Wortel Kolonie, cultureel landschap op de Unesco-Werelderfgoedlijst in Hoogstraten, België
Wortel-Kolonie is a settlement in Hoogstraten, Belgium, founded as an experiment to combat poverty and now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area displays a geometrically planned pattern with straight lanes, 19th-century buildings, and agricultural fields that preserve this social vision to this day.
The project was established in 1822 under Johannes van den Bosch as a response to widespread poverty after the Napoleonic Wars. It represented an attempt to help the poor through labor and organized communities before gradually losing its original purpose following the Belgian Revolution of 1830.
The name refers to the Dutch project of "Colonies of Benevolence" that aimed to combat poverty through organized communities. The straight lanes and symmetrical fields visible today still reflect this social vision embedded in the landscape itself.
The site is accessible for walking and cycling through its open landscape and historic paths. The visitor center De Klapekster provides a good starting point to explore the area and learn more about its history.
The colony was inscribed as Belgium's first site on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021 after activists and local communities saved it from decay. This recognition demonstrates how dedication to preservation can rescue a piece of history.
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