The 100 -year -old De Wielewaal estate in Eindhoven is open to the public on Saturday. What was the mysterious accommodation of Frits Philips for years can now also be visited as a park. For everyone.
“It is three times the size of the Vondelpark,” says alderman Rik Thijs proudly. The park is an asset to the municipality of Eindhoven, because in one fell swoop it provides 144 hectares of more greenery for the inhabitants. “A historic moment for all Eindhoven residents,” he says to Studio040.
The Philips Park
To understand why that is so special, we have to go back a century in time. Anton Philips, the father of Frits, bought the (then) Lap soil in 1912. It was a heathland that he wanted to set up as a estate. In the end he himself never went to live there, but his son did. Frits Philips, not the least.
Frits built the Wielewaal estate in 1934, where he lived until his death in 2005. It was called the Philips Park and became home for a handful of villas, monumental trees, special plants and rhododendrons. His country house is located at a giant park, full of ponds, lanes and lawns in British style. The house of an icon, with an iconic estate around it. For years not for the stage, until now. That is historical.
The Grand Opening
Alderman Thijs has long been looking forward to the big opening. The idea arose at the municipality of Eindhoven in 2020, after which it bought the land in 2022. It cost 29 million euros, purchased from textile entrepreneur Marc Brouwers. “If then, three years later, you can open the gate here, then that is very special,” he says.
The Wielewaal can join a green strip in Eindhoven Noord-West from Saturday: the Lichtbos. The gates of the park close again when the sun is underneath. The aim of the municipality is to continue to take good care of the nature of the estate. Mountain bikes, motor vehicles and large events are therefore not allowed. Dogs are welcome, but only on the line.