Colonies Of Benevolence Facts: That You Probably Did Not Know Before

Colonies of Benevolence were found at a time of extremely high poverty in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and was seen as a utopian solution to the problem.

Johannes van den Bosch was the driving force behind this experiment. His philosophy was that society would provide the poor with housing solutions when these poor people work on agricultural lands for their own benefit and that of the state.

Aside from this, the residents were also educated on how to be upstanding citizens when they were to return to 'normal' society. This form of private housing and livelihood solution was extremely revolutionary and proved to be widely influential as well.

In 2021, four colonies were designated with the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Discovery And History

In 1817, the Society of Benevolence was founded and composed of high officials and elites of the Netherlands. The driving force behind the entire experiment was Johannes van den Bosch, who founded the experiment based on the ideas of 'Enlightenment'.

The first colony Frederiksoord, named after Prince Fredrik, was founded in 1818. Paupers from all across the country were domesticated in the colony where they were to settle down and work on uncultivated land. By 1825, a total of seven colonies were settled on the edge of the country.

In 1830, the independent state of Belgium was formed, but the Colonies were administered by this society only. By 1859, this utopian model started declining due to its economic failures.

The Belgian branch went bankrupt, and the Belgium colonies were sold to the Belgian government. By the '20s, despite many efforts by the Society of Benevolence, the colonies proved to be unsuccessful financially and had to be sold to private individuals. These colonies exist today only for their heritage value.

The seven colonies were founded in the 1700s as places of refuge and religious tolerance. Four of those are designated as World Heritage sites. Each colony has a unique history.

A Jewish cemetery in Stradun, Dubrovnik, is one of the seven Colonies of Benevolence. These cemetery colonists were persecuted and had to flee their homes.

These colonists had a safe haven in Dubrovnik and were able to practice their religion freely. The colony community, a huge part of the history of Belgium, also did a lot of work in the field of agriculture, helping improve the lives of the people living in these colonies.

Inscriptional Content

The reasoning behind the inscription of these colonies as a World Heritage site is the landscape features exhibited by the two types of colonies. These colonies were categorized broadly into two types, free and unfree. Free colonies had residents living in rows of houses with their families.

Of the seven, four colonies were free ones. On the other hand were the three unfree colonies that inhabited vagrants, beggars, and orphans. They lived in large square housing complexes and worked on larger farms as collectives. This form of architecture is still found in the villages that were once colonies.

Archaeological Excavations

Residents in Colonies of Benevolence are excited about the archaeological excavations taking place in this area. Archaeologists are finding artifacts that date back to the time when the colony was first settled. These archaeologists have found pottery and other artifacts within the landscape that suggest that these colonists were very organized and had a strong sense of community.

Attraction

In Frederiksoord, the Museum de Proefkolonie serves to simulate the experiences of the first settlers by proving to be an immersive experience to provide education about the 200-year old history of the Colonies of Benevolence.

Colony 5-7 is one of the visitor centers that tells the story of the colonies of Wortel and Merksplas in Belgium. Tourists can listen to the stories of vagrants of the property and learn the story of Colonies of Benevolence.

Gevangenis is a prison museum found in the town of Veenhuizen that tells the story of the prisons that were built in the colony after its privatization. It adds to the list of monuments in the landscape.

FAQs

What is so special about Colonies of Benevolence?

A: Colonies of Benevolence are special due to the heritage value they hold in history, as the model of settling people served as an inspiration for various other settler colonies over the world in many European nations.

How old are Colonies of Benevolence?

A: The first colony was settled in the year 1818, making the Colonies of Benevolence more than 200-years old.

Who built Colonies of Benevolence?

A: Colonies of Benevolence were modeled by Johannes van den Bosch.

What does the phrase Colonies of Benevolence signify?

A: The phrase Colonies of Benevolence signifies the act of philanthropy that the elites of the Netherlands showed by the establishment of the colonies.

What type of architectural feature is Colony of Benevolence?

A: The architecture of the Colonies of Benevolence is a panoptic settlement that was built for implementing disciplinary measures on the poor population of the state.

Where exactly was this made?

A: Colonies of Benevolence were made in what is today the Netherlands and Belgium.

When did it become so famous?

A: From the '80s onwards, interest in the heritage associated with the city began to grow across the world, with programs to rebuild these colonies to reclaim their cultural importance.

What cities are Colonies of Benevolence in?

A: Colonies of Benevolence aren’t found in any significant cities. As these colonies were built in the countryside, the colonies have now evolved into village areas and small towns found near the border of the Netherlands and Belgium.