The Blue Benches were unveiled on Van Huutstraat on Thursday 17 September. The benches are situated on the site where the Sportfondsenbad stood until 2019. Original blue tiles from the former swimming pool have been incorporated into the benches. In this way, a piece of this place’s history remains visible.
Peter Messerschmidt, Councillor for Cultural Heritage, unveiled the benches together with Van Wijnen Project Development*. The benches are situated in the green space between the new-build homes of the Meesters van Apeldoorn project.
“With these benches, we’re giving a piece of Apeldoorn’s history a new home. Many people from Apeldoorn learnt to swim here, earned their swimming certificates or made wonderful memories. By reusing the original swimming pool tiles, that past remains visible in the new neighbourhood. In this way, we are connecting the Apeldoorn of the past with the Apeldoorn of today.,” said Councillor Peter Messerschmidt.
The Sportfondsenbad opened on 7 September 1935 on Van Huutstraat. For many years, the swimming pool was an important venue for Apeldoorn. Many residents learnt to swim there and obtained their swimming certificates. Water polo matches were also regularly held in the outdoor pool, featuring teams from all over the country.
The Sportfondsenbad closed in 2015. In 2019, the complex was demolished because it was technically obsolete and space was needed for new homes. During the demolition, the original blue swimming pool tiles were preserved. These tiles have now been incorporated into the new benches.
The history of this site goes back further than the Sportfondsenbad. Around 1840, the Dorpsbeek was dug here. The stream was used to power the Dorpskorenmolen and also provided water for firefighting in the centre of Apeldoorn. Later, the stream came to be known as the Badhuisbeek.
The stream was eventually covered over due to pollution. Nevertheless, the water from the outdoor children’s pool at the Sportfondsenbad continued to be drained away via the underground stream for many years afterwards. A few drainage wells can still be found on the site. The Blue Benches also serve to keep this water-rich history visible.
Read the full story at The grand narrative of Apeldoorn.
*The creation of these neighbourhood benches is a collaboration between Apeldoorn City Council and Van Wijnen Project Development, and has been co-funded by the Apeldoorn Heritage Platform. The design is by Marc Polman (urban planning department, Apeldoorn municipal council) and was realised by Aart Kok (Monumentendienst Kok).
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