Woeste Hoeve board member Anselm Smal next to the tap in the flat pub. The photograph he is holding shows the same scene in 2005. Text and pictures Lieke Muijsert
Flat pub Woeste Hoeve celebrates its seventh lustrum this year. The ground floor of the student apartment building Hoevestein was remodeled from a laundromat and small shop to a living room and pub for the residents 35 years ago: the Woeste Hoeve. Anselm Smal, a master’s student of Earth and Environment, has sat on the board for almost five years.
‘The tenants of the building used to be very close,’ Smal says. ‘A reunionist once told me an anecdote about a beer barrel in the elevator so that everyone could order a beer by pressing the elevator button. The first Woeste Hoeve board was founded in 1990. There is intensive contact with the former board members, particularly in this lustrum year. There was even a former board member who came back from Sweden for a reunion. These gatherings typically attract some sixty people.’
Traditional pub
Old pictures show how the pub has changed over the years. Smal: ‘It used to be more of a traditional Dutch pub, with a pool table and more chairs. Over the years, it has become more of a party pub. We installed disco lights and fog generators ten years ago. There is now also a neon sign with the Woeste Hoeve logo.’ The logo remained the same since the start, as has the beer on tap. Smal: ‘We draw Gulpener, and the Woeste Hoeve was even Gelderland’s single largest Gulpener customer in 1992. On one of the pictures, you can see that the draught system and drinks cabinet in the basement are exactly the same as in 2005.’
Special beers can be found on the menu just as in the old days. That will remain so, ‘to retain the pub atmosphere’, Smal says. However, the shot menu has undergone significant changes. No one drinks gin anymore.’
Outrageous
Smal says the party scene has also changed. ‘Before, students would come and have drinks at the bar at around ten, and the atmosphere would slowly become more festive. But nowadays, people start drinking at home and come to the pub a lot later, while beer only costs 1.20 euros. Moreover, parties were more outrageous in the past. We had parties in the bike basement and an eleven-beer-crawl. It has become more subdued.’
The Woeste Hoeve’s fixed mar night is on Wednesday. Smal: ‘Many relationships, friendships, and even debating clubs were formed on Wednesday nights. And the Woeste Hoeve is still an important meeting spot to maintain friendships and contacts, particularly for students who are not members of a student association.’
Impending closure
Despite its popularity and rich history, the Woeste Hoeve may cease to exist. At some point in the coming years, Hoevestein is scheduled for renovation. At that time, student housing organisation Idealis will decide whether or not the flat pub can remain open. Idealis director Bart van As claims that the pub is often used by others than just the tenants, which is against the original purpose of the bar. Moreover, there are increasing complaints from tenants about nuisances. Flar pub Annie’s in Asserpark has already been closed, and there are also renovation plans for Dijkgraaf, where the flat pub De Bunker is located. Smal hopes that the Woeste Hoeve will still have a spot after the renovations. ‘It would be a real shame if such an important meeting spot for students in Wageningen were to disappear.’
Woeste Hoeve’s seventh lustrum celebration lasts until 9 April. Check out the programme and get your tickets on Instagram @woestehoeve.
