In the 20th century, the Limburg coal mines were established, bringing with them a series of garden suburbs for the workers. This tour takes you back to the last century. Along the way, you will learn more about the origins and architecture of the garden suburbs, as well as the lifestyle and culture of the miners.
You start at the former management and engineering building of the mine, an imposing neoclassical building with a symmetrical façade. The front garden, a 'French garden', follows the style of the building and consists of sleek geometric paths, interspersed with lawns and low shrubs. In the middle of the garden is a beautiful fountain.
Next, you walk through the garden district of Eisden. The houses are built in a rural style with half-timbering in the facade. Architect Raymond Unwin (1863-1940) used the same elements throughout the garden district, varying them slightly from house to house.
There are various types of housing, offering varying degrees of comfort. The large, detached engineers' houses have spacious gardens. There are also two-, three-, and four-unit dwellings, with the houses adjoining each other. Single men were housed in the lodgings. And the director? He lived in the director's house, surrounded by a vast director's park. Unwin also drew up rules for the layout of the front gardens: it was important to plant flowers to keep the streets colorful.
In the 1930s, the neighborhood was expanded with a boys' and girls' school, a monastery, and St. Barbara's Church. The church was designed by architect Auguste Vanden Nieuwenborg (1890-1979). The typical Gothic style was combined with modern elements. There are pointed arch windows and stained glass windows. The church was put into use in the 1950s.
In 2022, one hundred years after the first coal was mined, a mural was painted on the school's façade to commemorate the miners of Eisden. Three Spanish artists created this work, a drawing of six miners with the mine buildings in the background. Next to the drawing is a poem by Jan van Amsterdam:
“I don't know, black comrade,
How you get your coal.
I don't know, underground friend,
How you find your way down below.
I only know, and that's what matters,
Your coal is my livelihood."
There is a second monument on the church square, commemorating the miners who lost their lives between 1921 and 1987 in the Limburg-Maas coal mine. It is a kind of portal resembling a 'lift cage', a reference by artist Pollie Gregoor to the underground shafts.
There is no denying that working in the mine was dangerous and hard. Nevertheless, a walk through the garden district also reveals the beautiful aspects of miners' lives, with a strong focus on nature and leisure. In the early 1950s, for example, a bandstand was built where various concerts were held. The Patro Eisden soccer club provided unforgettable sporting moments. The houses and streets of the garden district were always neat and tidy, and the long avenues were lined with rows of trees.
Walking through the neighborhood takes you back in time. The audio guide in the ErfgoedApp the whole story, so you can pay attention to the small details while walking. Definitely worth it!
Interested? View the tour here.
Download the ErfgoedApp the App Store or Google Play.
