History of Huize Heyendael
Faculty Club Huize Heyendael is located in the beautiful Huize Heyendael, also known as Jurgens’ Manor. This striking university building now houses offices and, of course, Faculty Club Huize Heyendael.
Jurgens’ Manor
The ancient Heyendael estate was purchased in 1912 by Oss-based margarine manufacturer Frans Jurgens, who planned to live there with his family. Having found the existing manor – now known as ‘Oud-Heyendael – to be too old and too small, he commissioned architect Charles Estourgie to design a large country house. Construction on the house began in November 1912.
The grounds surrounding the estate were landscaped in English garden style, with a lovely gated entrance at Sint Annastraat. Jurgens had thousands of rhododendrons planted in the surrounding forests to promote local wildlife; hunting was one of his favourite pastimes.
Construction of Huize Heyendael was completed in 1914. The architect was clearly inspired by Dutch renaissance style, which is reflected in the front and rear gables and in the decorative stonework. The building, which is slightly elevated relative to the garden, is asymmetrical in design and features a 30.5-metre octagonal tower on the north side.
Stunning sculptures
Many of the sculptural elements on the estatewere designed by Egidius Everaerts. The main entrance on the north side is reminiscent of an ancient Greek temple and the large balcony on the south side ismade entirely of stone. The gables are topped with stone eagles and the friezes under the eaves feature eleven carved female faces, which represent the eleven Dutch provinces. The profiles of architect Estourgie, contractor J.C. Kropman, and owner Jurgens were also immortalised in stone. The estate features several more stunning sculptures.
Exceptional interior
The interior is just as extraordinary as the exterior, although many of the original features have been lost over time. The interior was largely designed by Estourgie’s cousin, the painter A.H. Trautwein. Some of the centuries-old pieces were taken from other Dutch estates. A large stained-glass window in the corridor depicts Jurgens with his wife and their four children, surrounded by flowers and plants. Other notable features include the fireplace in the great hall, the ornate skirting boards in the stairwell, several decorative ceilings and wainscoting, and various paintings, some of which date back to the eighteenth century.
The former dining room is decorated in Louis XIV style. Several of the painted tapestries in this room were created in 1736 by German painter Jurriaan Buttner, and may have previously adorned the walls of Amsterdam townhouses. The other paintings are by Trautwein himself. The original ceiling fresco was lost in a fire in 1948, after which it was replaced.
Sint-Radboudstichting
Huize Heyendael remained in the possession of the Jurgens family until 1949, when it was acquired by the Sint-Radboudstichting(St Radboud Foundation) along with a large part of the surrounding estate. In 1923, the Sint-Radboudstichting founded the Roman Catholic University and planned to establish a medical faculty at Heyendael. From 1951 onwards, several more university buildings were erected on the grounds of the ‘manor’, as it is still known to this day. The impressive former manor now houses offices and Faculty Club Huize Heyendael, perhaps the most notable symbol of Radboud University Nijmegen.