Mariakapel Attelakenseweg

A chapel built in 1934.

In the early thirties, the artistic and somewhat eccentric Raaijmakers family lived on the Leur. Son Pierre was an artist and daughter Mimi joined the Catechists in Breda, a religious Roman Catholic group working in neighborhoods that needed help and active in girls' protection. The Catechists, who had a branch in Etten next to the Lambertus Church, have a strong devotion to Mary. Mimi Raaijmakers was actually quite the initiator of the establishment of the chapel, which was dedicated to the young farmers of Attelaken.

It was built in 1934 by the Dorenstraatje on the land of grandfather Vermunt and was solemnly blessed in May of that year. The hard stone relief depicting Mary with child was a creation of Pierre Raaijmakers, made on behalf of an unknown benefactor. Due to the construction of the bike path, the chapel became overlooked. After a renovation in which the originally concrete base, the framing, and the gabled roof were replaced with natural stone, it was moved to its current location at Attelakenseweg 5 on November 19, 1988. This was initiated by the Sint-Hubertusgilde, which adopted the chapel, in collaboration with the neighborhood “Patteluk.”

Wim Blankers