“We are asking for help from the people of Bergen”

Our Peperbuske, you can’t go around Bergen op Zoom without seeing it. But did you know that there is also something special halfway up the tower? There is now a plan to turn this space, the tower room, into a place for visitors.

“De Peperbus is more than a bell tower,” according to Tom van Eekelen of Gradatus, the name of the working group that came up with the plan. The initiative for the idea comes from the SBM, the Vastenavond Foundation, Gertrudis Cultuurstichting and the parish Onze Lieve Vrouwe. “This place is in the hearts of the people of Bergen. This is why we are asking residents for help via crowdfunding.

The tower room

The Peperbus tower room has been abandoned for years. It was used as storage, but has since been emptied. You’ll find a number of ancient statues and vaults here, but nothing else (yet). Too bad, according to Tom and the other initiators. “For many people, climbing 183 steps is exhausting. The Tower Room is a nice place to rest for a while. A place to soak up what the tower has – and still is – for people in Bergen and far beyond. But it’s also a great place for visitors to experience something special.

Learn more about the plan after the photo >

The plan

Attend a performance or lesson on the history of Bergen op Zoom for education. This is what Gradatus would like to achieve in the tower room. “It will be a multifunctional space in which there is a lot to see and experience. There will also be a small stage where intimate music or other readings can be given.

In short, the tower room will soon revolve around four themes: Mardi Gras, architecture (the Keldermans family), sacred images and the physicist Snellius. The latter used the Peperbus in the 15th century to calculate the circumference of the earth.

Crowdfunding

Although the working group wants to conserve space as much as possible, the plan still involves the necessary costs. The budget for renovation and furnishing is 70,000 euros. “A significant portion of this is funded through grants,” says Tom. “But we won’t get there with grants alone. We are missing 20,000 euros. And we ask the people of Bergen for help. That’s why they start a November 9 crowdfunding on the Voordekunst platform to recover the remaining amount.

Not for nothing

Gradatus would like to put something in exchange for a donation. “Consider playing the organ together or sending a request number. Or experience the crow’s fall from a height. The crowdfunding will last six weeks. If the necessary 20,000 euros are raised, the task force hopes to be able to start work on the Tower Room in January 2023. If successful, the space will open next summer.