Schitterende ballast (‘Beautiful ballast’)
New book by Hanneke Ronnes, Conrad Gietman and Claartje Wesselink
Turists at Kasteel Ruurlo.
Schitterende ballast (‘Beautiful ballast’) tells the story of Dutch country estates in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, a turbulent time of ruination, demolition and repurposing of country houses which had sometimes been owned by the same family for generations. In many places, private residents had to make way for new owners, such as museums, natural heritage organisations and democratically elected governments. Even more often, the gardens and parks surrounding the house were swallowed up by expanding villages and towns. Families who – against the spirit of the times – clung to their old possessions were forced to look for innovative solutions to keep up with ever-increasing housing costs and taxes.
Much has been written about country houses, often out of nostalgia or the perspective of their architecture or illustrious residents. This book proposes a different way of looking at them. From a broad, cultural-historical approach, it deals with the Dutch country house in the modern world. Central to this is how we have dealt with this heritage since 1900. What significance does this ‘magnificent ballast’ have for us?
Former German emperor Wilhelm II together with a group of people at Huis Doorn, 1941.
For further information contact Hanneke Ronnes: H.Ronnes@uva.nl
Order the book here: Schitterende ballast • WBOOKS