Otten, G..

Spoorgevels in Nederland.

Historisch Geografisch tijdschrift 31 (2013) 86 - 95.

De aanleg van de spoorwegen heeft het aanzicht van ons land ingrijpend veranderd. De ervaring van het landschap, tot dan toe bekeken vanaf het water of vanaf de grote doorgaande wegen, veranderde radicaal. Een landschap dat enkele eeuwen nauwelijks was gewijzigd, veranderde in korte tijd in een dynamisch landschap, overspoeld door de moderne tijd. Een herinnering aan deze tijd van snelle modernisering wordt gevormd door de zogenaamde spoorgevels, representatieve gevels van fabrieken, gericht naar de spoorweg.

Railway fronts in the Netherlands

The construction of railways has changed the landscape of the Netherlands significantly. The so-called railway fronts are relicts of this age of rapid modernization. From around 1900 until the Second World War manufacturers erected factory buildings along the railways in the Netherlands with the most representative facade facing the railway line. The first railway line facilitating inter-city passenger transport was opened in England in 1830. The Netherlands followed in 1839. By 1870 a contiguous network had been constructed that served all large cities and that connected the Netherlands with the other European countries. The construction of railways was in the Netherlands, as well as in other countries, part of the Industrial Revolution. During this period factories were becoming bigger and were built outside existing cities. Because of the required supply of raw materials and the transport of finished products they were preferably built near railways and navigable waterways. As a result train passengers were confronted with the back of these buildings, fallow areas and junk yards. At a certain moment a manufacturer hit upon the idea to build a representative facade on the side of the tracks. Then the manufacturer started using images and photographs of his building for advertising and letterheads. The attention of other manufacturers was drawn to their competitors' facades, which made them decide to build a similar facade. It is possible that this tradition of railway fronts was influenced by the railways and related buildings in America. Even if they had not been there themselves, everyone knew the images of American industrial towns. Most of the railway fronts, which are the facades of factories on the side of the railway, modelled as the main façade, were built between 1900 and 1914. Due to unfamiliarity with this phenomenon, and the decline of old industrial districts after the Second World War and as a result of the absence of any specific heritage laws, many of the railway fronts have disappeared. Only from the seventies of the 20th century onwards, initiatives were taken to preserve this industrial heritage. Many city governments realize that the view of their city is a form of city marketing. Over the last decades attention for the view that passengers have from the train has increased. It would therefore be advisable to let the tradition of railway fronts play a role in the protection and management of our industrial heritage.