Thorn by the years gone

;Once in a wile we went with our super8 filmclub to an interesting place to shoot some footage. I choose for a laugh-theme. Unfortunately the dutch text of the various banners will only appeal to dutch=speaking people.

Thorn, the white town which attracts many tourists, has a rich history dating back to the late 10th century. In the course of time, it developed into a miniature convent ruled by an abbess and 20 ladies of noble birth. The convent had its own jurisdiction and its own currency until 1794 when this came to an end with the arrival of the French.
Thorn - was then that Thorn got its distinctive white color. After the aristocrats fled, the French imposed a tax based on the size of the windows. The poor, often living in large houses which formerly belonged to wealthy people could not afford this. To bring down the height of the tax they closed the windows with bricks. To conceal the building tracks ("scars of poverty") the houses were whitewashed.