Anyone looking around the city of Enschede now will
find it hard to believe that this was once the second largest textile centre in
the world, only Manchester produced more in the late eighteen-hundreds. It was
the Van Heek family - who together with the Ten Cate family introduced
steam-powered textile production in Twenthe in 1850- that was responsible for
the rapid growth and industrialisation of the region. Twenthe was a poor region
populated mostly by catholic crofters and home weavers. This was seen as
attractive as Catholics were believed to be more docile. For the paupers and
crofters the prospect of having a steady income with set working hours was
attractive enough to seek employment in one of the textile factories.
In 1780 H.J. van Heek starts a textile trading firm
with the help of his father-in-law. When his sons enter the firm in 1810 the
name is changed to H.J. van Heek en Zonen. H.J. van Heek junior, G.J. van Heek
and H. van Heek -the grandsons of H.J. van Heek- in 1859 start their own company manufacturing
cotton and other textiles. Thus a number of separate firms, owned by the same
family, came into being. As production grew so did the profits. The company
owners invested their gains in large estates and mansions. They were known as
the textile barons of Twenthe. The families Van Heek, Ter Kuile, Menko,
Blijdenstein and Jannink effectively formed an oligarchy.
As liberals the Van Heek family was actively involved
in the promotion of the improvement of the living conditions of the working
classes and prohibition. H.J. van Heek bequeathed his estate Goolkate to the people of Enschede
(1872) to spend their free time in nature instead of drinking alcohol in this
new Volkspark (Peoples Park).
Similarly his grandson G.J. van Heek bequeathed the land adjoining the estate
Lochemsbleek to the people for a new park in 1918. His brother Herman van Heek
owned Het Pathmos, an estate located
on former heathland south of the town of Enschede. He had named it for the
Greek island of the same name, where the Cave of the Apocalypse is located that
is said to be the place where John the Apostle wrote his Book of Revelation. It
was on this estate that a large garden village would be built from 1914
onwards.
The first purpose-built workman's housing were located
in a small neighbourhood called De Krim,
completed in 1861. Similar housing was built around Enschede: Sebastopol, Hoog en Droog and 't
Overschot. All were characterised by small low houses with two rooms and a kitchen
in a lean-to on parallel narrow unpaved streets. Anyone who was able to leave
this semi-squalid housing did so. This lead to an influx of gypsies and street
vendors and further deterioration into slums. From 1900 onwards calls are made
for more appropriate housing and the demolition of existing slums.
In 1907 the Vereeniging
de Volkswoning (Association -for- the People's Home) was founded as a
direct result of the 1901 Woningwet. This Housing Association commissioned
architect W.K. de Wijs with the creation of
a large estate for working-class housing. The spatial plan was drafted
by A.H. op ten Noort, head of the Enschede Public Works Department. In his
layout he included a section of a new circular road which was part of his local
plan for the expansion of Enschede. Along the proposed route of the circular
road more new housing estates were planned: het
Zwik. het Perik, Hogelanden, Laares, Veldkamp and 't Zeggelt.
The garden village Pathmos was built between 1914 and
1928 according to "modern" insights on urban design following English
examples. Of the 1386 dwellings, 1209 were built on behalf of De Volkswoning.
The rest was constructed for smaller housing associations. The central point in
the layout is a garden square called the Thomas Ainsworthplein. Another square
(Spinnersplein) was built at the site of the former mansion Pathmos which gave
its name to the garden village. There are 9 basic house types in 89 variants.
The garden village was a complete social and spatial entity and included shops,
schools, a bathhouse, a community centre and public gardens. All the streets
are named for textile manufacturing (Weaver Street, Twill Street, Calico
Street, Spool Street and so on).
The garden village was constructed in several
consecutive building campaigns. The Pathmossingel (Pathmos Belt-road) was
completed between 1919 and 1921. The housing on the eastern side followed suit
and was completed by 1920.This part of Tuindorp Pathmos is also known as
Janninksbleek the name of this former bleaching field.
In 1927 the garden village was expanded on the north
side with an additional 226 dwellings. This section quickly became known as Drents Dorp (Drenthe Village) due to the
majority of the resident being from the Peat Colonies of Drenthe. These houses
were of poor construction and have been demolished and replaced by new social
and affordable housing. Het Pathmos was restored in 1979 and again relatively recently
(2003). The houses are still owned by the housing association and rented out at
affordable rates.
The layout of the garden village Pathmos shows a clear
influence from English examples, mostly ones by G. Topham Forrest (like the
Tower Gardens Estate) with the curved parkway (1) that is part of a circular
road system. At the heart of the garden village we find a small park (2) that
is purely residential and not linked to a formal ensemble of amenities. Greens
of variable size dominate the Tuindorp Pathmos (3) which has a formal gate (G)
and enclosed square (p) leading up to the amenities cluster with a community
hall (h) and a school (s). Another school was built on the edge of the garden
village. Just beyond a church (c) was built. The eastern section on the
Janninksbleek (4) has a central ensemble on a public garden with a formal gate
(G). The Drents Dorp (5) was added on the north side. The buildings in lighter
shade of grey were built around 2005 in a style in keeping with the listed
buildings (shown in dark grey).
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