Baarle, the village extends over 2 municipalities: Baarle Nassau and Baarle Hertog. Not located on 'the border' as many think, with the Belgian municipality on one side and the Dutch municipality on the other side, no, the village is about 3.5 km away of the border established in 1843 (Treaty of Maastricht). However, it houses 30 enclaves, certainly also exclaves.
Baarle NassauIt
consists of 8 enclaves, of which 7 counterenclaves in the largest Belgian enclave H1.
Enclave N8 is the only Nassau enclave that is located outside the main border, or in other words, completely within Belgium.
Baarle Hertog
consists of 22 enclaves,all completely surrounded by the Netherlands.
An enclave is an area of a country that is completely surrounded by another country. For the land it encloses it is an enclave, for the land it encloses it is an exclave.
Within the 30 enclaves of Baarle there are another 7 so-called counterneclaves. The enclave contains an area completely enclosed by the enclave and belonging to the surrounding land.
History
The first mention of Baarle dates from 992, a mention of a border conflict dates from 1198, the year we see on the border marker at the St. Remigius Church (corner Kerkplein/Singel).
Duke Henry I of Brabant wanted a buffer zone because of the expansionism of Count Dirk VII of Holland. He entered into an alliance with Godfrey II of Schoten, Lord of Breda.
In 1198 he acquired land with enclaves, as they still exist today. Border corrections did not take place after 1198. Not in 1648 when the border was established between the Spanish and the Dutch territories, not in 1843 when the border between Belgium and the Netherlands was established, not on October 7, 1974 and not on October 31, 1975 when the borders/enclaves were established. from Baarle.
Boundary marker 214 - 215
Officially no border marker as established in 1843. Called a tourist border marker. However, for the residents of Baarle, the marker has great historical significance, which is clearly evident from the year 1198. However, the border including all 30 enclaves has only been recorded for the first time since 1667.
Overview
∆ Verdrag van Maastricht 1843
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∆ Day @Baarle Dutch bordergroup 2024
∆ City hall Baarle Hertog (Be)
∆ Cultureelcentrum Baarle + bibliotheek
The enclaves H(ertog) Be
H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8
H9 H10 H11 H12 H13 H14 H15
H1 and H2 are adjacent to each other at 1 point. At that point, two parts of the Netherlands also come together. It is a so-called Quadripoint, a point where 4 territories touch each other. There are no country quadripoints in the world. We know, among other things, Four Corners in the USA, where 4 states meet, we know Jungholz in Austria/Germany and this point.
A first visit
Bordermarker
214 - 215
However not an officially bordermarker as mentioned in the 'Treaty of Maastricht', for inhabitants of Baarle a special marker, placed for
the conclusion of the agreement for the final division of the enclaves in Baarle
Enclave N3 is the smallest counterenclave in the world, with an area of 2,863 m2 and a perimeter of 218 meters.
The enclave is best known for the location of the liquor store 'De Biergrens'.
Pictures inside are made with autorisation of the owner.
The company has 2 addresses and 2 telephone numbers.The boundary runs straight through the store and is clearly indicated on the floor.
Until 2002 (€) there was a cash register for Belgian francs and a cash register for Dutch florins (guilders).
Enclave N8 is the only Dutch exclave that is not located in a Belgian enclave (a so-called counterenclave). Seen from the Netherlands, N8 is located across the land (main) border with Belgium, completely in Belgium.
It is partly a nature reserve and partly used for agriculture. Corn will be grown on it in 2024.
From Zondereigen 101 you can easily walk to enclave N8. The walking path partly runs along it.
Netherlands (no enclave)
Gorpereind
At the Gorpereind near the 'Eikelenbosch', the house numbers 1 - 9 are located in a half bowl.
Two nice discoveries.
↑
Up: Gorpeind 3
Left: Gorpeind 1 (backgate)
←
Enclave H1 is the largest Baarlese enclave. More than 79% of the Belgian population lives in enclave H1.
Enclave H1 is the only enclave in the world in which there is more than 1 counterenclave, ergo 6 of the 7 Dutch counterenclaves are located in enclave H1.
In the set of enclaves there are only 2 enclaves that share a point.
Two Dutch parts lie on the other sides of the point.It is actually impossible to get from one area to another without passing this point.
Although not a quadripoint of 4 countries, it is a quadripoint of 2 countries, with 4 different areas.
Enclave H7 is the smallest enclave in the world. You will also find these as most points in my 'most points' overview.
With only 2,469 m2 and a circumference of 214 meters, she is impressive!
The enclave measures 1.5 houses and part of the gardens.
WW II
Around WW II the house was occupied by Dutch soldiers. However, they have no idea of the border development and the sovereignty and autonomy of the border countries.
The Belgian judiciary intervened and after moving offices and beds, the Dutch soldiers were allowed to sleep in Belgium, but not to work there.
A remarkable enclave, popularly called 'No man's land' and disputed until 1995, when it was assigned to Belgium.
H22 is the second smallest enclave worldwide (2,632 m2) and has the smallest perimeter worldwide, namely 209 m. The smallest enclave in the world is H7 (2,469 m2), circumference 214 meters.
H22 can be reached on foot via the 'Oude Strumpt', walking route 80. The walking path to it is freely accessible. T.v. However, H22 must be deviated from the walking path.
In Google still 'No man's land'
The Netherlands has returned a large part of its land to nature. The over-fertilized land has been excavated for this purpose, which is clearly visible;
H22 is considerably higher.In March 2024, trails were still quite wet. According to a local farmer, that is actually always the case there. It was doable with wellies.
Oude Strumpt
On the way back from H22 you will probably drive over 'de Oude Strumpt'.
Choose at No. 21 before turning right and you cross the main border via a 'dirt road'.
Nowhere is this main boundary indicated here.
Day @ Baarle
Dutch bordergroup
June 24th 2024
This day's report follows the route taken, not the possible order of the enclaves.
Enclave H9
printing factory de Jong
Enclave N4
Q-lite
Enclave H 1
City hall Baarle Hertog
On June 24, 2024, as members of the Dutch bordergroup, we will have the opportunity to get to know Baarle more closely.
O.v. city guide Herman, we walk the necessary kilometers, we hear the most beautiful stories and there are some cherries on the cake, such as a visit to the town hall of Baarle Hertog, a visit to enclave H9, in the middle of the business premises of 'printing factory de Jong' and enclave N4 in the business premises of 'Q-lite'.
Enclave H1
Overview of the en- and exclaves H1 - H16 and N1 - N7.The other en- and exclaves H17 - H22 and N8 are located outside the center of Baarle.
City hall
Baarle Hertog (Be)
The city hall of Baarle Hertog is build on the border. It is the only city hall in the world in 2 countries.
The border separates the council chamber. In voting, the vote may have been cast in any country.For example, the signing of a marriage certificate by the official, bride and groom and witnesses may only be done on the Belgian side, otherwise it will not be legally valid.
Enclave H7
The smallest counterenclave in the world
Femisbank
and bordercorpscase
At Hoogbraak, we arrive at a border separation between enclave H1 and the Netherlands, about which a lot has been spoken and written and which has caused a number of headaches for governments, among others.
The Femisbank was once built here, on top of the border, with an entrance in one country and the vault in the other.
Both justices were never able to intervene when (it was thought that) the bank was used for money laundering.
Furthermore, one side of the lockers appears not to be real. With the key in a secret lock, an 'invisible' door opens and there is a safe deeper in the basement.Then in that room there is a hidden 'button' with which another secret door opens and you can go even deeper into the basement. Here you also move from the Netherlands to Belgium.
The property was later sold.
The wife off the new owner suddenly dissapeared.
About 10 months after the disappearance, a raid took place. Belgian and Dutch justice had prepared this well so that a properly authorized person always entered places and conducted searches.
In the children's playroom, a garbage bin was found in a chest, in which the woman's remains were found.
Calculations showed that the majority of the remains were on Dutch territory, which led the court in Breda to be declared competent.
↑ Click the picture
to enter the bank
Click the picture →
for more murder info
← The building in 2024
Chaamseweg 1 and 10
New measurements and boundary determination (1995) creates the situation that the front door of the left house is in the Netherlands and the front door determines in which country the house is located and in which you live.
E.a. means that the 92-year-old resident must emigrate from Belgium to the Netherlands.
A handy solution prevents this.
Do you see the solution?
ǝʇɐɹᵷᴉɯǝ oʇ ǝʌɐɥ ʇou pᴉp ʇuǝpᴉsǝɹ ǝɥʇ puɐ ɯnᴉᵷๅǝꓭ uᴉ sɐʍ ɹoop ʇuoɹɟ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʇ ʇuɐǝɯ sᴉɥꓕ .ʎๅๅɐʇuozᴉɹoɥ pǝɹoɹɹᴉɯ ʽǝɹǝʍ ʇᴉ sɐ ʽsᴉ ǝɯɐɹɟ ɹoop ǝɹᴉʇuǝ ǝɥꓕ
Enclave H9
The Belgian Enclave H9 is located in the middle of the business premises of Royal printing company of Em. de Jong. This family business was founded in 1906.
The enclave area of 4,005 m² crosses various departments and the staff corridor. The border is marked internally with the colors of the Belgian and Dutch flag.
Enclave H16
H16 is an irregularly shaped enclave located between the hamlets of Oordeel and Nijhoven. Its western part is a narrow, elongated rectangle that reaches the Visweg.
Many maps, including Google Maps, make a mistake here. The house with the address Visweg 1 in Baarle-Hertog (Be) and the narrow warehouse behind it are located completely in the Belgian enclave. The lawn, driveway and other outbuildings are in the Netherlands.
©Martijn© ↑
Enclave H3 en H4
The rectangular enclave H3 consists of arable land with a barn through which the enclave boundary runs. This is clearly visible from the Visweg. The barn gate and the lowest part of the wolf end (the beveled end of the ridge) are on Dutch territory, so outside the Belgian enclave. The rest of the barn is in the enclave. In the west, H3 approaches the mother enclave H1 to within 7.09 meters!
H4 is an irregularly shaped enclave with two triangular fields in the northwest, a part of the Visweg and a trapezoidal plot to the east of the road. The enclave is inhabited. There are two houses: Visweg 2 and Visweg 3, both in Baarle-Hertog. According to topographic maps, the first buildings in the H4 enclave date from 1967.
Enclave H2:
Once again we visit the quadripoint, of which there are only 2 in the world that share such a point with countries. In the USA there is also the 4-corner. There, 4 states share 1 point.
The other quadripoint is at Jungholz on Mt. Sorgschrofen. Jungholz is an Austrian enclave in Germany.
Click here for my travel report.
Enclave N6:
Gierlestraat
N6 is a quasi-rectangular Dutch counter-enclave (an enclave within an enclave). It is located in the south of the Belgian enclave H1 and consists largely of agricultural land. There are also two houses: Gierlestraat 22A and 22B in Baarle-Nassau.
Enclave N4:
Q-Lite
N4 is een quasi-rechthoekige Nederlandse contra-enclave (een enclave in een enclave). Zij ligt in de Belgische enclave H1, tussen de Wiekenweg en het Mulderpad.
N4 bestaat uit een parkeerterrein, twee grasvelden (gedeeltelijk), een hoek van de hoofdvestiging van de firma Q-Lite en een deel van de verharding eromheen.
Enclave N5:
Goossens
N5 is a Dutch counter-enclave (an enclave within an enclave). It is located in the south of H1, the main Belgian enclave. N5 and N3 are closest to each other as counter-enclaves. The distance between the two is only 18.06 meters. N5 is the Dutch enclave with the largest number of inhabitants (25). And of all Dutch enclaves it is the furthest from the motherland, namely 246.50 meters.
Detail at Goossens:
During Corona, at a time in Belgium, only shops that sold basic necessities (essential products) were allowed to open.
Fa. Goosens had its entrance in Belgium, but had a door inspected in Karel van Steenlaan, just inside the N5 enclave, so that customers could enter via the Netherlands.
Enclave N3:
De Biergrens
N3 is the smallest counterenclave (enclave within an enclave) in the world. The Ferraris map from around 1775 shows it correctly.
The enclave border crosses the drinks trade 'De Biergrens', which offers the opportunity to shop cross-border under one roof. This boundary line is indicated in the national colors on the front facade and inside the store. Countless photos have been taken here. According to foreign newspapers, magazines, websites and TV documentaries, a visit to De Biergrens is an absolute requirement. The business has both a Dutch and a Belgian address and telephone number. Before the arrival of the euro, there were even two cash registers: one for Dutch guilders and one for Belgian francs.
De Biergrens:
I've been here before. CLICK for that impression.
De Biergrens is characterized by more than friendly and cooperative staff. Respect them in your photos and you will receive every cooperation. This way you can have great conversations, buy a 'bowl' of delicious 'Smuggler' beer, which has the border post as its logo, and you get a tip as to whether you have seen that the outside (border) facade has been completely adapted (I actually had that). missed).
With such kindness you really, more than happily buy - a 2nd 'box' of Smuggler ;).
Enclave N2:
N2 is a Dutch counterenclave (an enclave within an enclave). There are eight homes and two commercial properties.
The Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau has eight enclaves, of which no fewer than seven are counter-enclaves. There are only eight in the whole world: seven in Baarle and one counter-enclave of the United Arab Emirates that is completely surrounded by an enclave of Oman!
The Dutch enclaves together cover just over fifteen hectares, the Belgian ones almost 234.5 hectares. At the beginning of 2017, 69 people or approximately 1% of the population of Baarle-Nassau lived in the Dutch enclaves. In 2016, 2,251 people lived in all Belgian enclaves. That is more than 83% of the population of Baarle-Hertog.
In the Dutch Baarle-Nassau, 2.6% of the population has Belgian identity. In Baarle-Hertog, Belgium, 45.6% of the inhabitants are Dutch!
© Op alle foto's rust het auteursrecht.
Vraag s.v.p. vooraf om toestemming als je foto's gebruiken wilt.©
