Mayors of Oss, Wijchen and Gennep ambassador

New support for the development of the Walk of Wisdom: the mayors of Oss, Wijchen and Gennep have declared themselves willing to become ambassadors for the Walk of Wisdom. 

Mrs. Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans is mayor of Oss, which includes the villages of Ravenstein and Neerloon about halfway along our route. Ravenstein is a beautiful old fortified town and Neerloon a small church village on the Meuse. The vast Keent also belongs to the municipality: a hamlet in the middle of a nature reserve where, among other things, the stopped watch of a crashed pilot is a reminder of the airfield that was located here in WWII.

Hans Verheijen is mayor of Wijchen. Our route skims on the outskirts of the city of Wijchen and continues through the villages of Niftrik, Leur, Hernen and Bergharen that belong to the municipality. The ‘Heerlijkheid’ Leur and Hernen are centuries-old cultural centres, including an old castle in Hernen that was inhabited by A.A. Bredius in the 20th century. The somewhat eccentric Bredius was predestined by his parents to be a theologian, but preferred to become a farmer and later an icon collector and connoisseur of Orthodox Christianity.

Peter de Koning is mayor of Gennep, which includes the church village of Milsbeek and the Sint-Jansberg at about 1/3 of the route. The Sint-Jansberg is considered one of the most beautiful forests in the Netherlands, with a beautiful old beech cathedral and meandering streams. 

Unlike our other ambassadors – ‘symbolic forerunners’ – the three mayors have not written a page for Seasons of Life, The contemporary Book of Hours and Pilgrims with which we open the route on 21 June. The book was already finished when we approached them. Nevertheless, we are happy with their support and hope that the route will slowly become rooted in the region. 

Mayor Hans Verheijen of Wijchen (left). Mayor Peter de Koning of Gennep (right). 

At the top: Mayor Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans of Oss