Society of Benevolence, Veenhuizen

The village of Veenhuizen played a major role in the history of poverty reduction. Early in the 19th century, as an attempt to tackle the problematic poverty in the Netherlands, Johannes van den Bosch founded his social welfare institute the Society of Benevolence. In Drenthe the organization established several colonies, including that in Veenhuizen, where orphans and beggars from the Netherlands’ large cities were re-educated.

Over time, the village turned into a state labour institute, later on to be followed by genuine prisons. Veenhuizen remained a village closed to the public until 1984. The historical traces are still visible. Visit the village and learn more about the history of Veenhuizen at the Gevangenismuseum.