Ben Dijkhuis, born and raised Medemblikker, is the house historian at Radboud Castle. Because the castle has never been a family home, much of the information can only be found in the various archives. Without Ben and his detective work, we would never have known so much about the history of our beautiful castle.
An accidental love
That Ben would become so important to Radboud Castle did not make much sense. He studied chemical engineering and was a technical teaching assistant at Da Vinci College in Purmerend for many years. His passion for history arose by accident.
While walking with a friend in the park in Medemblik, she casually mentioned that they were now walking along the old city wall. Ben became curious and went to investigate. The rest ... is history.
Old accounts: a gold mine of information
That research took some doing. Reading and translating the handwritten documents required a course in paleography.
The old accounts in particular were a gold mine. These showed, for example, how large the burial domain really was at the time. Today's Vooreiland and Achtereiland also belonged to it and were used as court meadows.
Ben's mission: preserving and sharing knowledge
At the time (we're talking about twenty years ago), there was virtually nothing on the Internet. A shame, thought Ben. So he decided to set up his own site with all the information found about the West Frisian castles. Radboud Castle is the only one that still exists.
Ben wants not only to preserve this important piece of West Frisian history, but also to make it more widely known. He therefore gives regular lectures, both at Radboud Castle and at other locations. In addition, he is one of the guides to the castle.
More Ben
The stories Ben has found on Radboud Castle we are of course going to share with you. Want to see him live? Then keep an eye on our activities page for his next lecture.
Since 2019, Ben has retired and has even more time for all his interests. In addition to history, he has studied mineralogy and astronomy.
In addition, he plays in an Irish/Scottish band, Baloney Celtic Music. The particular structure of Celtic music inspired him to take a musicology course. More information on that can be found on his musicology website.
Castles in West Friesland
Want to learn more about the history of Radboud Castle and the other castles in West Friesland? Then check out Ben Dijkhuis' website dwangburchten.nl. He has made it his hobby and life's work to collect the history of the West Frisian castles. He is constantly researching to uncover even more history about Radboud Castle . Keep an eye on our activities for Ben's next lecture.
Gerelateerde berichten
Throughout the centuries, Radboud Castle has been under siege more than once. We like to tell you those stories. In 2022 we celebrate 450 years of the Netherlands, 1572 is considered our 'year of birth'. That is why we start with the siege of that year. The Dutch Revolt, also known as the Eighty Years' War, was still in its infancy, but the
1572: The Siege of Medemblik
In the Tales of Radboud Castle Floris V can of course not be missed. Without him the 'Huis te Medemblick' would not have existed. This is the finale of his triptych. Here you will find part I: the young count and part II: the man with power. Before this: At the height of his power, Floris feels, well a
Floris V: regal reformer or strategic scoundrel? Part III
