South of Maastricht, near the Belgian border, a large section of the Sint Pietersberg (St. Peter’s Mountain) has been excavated for marl extraction. Just over a century ago, the First Dutch Cement Industry (ENCI) established itself here. The Sint Pietersberg was strategically located on the River Maas so that the marl could be easily transported away in large quantities to be processed into cement.
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It is telling that one of the few Dutch mountain had to be levelled. Although the ENCI provided employment, local residents increasingly complained about the stench, the pollution and the drying out of the land caused by marl extraction. Partly for this reason, the factory closed in 2020 and the site came under the supervision of Natuurmonumenten (nature monuments). Curious to see what the ENCI complex looks like today, we cycle there from Maastricht.
On the way, we pass conductor and violinist André Rieu’s fairytale castle. Shortly afterwards, we approach the ENCI. To our surprise, we see a lot of activity on the site. Shovels are driving back and forth and quite a few staff members wearing helmets walk around. We follow the gates of the site and look at the excavation that has carved a huge crater into the landscape. At the edge of a small lake that has formed there, we enjoy coffee and Limburg flan on a terrace in the spring sunshine. We express our surprise to the owner of this roadside inn about the activity in the GDR-style concrete village behind us. He tells us that ENCI is no longer involved in marl production, but that the 28-hectare site is being put to good use by Hyundai, which is showing prospective customers what the excavators of the company are capable of.
André Rieu turns out to be not the only one leaving a cultural mark on the hilly landscape. According to Google Maps, a museum of modern art can be found at the front of the ENCI (nowadays called AINCE): the Future Museum. On Instagram, we get a sneak peek of the wonders that await us. The website tells us that the museum is run by Ricardo Perillo and Charlotte Madeleine Castelli. In glowing terms, they describe their inspiring hub where contemporary art and Limburg’s rich heritage meet. The duo write that they are shaping a bright future here, in which the blessings of technology and the power of the imagination reinforce one another.
The website also mentions the opening time of the museum at 2 pm. We can’t wait to admire the work of the two trailblazing curators. We enter the building designed by architect Frits Peutz. Inside, however, we find no one. We climb a flight of stairs and note that there are spacious toilet facilities on every floor. But that’s not why we’re here. The door to number 112 A, the museum’s address according to Google Maps, opens effortlessly.
The large hall where we end-up is also deserted. Black-and-white photographs are mounted on the high walls, giving an impression of the heyday of ENCI. In cupboards placed against the wall, we find a few anniversary books, including a collector’s item in the form of a misprint. We leaf through one of these books, which describes a visit by Queen Juliana to the company. The Queen proved to be very interested (are you serious?) and wanted to know everything about the production process. A pile of marl seems intended to give children an insight into the company’s history. Some mini-silos contain different types of gravel.
On a grey conference table at the back of the hall, we actually find the original ENCI archive, which dates back as far as 1924. Now things are starting to feel a bit awkward. Why is there no supervision here? Why is this precious industrial heritage left unattended here? Why are we the only visitors, whilst international buses full of tourists stop outside the door every few minutes? French, German and Japanese tourists climb the remains of the Sint-Pietersberg like flocks of mountain goats. At a height of 30 metres, they drink a cup of tea and enjoy the view over the Maas. The Future Museum? No, never heard of it.
