Planning the Impossible: History as the Fundament of the Future — the Reconstruction of Middelburg, 1940–4

Abstract

The old town centre of Middelburg, situated in the southwestern part of Holland on the island of Walcheren, was renowned as a treasure-house of Dutch architectural history. Hence, after this jewel was badly bombed on 17 May 1940, its reconstruction was considered so important that it was placed under the direct authority of the central government in The Hague. 'At that moment we were convinced, the most radical spirits among us were convinced, that we must hold on to and protect our architectural heritage: we were all determined to preserve it. '1 After thorough preparation, the reconstruction was carried out in accordance with 'vernacular' norms. Both the rebuilding of streets and squares and the restoration of the historical monuments were being governed by what was considered to be the 'typical Middelburg atmosphere' and by the symbolic effect of deeply cherished Dutch architecture. The reconstruction of the town centre in accordance with a traditionalist scenario was seen by both the Germans and the Dutch as a model for the reconstruction of other bombed towns in Holland. Moreover, it offered scope for widely differing interpretations. The Germans, the occupying power, saw it as a move away from British traditions or 'ein Brennpunkt des Reichsgedankes', while to the central reconstruction office in The Hague, reconstruction in the best Dutch tradition was a gesture of resistance. To the designers of the reconstruction plan it was an expression of the vernacular style. All these layers of meaning with which the reconstruction architecture in the war period was invested came together in the flexibility and political feasibility of traditionalism. 2 The following discussion describes how, from a traditionalist viewpoint, the aid of history, in terms of forming a 'better' past, was evoked to create the future image of a resurrected Middelburg. 64 J. M. Diefendorf (ed.), Rebuilding Europe's Bombed Cities