Unique event venue dating back to 1827
Molen De Vis is a round, stone tower mill atop a walled foundation with beautiful views over the Dender Valley and the Pajottenland region. Usually, this raised foundation consists of sand or loam, intended to allow the mill to be placed higher so that it catches more wind. At Molen De Vis, however, that hill is completely enclosed by a wall. As a result, this unique event venue possesses a particularly spacious ground floor; so spacious, in fact, that there was even enough room for a horse and cart to turn around in at the time.
Built with royal permission
The mill was built by Joannes Baptist De Vis (1778-1843), at the head of the fifth generation of a respected family of millers. He intended to build the most beautiful and sturdy mill in Brabant’s Hekelgem, and was also given permission to do so by King William I of the Netherlands in 1827, just before Belgium became an independent kingdom. The letter is still part of the treasured heritage of the De Vis family.
The spot chosen by Joannes Baptist, called the Boekhoutberg, offered magnificent views on all sides that stretched deep into the Pajottenland. On clear days, you can even see as far as Geraardsbergen and Antwerp. It was also at this strategic site that Louis II, Count of Flanders, camped with his Flemish military bands before invading Brabant in 1356.
Glorious generations
It was definitely a unique location to catch a lot of wind. Business went well for Joannes Baptist and his five children; upon his death, he left behind four mills and a lot of woods, meadows, and land. The mill in Hekelgem (then known as De Nieuwe Molen, now Molen De Vis) went to his son Carolus (Charles) Ludovicus (1813-1888).
There was one of Joannes Baptist’s sons that did not inherit a mill: Petrus Paulus (1815-1878). Instead, he got additional lands. An Aalst branch of the De Vis family developed here. It was mainly Petrus’s eldest son, notary Karel (Charles) De Vis (1867-1929), who acquired an immeasurable fortune in properties that allowed him to literally walk from Aalst to his water castle in Moorsel without leaving his own lands.
‘De Chales van de melen’
Let’s take a moment to return to the Hekelgem branch, and more specifically to Carolus Ludovicus. From 1869 onwards, he and his abundant family (13 children!) lived at De Nieuwe Molen. The Hekelgem residents were known to call the members of this family were called ‘de Chales van de melen’ (Charles from the mill). Eight children continued to live on the mill estate for a long time and were registered millers and farmers. However, that did not include Anatole Paulus De Vis (1856-1924): he and his family moved to the homestead a little further away, now known as De Hophoeve. It was only in 1922, i.e. after World War I, that he became the owner of De Nieuwe Molen. It was his son, Eugeen Maria Jozef De Vis (1899-1963), who had learned the miller’s trade from his uncles, and thus continued the mill activities.
Wartime
De Nieuwe Molen suffered quite a lot of damage during both world wars. Windmills were important observation posts because they were usually built on the highest peaks in the area – and this was certainly the case in the hilly Pajottenland region. Unfortunately, this also meant they were often the target of enemy guns. German soldiers regularly stayed in the mill and mill house. The barn served as an ammunition depot. The cap of the mill suffered major damage during WWII because the Germans had installed radio equipment there, which was targeted by the Allies. Cracks also appeared in the walls due to vibrations from the guns in the meadows around the mill.
During the war, in 1943, De Nieuwe Molen was listed as a monument for its aesthetic and historical value. The sails had fallen into disuse by then, as the inner workings of the mill were powered by an engine (initially installed to accommodate windless days). But lack of funding from the government meant that the mill could not be repaired shortly after the war. The De Vis family tried several times afterwards to get financial support from the Ministry of Monuments and Landscape Sites, but by then the deterioration had progressed so far and the costs had risen so high that restoration was out of the question. The mill was declassified in 1992.
Rescue in 2015
The last miller, Eugeen De Vis, ceased milling activities in 1950 and devoted himself to hops cultivation from then on. His son André De Vis was the last member of the family to stay in the mill house until his death in 2006. In 2015, the mill estate was sold publicly, by which time, the mill was completely overgrown with vines. The mill shaft with its spindle wheel and cast-iron axle head were still present, though. Entrepreneur and Hekelgem resident Frans Krauch undertook to restore Molen De Vis to its former glory and transform it into this unique event venue.