Talking Dutch: The writing’s on the wall
Follow in the footsteps of two young countesses and add your thoughts to the archive of written material on the walls of d’Ursel Castle
Derek Blyth on leaving your mark
The story began 150 years ago, in d’Ursel Castle, a country house in Hingene, a Flemish village that is part of Bornem in Antwerp province. In 1877 verstopten twee gravinnetjes een brief achter het behang van het kasteel – In 1877 two young countesses hid a letter under the wallpaper in the castle, explains d’Ursel’s website.
Ook ambachtslieden zetten hun naam – Workmen also left their name, een tekst of een tekening op de muur – a text or a drawing on the wall. Eeuwenlang zaten ze verborgen – They remained hidden for a century achter tientallen katoenen wandbespanningen – behind dozens of layers of cotton wall coverings, maar tijdens de restauratie kwamen ze tevoorschijn – but they came to light during recent restoration work.
The work is now finished, and the castle is ready to hang up its brand new wall coverings. But first they made a call to the public. Zet een boodschap voor de toekomst – Leave a message for the future op de muur van het kasteel – on the castle wall.
Last words
It could be anything: je favoriete citaat – your favourite quote, een zelfgeschreven gedicht – a poem you’ve written yourself, een herinnering of een voorspelling – a memory or a prediction, een filosofische gedachte – a philosophical thought of een liefdesverklaring – or a declaration of love.
After people submitted their texts, Brody Neuenschwander, an American calligrapher who lives in Bruges, was recruited to transfer the writing to the walls. He eventually covered eight rooms with more than 100,000 elegant ink letters.
The shortest message was simply “JDB (heart) VVP”. The longest was een preek van Patrick Maervoet – a sermon by Patrick Maervoet, voormalig pastoor van Hingene – former pastor of Hingene, die gedurende enkele jaren vlakbij het kasteel woonde – who lived in the vicinity of the castle for several years.
Then there was de oudste schrijver – the oldest writer: de 87-jarige Alberta Huygelen – 87-year-old Alberta Huygelen, afstammelinge van tapissier Josephus Huygelen – a descendant of the decorator Josephus Huygelen, die in 1877 boodschappen op onze muren heeft geschreven – who left messages on our walls in 1877.
And de jongste schrijver – the youngest writer: seven-year-old Lissah, who wrote a letter to Sinterklaas, along with some drawings that were carefully copied on the wall.
The last word went to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley – What is all this sweet work worth/If thou kiss not me? Shelley’s words will soon disappear beneath the wallpaper, along with a message from Australia, a recipe for a pudding, a poem in West Flanders dialect and a Chinese proverb.
But it’s not too late to leave your own message. In de najaar zal kalligraaf Brody Neuenschwander drie extra kamers vullen – Caligrapher Brody Neuenschwander will be decorating three more rooms in the autumn. Je kan je boodschap voor de toekomst nu al insturen – You can already send in your message to the future.
Who knows who will read it in 100 years’ time?
Photo: Facebook/Kasteel d’Ursel
