End of Year in Antwerp

For the 2024 NTAB End of Year event we were at Herita, the Flemish organisation responsible for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings and places in Flanders.

The headquarters of Herita are in the Wolsack, an 18th century prestigious building at Oude Beurs 27, in the heart of Antwerp, not far from the Grote Markt. The Wolsack became a listed building in 2002. The name refers to the trade in wool, often from East Anglia, which was imported into Flanders for the flourishing textile industry.

Our host, Mrs Puck Verstraeten, gave us an illustrated talk on properties that are being or have been restored by Herita.

Due to the complex inheritance laws in Belgium, Herita can not (unlike the National Trust in the UK) expect to expand its list of properties via donations or wills, but may increase its portfolio of properties owned by the regions or the local communities.

After the informative talk, we were taken by city guides to see the Hofkamer in groups. It was the showpiece for wealthy traders and visitors and today remains a beautiful and elegant building.

Besides the magnificent Garden Room, the building has an intriguing «toilet library» on the 1st floor, the walls being lined with precious old books with the « seating » in the centre of this discrete Water Closet.

Our visit ended with a reception in the Herita offices. As we left the building we enjoyed the Christmas lights and decorations in the city centre.

(All pictures by Heather Charlton)