Subject: Baarle post resent<br/>
Date: Mar 06, 2001 @ 23:01<br/>
Author: Brendan Whyte (&quot;Brendan Whyte&quot; &lt;brwhyte@...&gt;)<br/>
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<div id="ygrps-yiv-1145275297">The main border in this area was delimited in 1974. To mark the occasion,<br/>
the conical pillar seen in the photo in front of the church was erected. On<br/>
one side are the numbers 214 and 215, being the two boundary stones between<br/>
which the Belgians and dutch gave up trying to work out the border in 1843<br/>
(after Belgian independence in 1830). The pillar also has the date 1198 on<br/>
it, which is the date Baarle was divided into two.<br/>
The pillar is a replica of the 400 or so along the Belgo-Dutch border, which<br/>
have a number on one side, and the date of the border treaty, 1843 on the<br/>
other.<br/>
The plaque in the other photo was installed in 1995 when the borders of the<br/>
ENCLAVES were finally delimited. It is situated on the border line between<br/>
the motorbike and the bollards in the right of the photo.<br/>
The border certinaly is marked by the paving stones here, running along the<br/>
edge of the buildings around the church (far right of photo) then to the<br/>
middle of the road, up the centre of the road, then across the other side of<br/>
the road between two buildings. On the pavement on this other side, to the<br/>
left of the photo, but out of shot, are the coats of arms of the two<br/>
communes, one on each side of the line on the pavement.<br/>
<br/>
The border is being marked by metal disks, like the giant &quot;braillle dots&quot;<br/>
they use to mark lands on a freeway, but plain metal, not painted or white.<br/>
They are being xinstalled on all roads and pavements after the resurfacing<br/>
of the road, which is a programme underway in the villag.e It was hoped that<br/>
the dotting would be finished by the end of this year.<br/>
I was also told by the Baarle-Hertog administration that they are building a<br/>
giant scale model of the village, to be installed near the Belgian church in<br/>
the photo. Apparently it will have push buttons, which when pressed, will<br/>
elevate one enclave each. Its that cool or what!! It was also hoped to be<br/>
ready by the end of this year.<br/>
<br/>
For the reimbursement of the airfares, I am happy to be a tourguide on the<br/>
border tour.... :-)<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Brendan<br/>
<br/>
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