Thanks to all of you my book is out of print. I hope to do a second
edition (slightly updated & without the typographical errors!) later
this year...
For those of you who read Dutch or French, you may be interested to get
hold of the history of the electric fence (2000V !!!) the Germans built
along the Dutch-Belgian boundary, from Aachen to the River Scheldt
(l'Escault) in 1915. Several hundred people were killed by it: spies,
smugglers, escaping soldiers (German and Allied), and civilians including
children.
Vanneste, Alex, (2000), Het Eerste 'IJzeren Gordijn'? De elektrische
draadversperring aan de Belgisch-Nederlandse grens tijdens de Eerste
Wereldoorlog,
Tijdschrift van de Dexia Bank,
54(4):39-82.
In Dutch.
Also available in a French version as "Le premier 'Rideau de fer'?
La clôture électrique à la frontière belgo-hollandaise pendant la
Premièrre Guerre mondiale",
Bulletin de Dexia Banque,
54(4):39-82.
Some mention of Baarle as a post office for the clandestine carriage of
letters between Belgian soldiers on the front and their families at home.
Includes lots of photos and a German map of the electric fence.
Or Martin Ira Glassner's "Political Geography" textbook (2003
edition) is in fairly simple English and has lots of photos and maps. A
great starting point, although the enclave section is hopelessly outdated
by our work here!
Other stuff on Belgo-Dutch smuggling:
Spapens, Paul & Horsten, Piet, (1990),
Tappen uit een Geheim
Vaatje. De Geschiedenis van de illegale Alcoholstokerijen in
Nederland, Kempen Pers, Hapert. In Dutch.
Spapens, Paul & Kemenade, Kees van, (1991),
De Grens Gemarkeerd,
grenspalen en grenskantoren aan de landzijde, Kempen Pers, Hapert. In
Dutch.
Spapens, Paul, (1992), Een grens vraagt om smokkel,
Geworteld in
Taxandria. Historische aspecten van de relatie Tilburg - Turnhout, 1
Tilburgse Historische Reeks, pp43-65. Online at
http://www.historietilburg.nl/thr/thr1.Spapens.htm
accessed 16 September 2003. In Dutch.
and of course Ed Ragas' book on the history of Baarle 1900-2000
Ragas, Ed, (1999),
Baarle op de grens van twee eeuwen, Lorilax, Muiderburg / Boekhandel Bruna, Baarle-Nassau. In Dutch.
If you can find ANY of that on Amazon (apart from Glassner's book) you are doing well!!
As for the latest news on Baarle, there is meant to be a kiosk near the Belgian St Remigiuskerk and the commemorative pillar in the middle of town with a scale model of the village and a button which when pressed, raises the enclaves up out of the model for easy understanding. This was in preparation in 2000 and is working now but i have not seen it.
Has anyone here?
Brendan
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 11:44:44 -0700
From: Doug Murray <doug@...>
Subject: Re: Book??
I quite liked "The Wall - The People's Story" by Christopher Hilton.
And there is Stasiland by Anna Funder (though that is less about
borders)
Of course, Brendan Whyte and Dallen Timothy have some interesting books
too...
Cheers!
Doug