Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Assen

Huis Overcingel is a country house built in 1777 in the French style, commissioned by Johannes van Lier. This ontvanger-generaal (financial official to whom taxes levied in the province of Drenthe were paid) lived in the so-called Ontvangershuis . When that house became too small for his large family, he moved to the new country house. The garden was also laid out in the French style: rectilinear paths and a rectangular pond - a real ‘grand canal’ - with a view of the estate. In 1824 Henricus van Lier, then the owner of the estate, had the garden redesigned in the English landscape style. Landscape architect Roodbaard transformed part of the garden with winding footpaths, flowerbeds, rolling hills and a gazebo. Due to urban expansion, nowadays approximately 5 hectares of the garden remain; a third of the original size. The Overcingel estate remained in the possession of the Van Lier Lels family until 2019. After the death of Henk van Lier Lels, the estate was donated by the family to the foundation Het Drentse Landschap (a foundation that dedicates itself to preserving, protecting and developing nature, landscape and cultural heritage in the Dutch province of Drenthe). The garden can still be visited for a very minimal fee.

The Ontvangershuis is one of the oldest private residence in Assen. The house was originally one of the buildings of the Maria in Campis convent. It was possibly used as the priest's house. From the 17th century onwards it was used by the ontvangers-generaal (financial officials in the 17th and 18th centuries, to whom from 1602 taxes levied in the province of Drenthe were paid). In the city fire of 1676 the building was largely destroyed. Johan Sichterman ordered its reconstruction, after which a new building was completed in 1698. From the 18th century onwards, the ontvangers-generaal lived elsewhere in the province. They used the Ontvangershuis as an office and as a guesthouse for high-ranking guests such as stadholders. In 1809, the building was refurbished for the visit of King Lodewijk Napoleon to Assen. Not much later the house came into private hands. In 1853 the house was bought by the municipality of Assen, after which a girls' school was located there until 1888. Finally, the Ontvangershuis was bought by the province of Drenthe in 1955. In the following years, the house was restored and in 1959 it was put into use by the Drents Museum . Today, the house has various period rooms (PiP2) where can take a look at how families lived in previous centuries.