Colonies of Benevolence

This sites encompasses four settlements, three in the Netherlands and one in Belgium

Wortel

This postcard was sent by Javier

Wortel is a village in the Belgian municipality of Hoogstraten. As of 2007, it has 1,844 inhabitants as of 2021.

The toponym means carrot or root in Dutch. Wortel was established in the early 19th century by the Society of Benevolence as a farming colony for the able-bodied working poor. It was meant to provide employment during a time when poverty rates were very high in the Low Countries. Along with the other colonies constructed by the Society of Benevolence, Wortel was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 as an excellent example of a unique method of housing reform and urban planning. - in: wikipedia

Dutch Colonies of Benevolence

This postcard was sent by Javier

The transnational serial property encompasses four settlements; cultural landscapes with one colony in Belgium and three in The Netherlands. Together they bear witness to a 19th century experiment in social reform, an effort to alleviate urban poverty by establishing agricultural colonies in remote locations. Established in 1818, Frederiksoord (the Netherlands) is the earliest of these colonies and home to the original headquarters of the Society of Benevolence, an association which aimed to reduce poverty at the national level. Other components of the property are the colonies of Wilhelminaoord and Veenhuizen, in the Netherlands, and Wortel in Belgium. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1555/

Wilhelminaroord

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Wilhelminaoord is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Westerveld, and lies about 26 km northwest of Hoogeveen.

Wilhelminaoord was one of the farming colonies established by the Society of Benevolence in the early 19th century to decrease poverty by providing sustainable employment for able-bodied poor people. Along with the other colonies constructed by the Society, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 because of its testimony to a unique method of housing reform and its urban planning. - in: wikipedia

Veenhuizen

This postcard was sent by Jarina

Veenhuizen is a village with around 800 inhabitants in the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands. In the early 19th century, a reform housing colony for the poor and homeless was established in Veenhuizen by the Society of Benevolence. In the late 19th century, the complex was turned into a penal colony. The village became freely accessible in 1984 and has been part of the municipality of Noordenveld since 1998. The National Prison Museum is located here. Along with other colonies established by the Society of Benevolence, Veenhuizen was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021, for its testimony to a unique method of housing reform and its urban planning. - in: wikipedia

The colonies (in red what I have):

• Wortel
• Frederiksoord
• Wilhelminaoord
• Veenhuizen