Birthplace, well and gable stone

After studying theology in Utrecht and a short period as assistant preacher in Middelburg, Vincent's father Theodorus van Gogh (1822-1885) was called as pastor of Zundert on April 1, 1849. Pastor Van Gogh moved into the vicarage of the Dutch Reformed Congregation on the Markt, an old building from the beginning of the seventeenth century that required regular maintenance. It is located on the "Route Imperiale N2," the cobblestone road built from Paris to Amsterdam at the beginning of the nineteenth century by order of Napoleon, which ensures a lot of trade.

In 1851 Theodorus van Gogh married the older sister of his brother Vincent's wife, Anna Cornelia Carbentus (1819-1907). The marriage was performed in The Hague. Anna describes the reception of the newlyweds in Zundert: "Papa van Gogh and our sister Anna accompanied us to the Hague and so it was that Friday morning that we arrived at our parsonage where we were surprised by a reception we shall never forget, several members of the congregation were waiting for us, children were sprinkling us, girls were giving us pretty bouquets, everything in the room was green and in beautiful letters it was written on the chimney: Peace be on you in your house and in your congregation.

On March 30, 1852, the first child of Theodorus and Anna Cornelia is born, but it is not viable. The register of births of the municipality of Zundert reads 'Lifeless Van Gogh'. The child is buried at the Protestant church.

Exactly one year later on March 30, 1853, Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890) was born. There has been much speculation about what the remarkable coincidence, a stillborn namesake with the same birthday, did to the painter's psyche.

After Vincent, five more children were born here: Anna (1855), Theo (1857), Elisabeth (1859), Willemien (1862) and Cor (1867). They are all baptized in the Protestant church.

The house of birth was demolished in 1903 to make way for a new presbytery. A plaque of Niel Steenbergen, in the facade of this building, still bears witness to the hundredth anniversary of the birth of this famous Zunderten artist. The stone relief is a design by sculptor Niel Steenbergen and shows the image of a phoenix rising from its ashes, surrounded by the text, "I feel that my work is in the heart of the people.

On this site was realized the Vincent van GoghHuis, created by the merger of two image-defining buildings: The "new" rectory and a characterful patrician residence.

While renovating the properties, a so-called well was uncovered in the backyard. This well provided the Van Gogh family with pure drinking water. The garden behind both properties is 2100 m2 in size. In it stands the renovated barn (Van Gogh Room). The garden itself has been reconstructed to the situation as it was laid out by Vincent's mother and now has a terrace.

By chance, a photograph of the old house has survived, taken in 1900 by Breda photographer Ferdinand Reissig on the occasion of the festivities for the jubilee of a centenarian. It shows the building with a plastered facade. Older drawings and a watercolor by Dirk Verrijk from the late eighteenth century show a brick façade. Presumably this is what the house looked like in Vincent's time.