Open Monuments Day 2022
Open Monuments Day 2022 had a more topical theme than ever last weekend with 'Sustainability'. Last year, the very successful and accessible event in Wassenaar was limited to the opening of the De Paauw Town Hall, which had been renovated on the outside. This year the happening passed silently by the village. Those who want to know why should take a look at the Annual Report 2021 of the Historical Association Oud Wassenaer on oudwassenaer.nl. There was plenty to do this weekend on and around the municipal boundary of Wassenaar.
By Jos Knijnenburg
The loudest opening of Open Monument Day 2002 took place at the former Naval Air Base Valkenburg (see photo). On Saturday morning, the Band of Liberation marched into the grounds through the main entrance, making music and steaming up to the former telephone bunker, which houses the visitor center. With a mini-concert in the garden, in which the bagpipers played the main role and the players of the cymbals used the old airplane stairs as a stage and the raising of the flag by Mayor Visser van Katwijk, Open Monument Day 2022 on the north side of Wassenaar became a fact.
This also applied to Sufi Temple in the South Dunes of Berkheide, an area through which the municipal boundary of Wassenaar runs right through. A beautiful view towards Wassenaar can be seen from the Tower Museum in Valkenburg. The museum, which shows a lot about Valkenhorst, but also about the rich Roman life in the beach plain between Valkenburg and Wassenaar, also participated enthusiastically in Open Monuments Day 2022.
The Watergeuzen can be seen in the east from the Green Zone in Wassenaar for several years now. Two huge windmills along the A4 near Zoeterwoude. The municipality of Leiden, which published a beautiful booklet on the occasion of Open Monuments Day 2022, announced in it that the two Watergeuzen have completely come into the hands of local residents. It is not far from the Wassenaar municipal border to the 90-year-old restoration company Burgy. The company, which is also active in Wassenaar and has its own vocational school, participated in Open Monuments Day 2022 and showed how heritage can be physically restored to its former glory.
Also interesting was the opening of the pumping station near the point in the polder where the borders of Wassenaar, Voorschoten and Leidschendam-Voorburg meet. Steam pumping station 'De Vereeniging' was established in 1877 to control the water level in four polders, but has been out of use for decades. The building has been beautifully renovated on the outside, there are plans to also restore the old thrush machines. It really resembles Raadhuis De Paauw.