In a village in the heart of Europe, the streets and the houses are crossed by a border.
Located an hour and a half from Brussels, Baarle is distinguished by its incredible territorial division. In this village, Belgium (Baerle-Duc) and the Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau) overlap in a tangle of enclaves without equivalent in the world. Baarle has twenty-two Belgian enclaves in Dutch territory and seven Dutch enclaves inside them, inherited from feudal shares of the Middle Ages. These enclaves, some the size of a garden, have the effect that the border crosses houses, shops, and even sometimes entrance doors.
The origin of this chaotic border dates back to the 12th century. At that time, the local lords shared the land according to sometimes arbitrary criteria, often motivated by taxation or fertility of the soil. Despite many attempts to simplify, no reform has managed to erase this feudal heritage. Even international occupations or negotiations have only brought marginal adjustments, the latest having taken place in 1995. During the Second World War, the German authorities had briefly tried to attach Baerle-Duc to the Netherlands, but the pre-war situation was quickly restored to the Liberation.
In this administrative labyrinth, the nationality of a house depends on the location of its front door. If it gives Dutch, the home is considered Dutch, even if the kitchen or the room are in Belgium. This principle has prompted some residents to move their front door to change countries and take advantage of tax or administrative advantages. There is even a house in Loveren whose door crosses the border, attributing two addresses and two bells to the same home.
A retired couple lives in a house cut in half. In summer, they take their meals in the garden in Belgium. But, when they warm up in their living room in winter, they live in the Netherlands. Public services also adapt to this mosaic. Two police services exist. However, firefighters are divided between the two municipalities. Shops play this ambiguity: a coffee can serve its customers both in Belgium and the Netherlands.
A supermarket crossed by the border applies the legislation of the country where its gateway is located, which allows young Dutch people to buy alcohol from their 16 years. Essence, tobacco and beer, cheaper on the Belgian side, attract clientele from opposite. Finally, the coexistence of two taxes leads, for some owners, the reception of two separate tax notices for the same housing shared by the border.
