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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0II, Count of Flanders, camped with his Flemish military bands before invading Brabant in 1356.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”64″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section css=”.vc_custom_1672835784244{padding-bottom: 40px !important;}”][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” el_class=”container mb-5″][vc_column width=”1\/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1672828580840{background-image: url(https:\/\/molendevis.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/1074547_VZW-Haezenweg_Shoot_Eventlocatie_Molen-40-van-118.png?id=10) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”blue”]<\/p>\n
Glorious generations<\/h3>\n
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\u00a0Nieuwe Molen, now Molen De Vis) went to his son Carolus (Charles) Ludovicus (1813-1888).<\/p>\n
There was one of Joannes Baptist\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” el_class=”container”][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”blue”]<\/p>\n
\u2018De Chales van de melen\u2019<\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s 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\u00a0Nieuwe Molen. The Hekelgem residents were known to call the members of this family were called \u2018de Chales van de melen\u2019 (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\u00a0Hophoeve. It was only in 1922, i.e. after World War I, that he became the owner of De\u00a0Nieuwe Molen. It was his son, Eugeen Maria Jozef De\u00a0Vis (1899-1963), who had learned the miller\u2019s trade from his uncles, and thus continued the mill activities.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1672996249343{background-image: url(https:\/\/molendevis.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/MolenDeVis_Affligem.jpg?id=16) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section full_width=”stretch_row_content” css=”.vc_custom_1672997463639{background-color: #292929 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”bottom” el_class=”container heroRow”][vc_column width=”7\/12″][vc_column_text el_class=”gold noMar” css=”.vc_custom_1673958625082{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;}”]<\/p>\n
Wartime<\/h3>\n
De\u00a0Nieuwe 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\u2009\u2013\u2009and 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.<\/p>\n
During the war, in 1943, De\u00a0Nieuwe 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.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″ el_class=”sliderRow”][vc_column_text]\t\t
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\r\t\t<\/div>\r\t<\/div>\r\t\t\t<\/div>\r\t\t<\/div>\r\t[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”bottom” el_class=”container heroRow”][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”7″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”gold left noMar”]<\/p>\nRescue in 2015<\/h3>\n
The last miller, Eugeen De Vis, ceased milling activities in 1950 and devoted himself to hops cultivation from then on. His son Andr\u00e9 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.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1672999298487{background-color: #292929 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width=”3″ gap=”0″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1673958457203-cdf15c72-a152-0″ include=”81,80,79,12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[vc_section full_width=”stretch_row_content” css=”.vc_custom_1672995694880{background-image: url(https:\/\/molendevis.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/MolenDeVis_Affligem.jpg?id=16) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” el_class=”container heroRow”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”heroText”] History [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section full_width=”stretch_row_content” css=”.vc_custom_1672997485015{background-color: #292929 !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”top” el_class=”container heroRow”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text el_class=”gold” css=”.vc_custom_1673958502831{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;}”] Unique event venue dating back to 1827 Molen De Vis is a round, stone tower mill […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-345","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n