Beersel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The 131-year-old steam engine at Herisemmolen in Alsemberg, part of Beersel, was restored for €15,000 (mostly funded by Flanders). Minister Ben Weyts supports preserving this industrial heritage.
As VRT News reported, in the town of Alsemberg, part of the Flemish municipality of Beersel, Belgium, the old Herisemmolen’s steam engine, now 131 years old, has been repaired and is operational again. The work cost almost 15,000 euros. Most of that money, almost 12,000 euros, was paid by the Flemish government.
The steam engine, which was built in 1894, is now working again after the repair. They mentioned that the team that fixed it worked very hard to make it run like before. Because the engine is working again, the Herisemmolen in Alsemberg, part of Beersel, is now open to visitors. People can come and see this place.
How did Herisemmolen’s 131-year-old steam engine work again?
Ben Weyts, the Flemish Minister of Heritage, said it’s important to bring the steam engine back. He said it’s like bringing a piece of history back to life in Beersel. The paper and cardboard industry was big in Flemish Brabant, and the Herisemmolen shows what it was like.
He mentioned that people can now see how a 19th-century paper factory worked. Weyts said it’s great to share this history with everyone. The Herisemmolen is open again, so people can learn about Flanders’ industrial past.
The mill started in the 14th century as a simple water mill along the Molenbeek stream. Later, in the 19th century, it grew into a real cardboard factory. A big change happened when a steam engine was installed in 1894. This engine was made by the Bollinckx company from Brussels. It runs all the machines in the factory. These machines turned raw materials into cardboard.
According to officials, Herisemmolen became an important place for work and industry. When the factory closed in 1940, the machines were not taken away. Everything stayed exactly where it was. That included the steam engine, the presses, the gears, and the belts.
The Herisemmolen has been a museum showing how cardboard was made. The steam engine was key to these tours, but it broke down last year. After fixing it, the engine is running again. Visitors can now see how a 19th-century factory worked. Philippe Winderickx from the Open Monumentenvereniging Herisem, which runs the site, said they’re happy the machine is back.
Philippe Winderickx of the vzw Open Monumentenvereniging Herisem says,
“A machine that does not turn, breaks down. It is important that everything keeps moving. That makes the experience of the 19th century even more tangible.”
