From 1805 until the beginning of the 20th century, Huis Aerts was an inn with lodging. So the colorful glass art gallery is a delightful clash of authentic elements with modern display cases.
In the wooden overhead light of the entrance door are the initials of the first residents in the 4 corners, along with the numbers of the year of construction. Can you find these?
History of Aerts House
Huis Aerts used to serve as a tavern, inn and lodging house. Even before he became the first mayor of Lommel in 1808, Jan Jacob Aerts, together with his wife Maria Elisabeth Van Ham, had this house built in 1805. Hence the name: the Aerts House. Because his wife was a descendant of a well-known family of teuts, the Huis Aerts is also sometimes called a teut house. Above the door, the year of construction and the couple's initials are immortalized in the beautifully decorated skylight.
As a frontier village located at the intersection of important roads, Lommel was a popular stopping place. Until the beginning of the 20th century, travelers, passing merchants and other people on the road could change horses in the Aerts House, have a bite to eat in the meantime and, if necessary, spend the night.
The last resident Casimir Joosten died in 1949. In Lommel, therefore, the house is known as the Joosten House. After his death, the Oude Afspanning would gradually fall into disrepair, until in 1974, after efforts by the then Heemkundige Kring and the V.V.V., it was recognized as a protected monument. In 1994, the Huis Aerts was completely restored.
