Vincent van Gogh, born in Zundert in 1853, was 11 years old when his parents decided to send him to boarding school in Zevenbergen. Vincent must have passed this place, via Etten, several times in the distinctive yellow carriage of "Pa and Moe," on his way to boarding school or leave home. They were not Vincent's happiest years. But would he be standing here on this spot now, how he - nature and landscape lover that he was - would enjoy this wonderful polder landscape.
Although Vincent never wrote about it and never drew it - as far as we know - , he must have seen the Zwartenberg Mill in the period 1864-1866. Not the present mill, but its predecessor, which was built in 1721. As a result of lightning strikes, the mill burned down in late August 1888. A year later - when Vincent was living in southern France - the present wind-water mill was built, intended to rid the polder of excess water. The mill lost its function in 1968, when an electrically powered pump pumping station was put into operation on the other side of the polder. But after more than two centuries of faithful service, the Zwartenberg mill still graces the polder, as it once did, and is a recognizable landmark for many a traveler.
The mill can be visited regularly on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.. To be sure, please contact miller Chris Baeten in advance, 076-5017525.
