The birth of Klarendal

As the city grew more prosperous and stability came to the lands, the national government allowed their cities to decommission the fortifications and defensive walls that constricted urban development. Arnhem seized the moment and began the massive undertaking of tearing down the walls, which required many workers whom also required housing and amenities and the like.

To facilitate these new workers, the city constructed new housing, concentrically to the old defensive works. These neighbourhoods fit the existing urban fabric like a glove, as the layout of the city followed a radial pattern. They were well-connected and part of the urban core. One of these neighbourhoods is Klarendal. Which is situated along the ridges of the Veluwemassief. This was the domain of the bourgeoisie, which owned fabulous estates on the ridges overlooking the city and the ever meandering Rhine with its clayish marshlands. As the poor settled in, the rich just moved higher up. This situation is distinctly Dutch: the rich live on dry, sandy heights while the poor ander everyone in-between live on flood prone, lower-elevation areas.

The housing of Klarendal was built speculatively. That means cheap. The favoured typology was the closed urban block with single-family homes. These arbeiderswoningen (housing for the working class) are characterised by cramped living spaces, no or barely any sanitation. Requiring you to do your needs in a communal outhouse situated in the courtyard.

Families were large and - according to city officials of the time - unaccustomed to the urban civilities and in need of education on how to lead a proper life. This included regular supervision on the methods of housekeeping: not folding your clothes correctly would net you a warning and could get you fired by your employer.