Nowadays we drive on the roads of Drenthe without opening our wallets, but centuries ago that was different. Anyone crossing a bridge or using a major road had to pay a toll. One traveler paid more than the other, and that led to heated discussions and sometimes even serious conflicts.
“It is fascinating to see how such an everyday phenomenon as a toll had so much influence on daily life,” says Ellen van der Velds of the Drents Archives. “In the eleventh century, it was the bishop of Utrecht who levied the toll on the main access roads. Residents paid nothing because they did the maintenance. Outsiders had to pay an earpiece for each horse and a penny for each person.”
In the eleventh century, Drenthe looked very different than it does today. The landscape consisted largely of swamps, peatlands and water, meaning there were hardly any passable roads. There were actually only three major routes that could be used by travelers and where tolls were charged: at Coevorden, at Meppel and at De Punt.
These roads were crucial for trade and travel, making them exactly the places where tolls were most important. “The proceeds from the toll were used to maintain the roads and protect travelers from wandering scum,” says Van der Velds. “It didn’t yield much, but it was useful for safety and maintenance.”
