius Church. The Nassauers then decided to build their own church: the Sint Salvator Chapelnear Nijhoven. It wasn't until 1479 that Engelbrecht II van Nassau put an end to this dispute. He granted all inhabitants of Baarle the same rights, and everyone paid the same amount to the Lord of Breda.
In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was signed, which definitively separated the Dutch Republic from Spain. The Southern Netherlands remained under Spanish rule. The border between the Republic and the Southern Netherlands was determined by the front situation at that time. The Land of Turnhout remained under Spanish rule, and thus did Baarle-Hertog. Shortly after the Peace of Westphalia, William II, Prince of Orange claimed all churches and ecclesiastical properties in the Republic. This included the church of Baarle-Nassau, the Saint Salvator Chapel near Nijhoven. On July 2, 1648, the church was seized and closed. This church was thereafter used by Protestants, but it was far too large for the small number of Protestants in Baarle. The Reformed Church of Chaam became the church for the entire region. Despite some skirmishes, the Catholic Church of Baarle was preserved. In The Hague, there was displeasure that the Protestant faith did not gain ground in Baarle. From 1728 to 1784, Floris van Gils was the bailiff in Baarle-Nassau. He provoked the authorities and residents of Baarle-Hertog. For instance, Pastor Van Griensven was fined for assisting a dying alderman on the territory of Baarle-Nassau. From 1754 onwards, Belgian pastors were no longer allowed to enter the territory of Baarle-Nassau.
At the end of the 18th century, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, head of state of the Austrian Netherlands (Belgium) after the Spanish, ruled in Baarle. He had a proposal to resolve the enclave issue. Baarle-Hertog would belong to the Republic, while Ulicoten and Castelré would go to the Southern Netherlands. His plan was never implemented. The residents of Baarle made their voices heard, but the French Revolution also caused so much unrest that Joseph II was preoccupied with that issue. Even during the First French Empire, it proved impossible to resolve the enclave issue. Territories were exchanged, but the transfer did not occur for Baarle-Hertog.
At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, it was decided that the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium) should reunite and form one country. This would serve as a strong counterbalance to the great powers of France and the German Confederation. Prince William VI, the son of the last so-called ‘Stadholder’ (the appointed governor or representative of a ruler in the Netherlands during the time when it was a republic, particularly during the period of the Dutch Republic), became King William I of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1830, the Southern Netherlands revolted, leading to an independent Belgium. King William I of the Netherlands did reorganise geographically. Several municipalities moved from one province to another. For example, Lommel became Limburg, and Luyksgestel became part of the province of North Brabant (established in 1815). Once again, the reorganisation did not go through for Baarle. In 1839, the border between the Netherlands and Belgium had to be determined, but the enclave issue was not resolved. It was brought up again in 1865, and in 1882, an old proposal was dusted off, only to be rejected by the Netherlands.
During World War I (1914 to 1918), it was not easy for the German occupiers to reach the Belgian parts of Baarle. They could not reach the Belgian enclaves without violating Dutch neutrality. For Baarle-Hertog, opportunities arose. In one of the exclaves, a secret wireless telegraphy station was installed. Components of it were smuggled into the enclave. The Dutch government was not aware of this; they would never have allowed it, fearing the loss of neutrality. On October 17, 1915, the first connection between the resistance and the Battle of the Yser was established. In the eyes of the Germans, the unoccupied Belgian exclaves became a hotbed of resistance.
To demonstrate its neutrality, the Dutch government had a 5km fence of chicken wire installed around the village centre of Baarle, with seven heavily guarded access gates. Between April and August 1915, the Germans had already erected a high-voltage wire along the national border between the Netherlands and Belgium. This wire carried a voltage of at least 2000 volts. It was therefore also called the “wire of death”. The aim of the wire was to halt increasing smuggling activities; but this also meant that the council members of Baarle-Hertog who resided in the Belgian part could not perform their duties. It did not stop all smuggling activities. The only Belgian post office that was not controlled by Germany was located on Kerkstraat. This allowed mail to be sent from Belgium to the Netherlands, England, and France. The exclaves also provided an opportunity for the Belgian army to smuggle a complete transmitting and receiving installation to safe territory under the guise of establishing a refugee camp. "MN&" was the call sign of this military wireless listening and transmission station in Baarle-Hertog. This allowed interception of German messages, such as the terms for the signing of the armistice in Compiègne. Some relics of this history can still be seen today. A wooden replica of the transmitting mast is being made for the World War I Resistance Path; it is ready for installation.
During World War II, the Germans considered the enclaves nonsensical, but they didn’t want to do anything about them. However, the scale of fraud and especially the smuggling of valuables irritated them. On July 25, 1944, the Germans decided to subject the enclaves of Baarle-Hertog to Dutch customs and foreign exchange regulations, regardless of which country they belonged to. The residents of Baarle protested this, making the implementation of this measure impossible. Several days after its introduction, the measures were reversed.
Numerous attempts were made to resolve the enclave issue after World War II. Each time this failed because the ecclesiastical and municipal leaders, in particular, resisted. But the population also made itself heard. Both Baarles, for example, were threatened by municipal reorganisations in Belgium and the Netherlands. This struggle against the loss of their own autonomy was also won by both Baarles. Baarle-Hertog won in 1977, and Baarle-Nassau in 1996. A formal solution was needed to maintain the governance of both Baarles in the long term. The solution was found in the Benelux Agreement of 1986, after the Council of Europe decided in 1980 that member states should conclude treaties among themselves to facilitate cross-border cooperation. Three forms of cooperation were laid down in the agreement: the administrative approach, the joint body, and the public event. For both Baarles, it was decided to enter into a common agreement.
This border region also sparked somewhat humorous reactions. For example, eight former UN soldiers returning from Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 29, 1993, decided to stage an event in Baarle-Hertog on April’s Fool Day, 1993. They set up a UN checkpoint on the Singel between the church and the Bax house, complete with eight blue helmets and two UN flags. They checked Dutch cars entering Baarle-Hertog. The Dutch were allowed to pass if they promised not to take any actions that could lead to the annexation of Baarle-Hertog by the Netherlands.
It wasn't until 1995 that the enclave borders were upgraded to national borders. The Dutch Parliament decided in 1996 to let Baarle-Nassau remain independent and therefore outside the reorganisation process in North Brabant. The condition was set that both Baarles would give their cooperation more structure under the Benelux Agreement. This led to the establishment of the Baarle Working Group in 1996 under the leadership of the Benelux. The participating parties included the provinces of Antwerp and North Brabant, both the Dutch and Belgian Ministries of the Interior, the Flemish Community, and the municipalities of Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog. This working group concluded that the Baarle Joint Body would be most suitable for addressing the issues. After approval by both municipal councils, the Body came into effect in 1998. The cooperation had to take into account the legislations of both Belgium and the Netherlands. This means that even now, both Baarles must collaborate effectively. It was considered a testing ground for the united Europe during those years.
Now the question arises, what do you actually see of this history when you walk through Baarle? First, you see the border in many different places on the street. This is represented by a line in the form of steel circles or white-painted crosses on the pavement. The monuments in Baarle display the familiar brown ANWB signs recognisable to the Dutch. In Baarle-Hertog, this is accompanied by 'Baarle Hertog Belgium' in the Belgian tricolor. In several places, you can find border posts. Various signs make it clear where you are. The enclaves are marked with their own names: the letter H (Baarle-Hertog) or N (Baarle-Nassau) with a number. The buildings in the centre mostly resemble Dutch architecture.For example, the town hall in Baarle-Nassau, built in 1953 in the style of the Delftse School.
Two Catholic churches just a stone's throw away from each other for a community of over 3,000 inhabitants can also be considered an architectural legacy of history. The Saint Remigius Church on Kerkplein/Kerkstraat is said to have been founded by Hilsondis, Countess of Strijen and founder of the Thorn Abbey. She owned large parts of present-day West Brabant. In the year 922, she donated the Saint Remigius Church to the Abbey of Thorn. The current church largely dates back to the first half of the 16th century and was enlarged in 1640. This is seen as a characteristic example of Kempen Gothic, a simplified form of Gothic architecture. The spire appears somewhat narrow for the tower and gives the church a distinctive appearance. Until 1860, the church served for all Baarle, including the residents of Baarle-Nassau. In 1860, a dispute arose over the salary of the priest, who was alternately appointed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bredaand the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels, to which the current Diocese of Antwerp belonged at that time.
The residents of Baarle-Nassau established their own parish with a wooden emergency church on "secretly acquired land". During a New Year storm, the church was destroyed. On August 4, 1879, the new church, Our Lady of Assistance on Nieuwstraat, was consecrated. This was built according to the design of P.J. Soffers as a three-aisled cruciform church without a tower and in neo-Gothic style. In 1932, the choir and transept were replaced by new construction in expressionist style designed by Jacques van Groenendael and Jacques Hurks. The transition is also clearly visible inside in the tile floor. The church was heavily damaged in during the World War II, in 1944. This led to the demolition of the remains of the oldest part of the church. The church was restored and expanded in 1957-1958 according to plans by W.J. Bunnik, with the existing transept and choir preserved and a new three-aisled nave and tower built, both in traditionalist style. And yes, the tower of this church is lower than that of the Saint Remigius Church, as the sign reads. Next to the church, you will find the Roman Catholic Union and Patronage Building St. Joseph.
What should not go unmentioned is what is now called the "Bels lijntje" (which is slang for “Belgium line”). Railway line 29 ran from Aarschot via Herentals, Turnhout, and Baarle to Tilburg. Baarle-Nassau had two stations, one Baarle-Nassau station in the village itself and one Baarle-Nassau Grens station at the hamlet Baarle-Nassau Grens (Baarle-Nassau Border). On April 23, 1855, the section between Turnhout and Herentals was opened, and on February 28, 1863, the section between Herentals and Aarschot. In 1864, it was decided to build the section between Tilburg and Turnhout, and the line was opened on October 1, 1867. In 1898, the Dutch part became the property of the State Railways. In 1906, the railway yard Weelde Statie (the Belgian side)/Baarle–Nassau Grens (the Dutch side) was put into operation. This yard included a station building (167m long) designed by George Willem van Heukelom, customs sheds on the Belgian and Dutch sides, an engine shed with turntable, a reservoir building, and various signalmen’s cottages. Once, there were 27 of these little houses along the Bels lijntje. In these 'route houses', a railway worker lived, while his wife stayed home to guard the railway crossing. There was a marshalling yard on both sides of the border (24 tracks side by side). Several houses were also built for railway and customs personnel; this was the beginning of the residential community on the border.
During World War I, the railway line was divided in two by barbed wire at the border by the Germans, but after 1918, train traffic resumed. Due to competition from bus services, passenger train transport on this line was discontinued in 1934. In 1959, most of the Baarle-Nassau Grens station building was demolished, leaving only the platforms intact. Freight trains still operated twice a day at that time. On June 1, 1973, the last official train ran. After the definitive closure of the Tilburg-Turnhout railway line in 1973, the Steamtrain Tilburg-Turnhout Foundation was established in 1974. This Foundation operated museum trains between Tilburg West station (since 2011, Tilburg University) and Baarle-Nassau until 1982. After the foundation went bankrupt in 1984, the railway line on the Dutch side was dismantled. Only the section between Herentals and Turnhout, part of line 29, is still in use today. However, you can still experience the Bels lijntje. In 1989, a cycle path was laid along the track bed from Tilburg (Oude Warande) to Turnhout. Until 1993, a section of the cycle path was missing between Baarle and the border, but it has now been extended. Only one section of the cycle path could not be laid on the railway track, in Alphen, because buildings had already been constructed. The cycle path passes straight through Baarle and crosses the border repeatedly. When I want to place my feet on both sides of the border in Baarle, it feels like I'm playing Twister with hands and feet on different points. Nothing like my first experience of a border in Australia!
Eventually, you cycle under the Gate of Baarle: a weathering steel artwork by Tim Hoefnagels, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the former railway line. From that moment on, you know you are on entirely Dutch territory.
2024
