This recognition is the proverbial cherry on the cake of the long-standing cooperation between two countries, four provinces, eight local governments, the Flanders Heritage Agency, the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency, Stichting Kempens Landschap and several other partners. This is also the first time that a nomination for the World Heritage List was prepared by the areas themselves, i.e, the provincie of Drenthe and Kempens Landschap, rather than by the central government. 

thanks to their cooperation and shared vision, these magnificent heritage sites now also enjoy worldwide recognition. The inscribtion on the World Heritage List thus marks a new chapter in the history of the Colonies of Benevolence.  

A unique story

The Colonies of Benevolence were established in 1818-1825 as a comprehensive solution to reduce poverty. The Napoleonic Wars caused widespread poverty with beggars becoming a common sight on the streets in the cities of the United Netherlands (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg). During the construction of the Colonies of Benevolence, the arid natural landscape was completely redeveloped into an orderly, geometric man-made structure in one fell swoop. The resulting reclaimed landscape with its monumental avenues, Colony houses, destitute asylums and farms with arable farming reflects the illuminated ideas of the era.

A walk through the different Colonies is like taking a journey through time. Although the vagrants no longer worlk the land here, they have left a visible remark on the landscape. The landscape and the Colonies are thus living witness of the experiments that were conducted here two centuries ago to fight poverty and society's changing moral code.

You can download high-resolution images at www.kolonienvanweldadigheid.eu/persmap.