He was kidnapped by his father and again by his grandfather and was held in a Japanese camp for years. The buildings that were created in his mind can be found in various places in Brabant. One of the most beautiful examples of his imagination is undoubtedly the old town hall in Valkenswaard from 1927. Designed by architect Theodorus Josephus Taen Err Toung, better known as Theo Taen.
The Sint Joriscollege and the Sint Catharinalyceum (the current Maerlantlyceum) in Eindhoven, the town hall of Goirle, the town hall in Cuyk and the Kruiskerk in Roosendaal. They all come from Taen. An architect with a story that is remarkable to say the least and full of tragedy.
It starts before he is born. His mother, Mia Cuypers, fell in love with Frederic George Taen Err Toung during the 1883 World Exhibition in Amsterdam. He represents the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and his father is Chinese, which is clearly reflected in his appearance.
A mixed relationship at that time is real not done and is also not well received by Mia’s father, master builder Pierre Cuypers. Two of his famous buildings, the Rijksmuseum and the central station in Amsterdam, are nearing completion and his daughter’s relationship is very inconvenient for Cuypers. Despite all his objections, he agrees to the marriage, which takes place in 1886. The couple moves to Berlin and has five children. Theo was born in 1889.
Marriage does not last long. Taen’s father, who runs a business selling Japanese and Chinese foodstuffs, oriental paper and oriental art, cannot keep his hands off other women. His frequent cheating became too much for Mia and she decided to divorce him in 1897. A step that was very exceptional for that time.
Frederic is furious and kidnaps his children. But the Cuypers family manages to find them and Mia’s father decides to pay Frederic back in kind. In turn, he has his grandchildren kidnapped and places them in boarding schools in secret places near Valkenburg, Limburg.
In 1903 they moved to Aachen. Theo attends high school and is taking a course in the field of construction technology. In 1918 he apprenticed with a cousin of his mother, architect Eduard Cuypers in Amsterdam. There he designed the Sint Joris College in Eindhoven, the town hall of Goirle and the town hall of Valkenswaard.
Theo married in 1919 and in 1921 left with his family for the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) to work for his mother’s cousin. He draws dozens of buildings such as churches, boarding schools, hospitals and schools that are being built.
In 1942, the Japanese invade the Dutch colony and Theo ends up in an internment camp, just like 100,000 other Dutch men, women and children who have to try to survive there under appalling conditions.
In 1945 the family returns to the Netherlands and Theo starts an architectural firm under the names Taen, Nix and van Hasselt. They stayed in Valkenburg, Nijmegen and Utrecht before settling in De Bilt in 1956. Theo stopped working in 1967, when he was 78 years old. A year later he moved to Boxtel with his wife. “He continued his hobby there, coming up with all kinds of plans for houses and renovations for children, nieces and nephews and friends and acquaintances,” says his grandson Robert Taen.
On October 30, 1970, Taen died and was buried in Boxtel. After a long and eventful life. More about his life and architecture can be found in the books Another jewel for the city and Architecture with flying colors by Obbe Norbruis.