The Van Eeghenbankje, part 2 — Hart Amsterdammuseum

The bench is located near the Pietersberg, the former country house of the Van Eeghens. On the lawn in front I told a story about Van Eeghen, as part of the fifteenth Kneppelhout walk. That is a great phenomenon: an annual walk through the Oosterbeek of the nineteenth century, organized by the Stichting Heemkunde Renkum. Walking and short lectures in the open air alternate.

The other speakers were historians/men of letters: Lotte Jensen, Fons Meijer and Peter van Zonneveld. Each and every one of them were fascinating stories about the nineteenth century, for an enthusiastic audience, mainly from the village and the surrounding area. The weather was great, which also helped. A few had even come all the way from The Hague.

I had to think back to a drizzly November day in 2020, when I wrote a blog about this same bench. I was rather gloomy, because I couldn’t find time to work on my dissertation. Now, almost two years later, the Great Work has been submitted and even approved by the committee. Better times.

Better times are also coming for the bench, the responsible alderman assured us. She appeared to join the walk. When she saw how lousy the bench looked, she immediately called one of her officials. And that on a Sunday. If all goes well, the Van Eeghenbankje will soon be restored. Surely that would have happened anyway, but maybe accelerated now. Thanks to the Kneppelhout walk.

https://heemkunderenkum.nl/

https://hart.amsterdam/nl/page/1239431/een-lege-bank