We live in Twente, in Boekelo
since 1969. This village, rural and leafy,
in the South of Twente is an oasis of rest compared with the bustle
and congeries of stones and concrete in the West. Living and working here is
good; you will find nature, space and variation.
On many pastoral inner roads and perfect cycle-path you can bike
magnificent In the leafy woods or the
peat-hags in Twente; You can walk quietly, however, sometimes at
an unexpected moment you come across a Schottish Highlander. It
is a province with a great diversity in landscape.
It is said that you may characterize Twente
as a coulisse -landscape, bounded by two stowage walls; in the east
along 'de Dinkel' and in the west along 'de Regge. 'There is much literature
available about this area.
An impression of Boekelo
They say that Boekelo is the salt-village; this is incorrect.
In Boekelo there are still tubes underground where lukewarm water is pumped
through, down to 400 meter
in the salt-layer. However, the upcoming brine
with a concentration of 300 gram pro liter is then transported to Hengelo, where in big evaporation-boilers the salt is extracted
and
refined to kitchen- or table-salt.
(See plan on Main Page)
A great many salt-cottages,
called kennels as well, and some high slender
salt-towers are
the visible tokens of salt-making in Twente.
In top of a high drilling-frame there is a supply to tackle the pipes in- and
out of the ground. The low salt-cottages make use of a mobile hoist.
Then the roof is simply
lifted up.
It is true that 'de Koninklijke Nederlandse Zoutindustrie' established in Boekelo
in 1918 , but
already the factory moved to Hengelo in 1935.
For many years ' AKZO '
takes care of supply and outlet of warm water to the salt field,
and put the raw salt, won from brine into huge
silos.
Besides salt, other minerals are extracted and improved from
the brine.
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Nowadays Boekelo is more famous by the foundation of:
'Museum Buurt Spoorweg'
(Local Railway Museum.)
.
Impressive M.B.S.steaml engines, the oldest locomotive dates back as
early as 1896, goes up and down
between Haaksbergen en Boekelo.
In summer this is the ideal family trip
to enjoy from the surroundings of coulisse-landscape and nostalgic
steam-engineering. Before World-War II, Boekelo was a part of the "Twents-Achterhoekse" railway system, constructed on initiative
of the regional
textile-manufacturers. Currently, after more then one hundred years,l a small part of the railway, the section Haaksbergen-Boekelo, is
still in use. |
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The Foundation is
independent, not related with the 'Nederlandse Spoorwegen', but M.B.S.
employees are complete superevised by
the N.S.
In the village the so-called "reizigersakkomodatie" of the
railway-halt "Zoutindustrie" has been beautiful restored.
Again, the illuminated platform is constructed, with an old-fashioned "abri".
In 'de Boekelose straat', there is also an authentic hand-operated crossing with barriers, a signal-cabin and a turn-table
as well
.
In Haaksbergen the railway-station from 1884 is completely restored in 19th
century style with public convenience. it's worth a visit. |
In
addtion to the MBS, unique in Europa (not
to mention England),
in Boekelo you will find the textile printing-office Texoprint, known
all over the world, and famous for her fine material.
This printing-office risen from 'de Boekelose Stoom Blekerij (B.S.B.)'
is vital to
image of the village community. More then 110
year it was present in the village, but the activity and bustle in
the buildings and offices is gone.
Unfortunately the factory has almost gone bankrupt. |
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During the last years there has been a hive of activity in
Boekelo about the new Grolsch
business, he brewery on the the "de Groote Plooy" terrain just North of Boekelo.
Supporters and opponents of project, which has been realised now, were fighting
with each other, not only with fists but with much hubbub as well
Both the village-board and "Enschede's Local Authority" ("Gemeente Enschede)
were involved in this matter.
The employment has been an important
issue, but a heavy point has been the cutting down from 586 trees. Meanwhile
a modern automatic full-time operating brewery started with the
production of many hundreds of litres foamy beer. The official
opening was on 1 April 2004
The contour of an enormous manufacturing plant is visible along the 'Boekelose
straat'.
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