Where do we come from?
In 1916, the Huize Bergen estate was built by order of the Fentener van Vlissingen–Roosenburg family under the architecture of the architect Johan Wilhelm Hanrath.
A magnificent sixteen-hectare park around the villa was also laid out in the nineteenth century by a Belgian landscape architect, whose name we have not been able to find out. The 'bird island' in the garden pond was formerly inhabited by flamingos and frequented by many species of birds, ducks and swans.
The memory of Brabant
Landgoed Huize Bergen is a piece of the collective memory of Brabant. More than 1 million people have met here. In 1950 different than today, but always with the intention to leave richer.
In 1950, the Diocese of Den Bosch became the new owner of Landgoed Huize Bergen, which almost immediately sold it to the Maria Annunciatie institute. Because of the growing demand for education and courses, space was needed. Permanent tenants were the maternity training and the life school. The institute focused mainly on the education of girls and young women to prepare them for their future tasks as adults, but the youth camps of the Dutch Catholic Sports Association were also a household name at Landgoed Huize Bergen.
The objective not only expressed the promotion and enabling of educational work among young people, but also created space for the promotion of meetings and courses in religious, charitable, social and cultural fields.
In the 1960s, a partnership was established with the 'Joannes Bosco Stichting', which at that time already owned De Spreeuwel (now EIGENTIJDSERF) in Westelbeers. Slowly, more and more businesses found their way to the estate. In 1974, only 4 percent of the guests followed their own courses. The rest followed courses from third parties who only rented the space and otherwise took care of themselves.
In 1979, 'De oude Pauw' was sold for the realization of three new conference rooms and 25 double rooms, called 'de Goudfazant'. In 1994, this was expanded with sixteen double rooms in a new accommodation called 'de Nachtegaal'. In 1996, construction started on a large conference room with a foyer. This new building was given the name 'de Pauw'.
In 1999, another sixteen double rooms followed in a new accommodation called 'de Zwaluw'.
One hundred stories
The complete history of Landgoed Huize Bergen can be read in the book 'Huize Bergen 100 verhalen'. The digital version of the book is available. Please note: this book is an outdated version. The digital media mentioned in this book are no longer active.
