Bronckhorst crown jewels

Nowhere else in the Netherlands will you find so many perfectly preserved historic estates and country homes per square metre as in Bronckhorst. Each of them has its own characteristics, history and social network. Together they afford a unique landscape that is one of the most valuable parts of the Netherlands in terms of cultural history, ecology and recreation.

The time when it was possible to maintain the upkeep of these splendid country homes with their historic parks and the often sizeable estates from the revenues of the estate is long past. New sources of revenue or ways of generating an income are sorely needed. The moment has come to sound the alarm before it is too late. The document ‘Bronckhorst crown jewels’ appeals on behalf of the proprietors to the local authority, the Province of Gelderland and the Rijn and IJssel Water Board to secure the future of the crown jewels.

We have visualised the main features of the qualities of the unique landscape of Bronckhorst and the role of the country homes and estates in it. We have discussed ways of converting the current problems into workable ambitions in a project group with representations of the local authority, water board, stewards and owners of the country homes and estates concerned.

The ambitions for maintaining the country homes and estates have been formulated in such a way that everyone (proprietor, administrator, civil servant and other parties) can contribute actively to their implementation. They also offer guidelines for a new form of cooperation. Joint action can lead to the development of new income-generating models and entrepreneurial opportunities in which the advantages and disadvantages of the country homes and estates are brought into better balance. The estate owners are keen to work in a transparent way in (new) forms of cooperation within carefully harmonised frameworks. The document has thereby become a cry for help addressed to both the outside world and the owners themselves.