THE VILLA

A SHORT HISTORY

In 1728 an inn, named “Het Rode Hert” (“The Red Deer”), was mentioned for the first time. The inn was situated along the Utrechtseweg in Oosterbeek, by then already a favourable location because the road connecting Arnhem with Wageningen became of more and more importance.

The provincial government of that time ordered the road to be widened and paved; trees were planted on both sides. Opposite the inn a country track started from Dreien to Papendal across the heath. In those days there was not yet an estate by the name of Hartenstein. This happened when in 1779 J. van der Sluys, attorney to the Court of Gelderland, bought the inn with surroundings. The inn was pulled down and a mansion with annexes was build on the plot where nowadays the Restaurant “Kleyn Hartenstein” is situated. The mansion was named “Hartenstein” (probably in memory of Het Rode Hert). “Harten” could refer to hert (deer); the word “stein” means stone or brick road.

After Van der Sluys sold Hartenstein in 1792, the mansion had several owners. About 1865 the villa as we know it, was build. The owner of that time, the real estate agent Th. Sanders decided to pull down all the buildings and to build a new villa with among others a coach house. Since 1978 the Airborne Museum is housed in the Villa and Restaurant “Kleyn Hartensteyn” in the former coach house. After real estate agent Sanders the estate was owned by the wealthy timber trader from Arnhem, G.J. Verburgt, who about 1905 enlarged the Villa with conservatories on the south- and eastside. Also the design of the gardens in that period shows that Hartenstein prospered in the early years of the past century.

After the couple Verburgt passed away the Foundation Verburgt-Molhuysen became the owner of the Villa and surroundings. The foundation rented the estate to the nursing home “Het Hemeldal” (literally: The Valley of Heaven).

In 1942 the Municipality of Renkum acquired the Villa, which got a new destination as a hotel. During the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944 Hotel Hartenstein was in the middle of the fighting as the Head Quarters of the British parachutists commanded by major-general Roy E. Urquhart.

The Airborne Museum has been founded in 1949 and was initially situated in one of the annexes of Doorwerth Castle. In 1978 the Airborne Museum moved to the former British Head Quarters. On May 11th of that year the Museum was reopened by the former commander major-general Roy E. Urquhart.

Hotel Hartenstein immediately after the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944.