Industrie, Tegenover het gebouw voor de Geneeskundige Dienst Ede

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Description component 5: MEMORIAL BENCH.

Introduction

A MONUMENT located in front of the west wing, in the form of a COMMEMORATIVE BENCH, dating from 1938, manufactured according to a design by Brouwer's Earthenware Factory in Leiderdorp and constructed in a sober expressive style that shows influences from Art Déco. Indicated as number 5 on the accompanying map. The memorial bench was a gift from the citizens of Ede to the management of Enka on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of synthetic fibre production in the Netherlands. In June 1913, the first synthetic silk manufactured in the Netherlands was sold in Arnhem. That memorable moment was twenty-five years old in 1938.

N.V. Brouwer's Earthenware Factory in Leiderdorp was established by ceramicist and potter W.C. Brouwer, who experimented extensively with techniques, colours and glazes and thereby achieved a very high standard. He was influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement and strove in his handcrafted ceramic designs towards simplicity without recognizable representations. His decorative earthenware was particularly popular with the modern florist trade and Brouwer found here an important customer for the many flower vases manufactured by his company.

Description

The symmetrically designed bench stands on a gravel bed set in cement. A glossy lacquered wooden seat is supported by two small pillars constructed of brick, which on the visible side are capped with ceramic representations of two synthetic silk cones. The bench is wedged between two masonry side armrests, both capped with sandstone moulding stones. The side armrests are closed off at the front with two striking ceramic vases, long the trademark of Brouwer's factory. The cylindrical vases, with inset top and bottom (originally), are provided with incised abstract decorative motifs. They have since lost their crowning elements. High backrest with various decorative ceramics and in the centre a blue-green glazed plaque depicting a worker from the ENKA spinning mill and in high relief the text "FOUNDED BY GENIUS / DEVELOPED BY TECHNIQUE". Along the lower back panel in high relief the text "PRESENTED BY EDO BUSINESSES AND SUPPORTERS JUNE 1938". Signature by means of inset ceramic facade stone in right side armrest bearing in high relief the text "BROUWER'S EARTHENWARE LEIDERDORP".

Valuation

The MONUMENT, in the form of a BENCH, is of general importance:

- the object has cultural-historical value as an illustration of the prominent and accepted position that the synthetic silk factory had acquired in 1938 from a socio-economic perspective. As such, the bench testifies to the importance of the establishment for the social, economic, cultural and spatial development of Ede and surrounding area. Furthermore, the object is of importance from a typological perspective as a particular form of monument.

- the object has art-historical value as a late and characteristic product from the factory of the renowned potter and ceramicist Willem Brouwer and due to the great variety of materials employed, in particular the at the time innovative decorative ceramics;

- the object has urban planning and ensemble value due to its logical siting on a location well-visible to visitors and passersby near the gate building and the Arnhem-Utrecht railway line.