Veerpont bij Wessem

The Ferry at Wessem (1909), Willem Jansen.

Veerpont bij Wessem - L17539

Fragment van zoutgootje, afkomstig uit Well-Aijen, 650-450 voor Christus

This salt cellar found in Well-Aijen (650-450 BC) is perhaps the oldest piece of packaging found in Limburg.

Fragment van zoutgootje, afkomstig uit Well-Aijen, 650-450 voor Christus - L30438

5 Werken aan de Maas Limburgs Museum 3

5 Werken aan de Maas Limburgs Museum 4

5 Werken aan de Maas Limburgs Museum 6

6 Het Veerpont bij Wessem LR

3 Zoutgootje LR

9 Dagloners aan de Maas

Sjak

8 Still Portret van een student binnenvaart

5 Henri Jonas Sint Servaasbrug in Maastricht

1 Joris van Gennip Zilveren Camera

1 Coverbeeld Werken 2

6 Het Veerpont bij Wessem LR 2

8 Still Portret van een student binnenvaart 2

2 Still Maasvaart

5 Werken aan de Maas Limburgs Museum 5 kopie

1 Coverbeeld Maas Drinken lr

Birgit Schade

Portret Henk staand

1 Still Maasvaart

5 Werken aan de Maas Limburgs Museum 1

5 Werken aan de Maas Limburgs Museum 2

Sjak Draak

Henk Schreurs

Koen Smolders

View collection item (Dutch)

Transporting passengers was a sideline carried out by fishing boats. As demand grew, it developed into a separate profession.

For centuries, the brewing industry was one of the pillars of Maastricht society.

4 dams

The correct answer is 4 dams: in Borgharen, Linne, Roermond, and Belfeld. There are three more in North Brabant: in Sambeek, Grave, and Lith. These dams maintain a constant sailing depth of 3 metres on the river.

Moving on the Meuse

The 1962 documentary titled Maasvaart – Moving on the Meuse – shows how various natural resources and factory products are transported inland via the river. The documentary was used as a promotional and educational film, commissioned by the Limburg Shipping Association (Limburgse Scheepvaartvereniging) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Two remakes were released on 1970 and 1980. They show the change in industry over time, such as the disappearance of coal transport following closure of the coal mines. This closing fragment highlights the Meuse as a Western European industrial and trade hub, and shipping as a source of prosperity in Limburg.

The Well-Aijen salt cellar

The Meuse's role in industry can be traced far back in time. This object may very well be the oldest piece of packaging ever found in Limburg. This ‘salt cellar’ was used as a vessel for transporting salt, and was made from two earthenware half-cylinders joined together. The material is a coarse type of earthenware made from salt-water clay. It was found in Well-Aijen, a town on the Meuse in North Limburg. The coarse, porous material absorbed moisture, keeping the salt inside very dry. This salt cellar dates from the Early to Middle Iron Age, around 650-450 BCE. An analysis of the material shows that it was fired on the coast, and therefore did not originate from Limburg. It probably arrived in Limburg via the salt trade, travelling from the coast along the Meuse. The river was extremely important for infrastructure and trade between settlements during the Iron Age. In those times, salt was used primarily for nutritional and flavouring purposes. After the 4th century BCE, it was also used as a preservative in meat and dairy, in leather tanning, and in cheese production.

How much do you know about the Meuse?

The Meuse is not only important to various industries – there is also plenty of maintenance to be done on the river itself. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management – Rijkswaterstaat – works tirelessly to ensure it can be easily sailed, and to protect the local residents from floods and drought.

Eijsden

The Meuse enters the Netherlands in Eijsden, a town on the Belgian border at the south-western limits of Limburg. From there, its fresh waters flow down towards the less-elevated regions of the Netherlands.

Rainwater river

The Meuse is strongly affected by the rainfall in northern France and the Belgian Ardennes. The river is also relatively short, which means that the rainwater reaches the Netherlands within several hours. By deepening and widening the river, placing detention basins or raising the dikes, Rijkswaterstaat helps to protect us from flooding and stormwater.

1 April

Flooding is not the only danger – drought is also a threat, even in a country as wet as the Netherlands. From 1 April onwards, water temperatures rise and trees and plants start their growth, creating more demand for water. In the event of a potential water shortage, the available water is ingeniously distributed using a system of locks, pumps and dams.

Never complete

Work on the Meuse is never complete. Due to climate change and improved knowledge, Rijkswaterstaat works continuously with government and other parties to improve safety and accessibility, to ensure that we can withstand both heavy rains and water shortages, now and in the future.

The Ferry at Wessem

This painting by Willem G.F. Janssen (1871-1949) depicts the ferry at Wessem. The passengers board the boat while it is moored on the shore of the Meuse. Interestingly, most of the canvas is dedicated to the sky – a characteristic of the Hague School, of which Janssen was a proponent. The dark clouds are ominous; there is a good chance that the passengers will arrive wet on the other side. In earlier times, people would cross the river using boats. This kind of transport for people and goods was originally a sideline carried out by fishing boats, but as demand for river crossings increased, it developed into a separate profession. Nowadays, most ferry crossings have been replaced by bridges. Limburg still has some ferries that operate on the Meuse, however, in towns such as Eijsden, Berg aan de Maas, Grevenbicht, and Geulle. These boats connect the Netherlands and Belgium.

Day-labourers on the Meuse

The first breweries in Western Europe date from the early Middle Ages, and were located in the Meuse valley. For centuries, the brewing industry was a key source of income for the urban economy, and one of the pillars of Maastricht society. In the early 20th century, by St. Servatius’ Bridge, a group of day labourers stood ready in the early morning every day. Brewers, roasters, gin distillers, and flour traders all knew that this was the place to find strong men for a day's work. They answered to strange names, like Pie de Bökkem, Flup de Kooystart, and Lambeer d'n Oosgenger. Nobody knew their real names. The barley that came into the city on the Meuse to make the beer was hauled upstairs to the malting floors by these workers. In addition to receiving a daily wage, the brewers also paid the men in beer. But they were wise enough to spread it out over the course of the day, to ensure that work could proceed as normal. One day's wages totalled 2.5 guilders – not to be sneezed at, considering that beer was 3 cents a glass. Having collected their wages, the workers headed off to the Stokstraat district. There, among the dark alleyways and dilapidated buildings, ladies of the night or a good scuffle were never far away. But the men's wives were usually always waiting for them in Crooked Johnnie's tavern (Kromme Sjang). With a frown and an outstretched hand, they would demand part of their husbands’ wages before the money disappeared into the innkeeper's till behind the counter for good.

Bob, inland shipping student

Bob Jongen from Venlo is training to become an inland shipping skipper in Rotterdam. As a little boy, he joined the Water Scouts Venlo. Since then, the Meuse has played an important role in his life: 'The Meuse surely is my favorite stretch of water. I've been sailing it since I was little. Because of my training I sometimes visit other waterways, but secretly I think: this is not the Meuse.’

Colophon

<ul><li>Curator story What kinds of work are there on the Meuse?: Renée Schmeetz, editor.</li><li>Article, The Well-Aijen salt cellar, author: Bibi Beekman, curator of archaeology, editor: Renée Schmeetz.</li><li>Article, The Ferry at Wessem, author: Ad Bogers, collections officer, editor: Renée Schmeetz.</li><li>Article, Day-labourers on the Meuse, author Renée Schmeetz, editor.</li><li>The Milkman's Daughter (podcast), L1 Cultuurcafé</li></ul>

'Being in love with the water is hard to describe. The Meuse offers me fun, freedom, happiness and soon, hopefully, work.'

‘My dad loved the outdoors; he refused to work for a boss and loved a chat: milkman was the ideal job for him.’

The Meuse has always been of great importance to industry in Limburg.

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Video portait: inland shipping student (Dutch)

Clip: Moving on the Meuse (Dutch)

Living on the Meuse: Is it still safe?

Why can't we drink the water from the Meuse?

Where does Limburger's love of the Meuse come from?

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