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History |
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History |
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Historiography The historical name and nicknames. The Windmill of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek kept its original name already 600 years. During last century two nicknames pushed the original name to the background. The present restoration reinstates the historical name. The historical name: Hertboommolen (Hertboom mill) The original name of the windmill is Hertboommolen. The name refers
to a big open adjacent pastureland. In the levy and tax book of
1391 - the oldest reference regarding this Windmill - one can read:
"1 bunre lant op hertboem byden wintmolen" ( 1 measure
land at hertboem annex to the windmill). It demonstrates the remote
location of the mill, in the open, at the crossing of four roads:
the present Molenkauter (earlier Hertboem!), Windmolenstraat, On the famous De Ferraris-map of the Austrian Netherlands, approx 1775, the mill, the windmill house and stables are well-defined with the indication: 'Le Moulin Herdt Boom'. The nicknames: Tragic Mill. At the beginning of the 20th century the windmill gets a sinister
nickname as a result of a series of indeed tragic incidents. On
New Year's Day 1745, againts the background of the Austrian Succession
War, members of the gang of Jan De Lichte assail the windmill house.
Miller Peeter van Lierde gets murdered. This robbery with murder
remains generations long in the memory of the people, Jan De Lichte
being a legendary figure. During the World War II in 1917 a second
robbery with murder happens, the millers wife and the servant are
boldly slain. Since then the windmill gets in the popular language
its name: "Tragic Mill"; a name that is frequently used
in the literature and in windmill inventories. As a sign of mourning
the storm boards of the mill sails were painted black. The nickname "Zeppos-Mill" evokes more pleasant memories.
During the sixties most scenes of the classic youthserial Captain
Zeppos were shot in and around the windmill. Captain Zeppos, starred
by Senne Rouffaer, is the Pajottenland Land of square farms and mills. Watermills are plenty in Pajottenland, different it is for the wooden windmills. From the Middle Ages until the 20th century countless windmills were the undeniable beacons in our landscape. The agrarian past of Pajottenland Pajottenland is the naming for a part of Vlaams-Brabant, loam region, south west of Brussels, between the rivers Zenne and Dender. Prettily slanting Pajottenland has an outspoken agrarian past. From the early Middle Ages mankind starts deforestation to cultivate fertile land. Until half the 20th century the region remains a traditional agricultural area. Farming and specialy grain crops are the dominating factors. From the 12th - 13th century the first grain mills are introduced. They are the essential link for the agricultural industry. After the bleak war period of the 16th and 17th century, under Maria-Theresia agriculture revives. Most of the windmills we were built after 1700; mostly wooden post mills with open foot, alike the windmill of Lombeek. The square shaped farms of Brabant and the windmills are typical for the landscape. Inevitable decline At the end of the 19th century the European agriculture gets into
a deep crisis. Massive grain imports out of America and Russia deteriorate
prices. Some sources mention that around 1900 Pajottenland counts about 70 windmills, other speak of about 40. But all of them disappeared. In the neighboring village Pamel in 1970 the broken Keirekensmill collapses and in 1971 the Papal Zouave is coldly pulled down. The Hertboommill as to origin, history and type is a real copy-book-story windmill in Pajottenland. Only the end is different: the Hertboommill is to remain in working condition. 700 years of history in a nutshell A levy and tax book of Pamel dated 1391 provides the oldest written evidence for the existence of a windmill at the present mill site. But most probably there was already a windmill before the 14th century. At least four times this windmill has been re-erected or renewed. By lack of archives, a lot remains unknown with regard to the evolution of the mill site until 1655 and also after. A ban mill belonging to the Sirs of Lombeek and the Sirs of Gaasbeek: 1300-1655 Supposedly around 1300-1345 the liege lord of Lombeek, Diederik van Walcourt, builts the first wind mill. The wind rich hill, in te middle of the fields, is an ideal spot. In 1381 the property of Lombeek, and with it the windmill, gets into the hands of the Sirs of Gaasbeek. Most probably the mill had a statute as ban mill: subjects of the
Sirs were obliged, against payment of course, to have their wheat
milled at the ban mill otherwise they would be penalised. The miller
leases the mill from the liege lord. Property of mills was a feudal
privilege, only lords got the Period of crisis: 1655-1723 After a period of decline and inactivity, in 1655, the last owner of Gaasbeek, Alexander de Renesse, commissions a new windmill. However, to redeem the huge debts of his tempestuous father, he is compelled to sell that same year the new mill to the knight Gabriël Le Febvre, Sir of Tiercelet. We know further that the new owner commissions only two years later another windmill, but why? Had the mill in the meantime been destroyed? In 1689 Jan Dors, public prosecutor of the Council of Brabant,
acquires the mill complex. After noblemen, now patricians of Brussels
succeed each other as mill owners. There was no much luck for Jan
Dors with the windmill. In Other mills and lots of farms and houses in the area undergo the
same punishment for not paying or for inadequate payment of war
taxes. The Dors family blames the local administration for the losses
and after years of In the meantime the mill site is abandoned. As literally written in the purchase act of 1716, a patrician of Brussels, Egidius De Mesmaeker, acquires a pile of aged detritus. A new mill will be erected. The present mill dates back to 1723/1727 (and not 1760?) The exact year is a difficult matter, but possibly in 1723 and certainly in 1727 there is a new windmill on this site. A red beam inscription "P.V.L 1727" should, convincingly, refer to Peeter Van Lierde becoming miller that year. The reconstruction of the house of the miller is finished in 1732. Nowadays it is commonly accepted that the mill of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek
is the windmill built in 1723/1727. Long time, in various books,
1760 was mentioned as the year of birth, based on an inscription
"M.d.M. 1760" in the As a matter of fact, Carolus de Man will only acquire the windmill twelve years later, being in 1772. Further research might bring more light. Certain is, that this windmill, as most of the remaining post mills of our region, dates back to the 18th century, a golden time for windmills after years of war, the economy and agriculture being in full recovery. Thorough renovation of the millers house in 1784 gives the building its present outlook. If the mill too underwent changes, remains an open question, an inscription of 1785 in the nothern dice did not provide conclusive explanation. From 1800 to 2000: the windmill survives! Facts about the windmill during the 19th century are scarce. In
1835 there is Jan-Baptist Van De Velde, for the first time a miller
owning the mill. In 1944 the windmill gets the protection as a monument from the Koninklijke Commissie voor Monumenten en Landschappen, the Royal Commission for Monuments and Landscapes. From 1954 onwards several volunteers under the guidance of miller Henri Van Nuffel keep the mill turning during spring and summer. Spicy detail, the Van Nuffels in view of a real estate speculation pulled their own windmill, the Papal Zouave of Pamel, down in 1971, another loss of an historical monument! Luckily the owners of the windmill of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek, Rooselaers and Heremans kept carrying out renovation works in 1954, 1970 and 1974. Happy end: the Hertboommolen remains. At the public auction in 1999 Jozef Van Waeyenberge purchases the windmill and farmhouse. A necessary, thorough, not common renovation, gets implemented in order to make the windmill again operational and to preserve this valuable heritage of craftmanship for generations to come. Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek The windmill is not the only remarkable construction in History Even though remains from the Roman Times were found in the 19th century, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-lombeek is located only two kilometers away from the road Asse-Bagacum, an important connecting road of Roman Belgium during the early empire, about origin and early history there is little known. This settlement - at the creek Lombeek, of which the naming refers to the Lombards from the Roman Empire - has certainly been established before 1112, because during that year the abbey of Nijvel (Nivelles) was already entrusted with the service of the church. In the middle of the 13th century the Bishop of Kamerrijk (Cambrai),
Nicolas, promoted the church to an independent parish, free from
the capital parish Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lennik, to-day Sint-Kwintens-Lennik.
This independency was allocated because the church had become a
famous and well At about 1300 the village belongs to the Walcourts, Sirs of Aa and Sirs of Lombeek, to pass in 1381 in the hands of the Sirs of Gaasbeek. In 1768 it was promoted to baronship. By the way, until 1808 Hieronimus Benedictus Vonck was the Reverend Father, brother of the famous Vonck of the revolution of Brabant against the Austrian rule. In 1964 there is the merger of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek with Strijtem and Pamel to become the new municipality Roosdaal. In 1977 Borchtlombeek too is added to Roosdaal. The Church: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Kerk The construction of the present early Gothic church of Although a rather small village, the church is monumental and richly decorated with marvellous pieces of art. Thanks to the wealth that the pelgrims brought to Lombeek. Piece of splendor is the magnificent fifteenth century Mary altar decoration piece. Unequalled master piece of wood sculpture of Brussels craftmanship from the early 16th century, of which a plaster copy is kept at the National Art Patrimonium where lots of church archives are lying for safekeeping, unfortunately unstudied and almost forgotten. The altar decoration piece shows the life of mother Mary in nine scenes. Some parts, on several occasions, were stolen: as a result the church can only be visited upon appointment. Other works of art are the grisailles, the paneling, the confessionals, the calvary statues and an expressive Christ on a Cold Stone. In the back rococo woodwork and baroque organ. Below the beautiful pulpit a group of sculpture shows the conversion of Hubertus. Outside grotesque figureheads decorate the church walls in an unusual way. Other buildings Situated in the middle of the village there is the Rokkenborch castle, with a donjon as housing tower of medieval origin (1336) built as link of a defence system. The name Rokkenborch is mentioned in titels of property transfer of the year 1412. The building, the original residence of the Sirs of Lombeek, was used in the course of time for many purposes as for example housing tower, residence, barony, balie, court, farm or school. Extension works at around 1700 delivered a nicely conserved annex of Flemish renaissance. After a period of vacancy during the 19th century conservation
works were carried out and other embellishments with 13th century
windows recuperated Opposite the church there is the restaurant De Kroon. The building dates back to 1760. There are many more buildings from previous centuries spread over the village. The figure Frans van Cauwelaert Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek is the native village of Frans and August
van Cauwelaert, famous figures of the Flemish Movement. Their parents
were well-to-do farmers, managing a farm at the banks of the Lombeek
a stone August van Cauwelaert (1885-1945) became magistrate, writer and poet, Frans van Cauwelaert (1880-1961) went different ways: member of parliament from 1910, mayor of Antwerp and being several times minister he became the most important Flemish politician during the pre-war history. National Convention of Léon Degrelle The 10th of July 1938 the National Party Convention of Rex took
place in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. A mass demonstration of extreme
right. According to the organisers 60.000 participants led by and
addressed by Léon Degrelle, 1300-1350 Supposedly Diederik van Walcourt, Sir of Aa and Lombeek, builts the first wind mill upon the hill at the Hertboom field. 1380 Together with Lombeek the windmill becomes the property of the Sirs of Gaasbeek. 1655 The last owner of Gaasbeek, Alexander De Renesse, sells the newly erected mill to redeem debts of his tempestuous father. For unclear reasons the new owner, knight Gabriël Le Febvre, builts in 1657 a new windmill. 1689 Jan Dors, public prosecutor of Brussels, acquires the mill. After noblemen, now patricians of Brussels succeed each other as mill owners. 1690 Troops of the French king Louis XIV burned the mill and farm down. Other mills and lots of farms and houses in the area undergo the same punishment for not paying or for inadequate payment of war taxes. 1723-1732 Origin of the present mill and farm house. After thirty years in debris, owner Egidius De Mesmaeker, patrician of Brussel, builts a new mill and house. The mill is possibly finished in 1723 and certainly in 1727. 1745 Robbery with murder by members of the gang of the infamous Jan De Lichte. Miller Peeter Van Lierde is stabbed down. The sinister deeds of Jan De Lichte remain generation after generation in the minds of the people. 1760 Has the mill been destroyed and rebuilt with remainig spare parts? A beam inscription 'M.d.M. 1760' does not give proper evidence. There is more certitude that 1727 is the year of birth. 1775 On the famous De Ferraris-map of the Austrian Netherlands windmill, millers house en stables are indicated. Simular as in older archivalia 'le moulin Herdt Boom'. 1784 Thorough renovation of the millers house from 1723-1732 give the building its present shape. 1835 Jan-Baptist Van De Velde is the first miller-owner. Mill lease from praticians is over. From 1859 onwards the mill belongs one century to the Walraevens family. 1917 Worldwar I and again a bloody robbery with murder in the millers house. Two inhabitants have their throat cut. The mill gets the nickname "Tragic Mill". 1850-1930 With the Industrial Revolution new machines and energy sources push the windmills easily out of the market. Mill after mill stops milling, decays and disappears. 1944 The windmill becomes a monument. The protection followed by renovation works save the wind giant from destruction. 1964-1965 The by now classic tv-serial Captain Zeppos is shot at and around the windmill. The mill becoms the "Zeppos-Mill". 1999-2002 Jozef Van Waeyenberge purchases the mill and enroles in a millers course organized by Levende Molens vzw. (Living mills) A restauration into detail gets implemented and executed. 1999-2000 Archivalic, bibliographic and estate research of the windmill complex.
Exhaustive pre-study and lay-out of tender specifications by architects
and engineers. Inspection and inventory by Monumentenwacht vzw.
(Monument watch). Consult with the administration of Monuments and
Landscapes. 2001 Dismantlement, stock-taking with calibration, description, photography
and video. Conclusions, rounding off the restoration file, transport of the
mill parts to the workshop of Roland Wieme, repair of the re-usable
mill components in the workshop, reproduction of spare parts, reconstruction
of the foundation. If you wish to know more about the windmill of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek: - Gerard Van Herreweghen, De tragische molen van Lombeek. (The tragic mill of Lombeek) Davidsfonds Roosdaal; special issue DF-Klokje, 1982. The author exposes the historical context of the robbery with murder of 1745 by the gang of Jan De Lichte. A concise summery of the mill history as introduction. - J.F. Vincx, De molens van 't Payottenland, (The mills of Payottenland)
Merchtem, 1931. Less recent work, but interesting because of the
overview of the many in the meantime disapeared windmills of Pajottenland.
The original - Several articles in Levende Molens en Molenecho's, magazines of the Flemish mill associations. More general information about water- and windmills: - Paul Bauters, Van zadelsteen tot windkruier. 2000 years of mills in Flandern, Gent, 1998-2000, 2 volumes. Standard work about history and technology with regard to mills in our regions. In Flanders there are several mill associations: - Centrum voor Molinologie en het Molenmuseum - Molenzorg vzw - Levende Molens vzw - the architects and ingeneers: Ro Berteloot, architect-moulinoloog Sabine Okkerse, Ir.-architect-moulinoloog Mr. Dirk Goossenaerts Mr. Paul Styfhals Restoration - mill experts: Roland Wieme PVBA Molenbouw de Jongh Authorities: Monumenten en Landschappen Monumentenwacht Vlaams-Brabant Provincie Vlaams-Brabant Gemeentebestuur van Roosdaal Van Cauteren NV Ninoofsesteenweg 121 B - 1700 Dilbeek België Tel +32 2 569 63 74 Fax +32 2 569 73 12 E-mail: Eric.Van.Cauteren@abb.be Principal: Cofic N.V.
Molens Willy Vandenschrieck |
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Technical Data |
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Function, type and power. The Hertboommill is a wooden post- or standardmill with open foot. It functions as a corn mill. The corn mill in the agrarian Pajottenland (Pajottenland is the name of the region where the windmill is located.) Like most of the mills in Pajottenland alike the majority of the
mills in general, the Hertboommill is a corn or wheat mill serving
to grind grain. Since the Middle Ages corn mills were the vital link of the agricultural industry. The demand for milling capacity was big; bread being the main staple product. Mills are not always corn mills. The propulsive force of the revolving movement has been used for many applications. There are oil mills, polder mills for land reclamation to clear the water from polders or swamps, sawmills, paper mills, … The post mill: simplicity and power It is an historical myth that the crusaders would have brought home the vertical windmills from the East. More over, the oldest known references and illustrations indicate that this type of mill is of Flemish origin. In all respects certain: around 1100 the post mill turns up in our region. The ingenious and elegant post mill is soon the most spread out windmill type. The principle of the post mill is uncomplicated, the construction
a daring and careful calculated balance of forces. The post or standard
is the central vertical axis allowing the whole mill to be moved
360°. In this way the sails are turned to face the wind from
whichever direction it blows. To move the windmill to face the wind, the miller uses a winch or spool located at the bottom of the stairs, which are attached at the tail beam of the windmill. Once turned to the good wind direction, the miller can put the canvas on the sail bars to use more wind power. The white dices of regional sandstone, the dual attic, the wooden roofing and the slates at the sail side provide to the windmill of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek its own recognisability and beauty. Green but whimsical wind energy. A post mill can be turned to each wind direction, but this is not
enough to guarantee its proper functioning. The wind catch can not
be hindered; hindered wind swirls. The more freely and the more
steady the wind reaches the sails, the better the milled product.
Reason why windmills are mostly The farmhouse at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek is an exception. Apart from that this mill is out-of-the-way, in the middle of the fields, on a for the region rather high spot, with plenty of wind. The hill is 85 meters high or 40 meters higher than the threshold of the church entrance. |
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Visitors / Museum |
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During the ongoing restoration works the public does not have any access to the Windmill Site of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. Visitors can watch the restauration works from the street or monitor the works via internet through this website. The Opening of the Windmill is scheduled for December 2002. |
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Photo Album |
| Look at the pictures in the differends topics.
During the ongoing restoration new pictures will be added to this webpage. You are kindly invited to monitor regularly the progress made during the re-erection of the Windmill. |
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Video |
| As from 15 April 2002 the original Windmill of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek
will be re-erected. Via this website you are directly connected: 4
webcam's allow direct and permanent monitoring of the ongoing restoration
works.
In case you are interested to see the start of the reconstruction, kindly fill out your e-mail address here. Click here. We shall keep you posted. |
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Contact |
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Guestbook |
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Routedescription |
 Click the map to enlarge. |
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