According to popular belief, the Goat Riders were persons or spirits who rode through the air on goats. In the eighteenth century this was the name given to a band of thieves, extortionists and perpetrators of violent robberies.
The goat riders' gangs were active with interruptions in the period between 1740-1798 in present-day Dutch South Limburg and Central Limburg, Belgian Limburg and the Belgian and Dutch Kempen, the Belgian Voer region, the Land van Herve, the region around Liège and some areas just over the German border near Herzogenrath.
The raids and extortions were generally directed against farms and presbyteries in the countryside. Later the goat riders got a Robin Hood-like status with some.
Today it is thought that there were various criminal gangs and individuals who had no connections with each other. It is also likely that a large proportion of the approximately 1,200 accused and approximately 500 convicts were innocent, as most of the confessions were extracted through torture.
The Bokkenrijders are part of the intangible cultural heritage of Limburg.
In Valkenburg aan de Geul, various Bokkenrijders monuments can be found, namely:
The Bokkenrijders Monument in the Halderpark. This monument refers to the Bokkenrijders past in Valkenburg aan de Geul.
The Bokkenrijders statue in the Herb Garden at Schaloen Castle. This statue serves as a fountain.
Plaque about the Bokkenrijders in Valkenburg aan de Geul. This plaque can be found on the facade of Museum Valkenburg.
Carbon drawing of the Buck Riders in the Municipal Cave.
This text has been automatically translated using an online translation service.
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