As a tribute to him, a street was named after Dirk: Dirk Jakobsstraat. It is located on the Vledder, an area adjacent to the center of Meppel. Recently, construction work has been taking place in this area. New apartment complexes and homes have been added and another apartment complex is still being built.
“With a simple stroke of the pen, Dirk Jakobsstraat has largely disappeared,” the two say. They are fierce about it. “The last time a street changed its name in Meppel was in 1920,” says Rick, who is also a city guide. “That was the Prins Hendriksstraat. A school was built there, but the municipality had no money to buy the land. An agreement was then made with the owner that the school would be built there, if the street was named after his wife. And so it is Catherine Street.”
“Now, a hundred years later, it’s happening again. Just without any affinity with the past,” Rick is annoyed. “Nota bene, the old part of the street has suddenly been renamed Melkstraatje.” That has extra value for Rick. He was born in the street, in what is now a hotel. “I was born in the Dirk Jakobsstraat, not in the Melkstraatje.” The name Melkstraatje refers to an annex of the dairy factory in Rogat that used to be in the street.
There have already been several discussions with the municipality about this. In politics, Sterk Meppel has asked questions about this to the alderman. It hasn’t been satisfactory for them yet. According to the alderman, the name change is necessary for the emergency services.