Attraction

Beschermd dorpsgezicht Leenhof

Leenhof 1
Schaesberg
When engineer Henri Sarolea returns from the Dutch East Indies in 1886, he realizes that the time is right to open up South Limburg with a railway line between Sittard and Herzogenrath via Heerlen.

On his way he finds the brothers Carl and Friedrich Honigmann from Aachen, who have bought concessions to mine coal in this area. Their collaboration lays the foundation for the South Limburg mining industry that will change the region for good.

From 1900, both the private mines and the state mines developed at a rapid pace and South Limburg was soon unable to provide sufficient labour.

The result is an influx of workers from all over the world, which causes the population numbers in the old mining villages to rise explosively. Major housing projects are started to house the miner's families, the well-known miner's colonies.

They usually arise at some distance from the existing village centres. Not only because the land there is cheaper, but also because the influential church initially doesn't like the strange miners' people.

The so-called Oranje-Nassau mines of the Honigmann brothers are doing well. In 1904, five years after the O.-N. I mine in Heerlen opened its doors, the O.-N. II mine at Schaesberg ready to go into production.

The O.-N. mines build mining colonies in Heerlen and Schaesberg. Miners' colony Leenhof was established in phases between 1905 and 1918. In phases I to IV, the houses will still be built in blocks along a rectilinear street pattern.

However, when 'Woninggroep Schaesberg' is built south of the railway line between 1914 and 1918, a cozy village is created with a wide variety of house types, grouped on a playful street pattern with a 'carts wheel' as the center.

What all homes in Leenhof have in common is their special architecture. Particularly striking is the frequently used contrast between accents in brick and plaster.

The red tiled roofs with diamond patterns laid in blue tiles immediately catch the eye. Today we call this unique architectural style the 'Lorraine style'.

After the mine closures in the 1970s, the houses came into private hands. Shortly before that, the red and blue roof tiles had to make way for concrete tiles. Many of the tall chimneys that adorned the roofs are being demolished.

Over time, the uniformity disappears because everyone adds something to their home and garden according to their own taste and budget. Because the houses are small, the necessary annexes and outbuildings are also being built on the plots.

Nevertheless, thanks to the cooperation of the municipality, some original elements have returned here and there. This concerns things such as window frames, fascia boards and the characteristic tiled roofs.

All in all, Leenhof remains a recognizable and special piece of mining history that every architecture enthusiast should experience. No less special are the supervisors, engineers and miners' homes in the 't Eikske neighborhood, close to the location of the disappeared O.-N. II mining seat.
This text has been automatically translated using an online translation service.

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