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The Saint Monulfus and Gondulfus Church of Achel (Protected monument since 1994) A typical village church with a rich past Patron Saints The patron saints of the church of Achel-center are Saints Monulfus and Gondulfus. They were bishops of Maastricht around AD 550. The dedication of the church of Achel to these two saints happened after 1039 when the “elevatio”, the official canonization, took place. The history of the Achel Church has always remained connected with the Episcopal Church of Saint Servatius in Maastricht. Until the French Revolution, the pastors of Achel were appointed by the chapter of Saint Servatius of Maastricht. In the 18th century, all pastors even came from Maastricht and the surrounding area. There are two statues and two stained glass windows of the patron saints in the choir. Monulfus traditionally holds a church building in hand: a reference to the foundation, during his episcopal function, of the Sint-Servaaskerk in Maastricht. Saint Gondulfus is usually portrayed as a preacher, with the Gospel book. The church building The parish (church) of Achel is mentioned for the first time in history in 1139. We do not learn much more, however. Perhaps a stone Romanesque church was built in that period. The current Saint Monulfus and Gondulfus Church of Achel has (on the east side) a choir that dates from the middle of the 15th century in its core. The rest of the church was rebuilt and expanded in 1907-1909 to the design of the architects H. Martens-V. Lenertz, who carried out numerous new churches and restorations in North Limburg. The church is completely built in the (neo) gothic style. Characteristic of the atmospheric interior of the Achel village church is its wooden barrel vault that accentuates the warm impression of the house of prayer. The current striking painting is the result of recent historical research and a new design by the Forum collective in Hasselt in the 1990s. Part of the painting was done by local volunteers. The three-aisled church has, in addition to the large pointed arches in the side walls, small round windows at the level of the choir on the eaves of the side walls: perhaps a reminder of the enlargement of the church in the course of the 16th century. A large sacristy was built against the old choir on the south side during the renovation in 1907-1909, which was given a new use as a winter chapel in 1980. On the outside of the choir are a number of old tombstones from the 17th and 18th centuries that recall the former cemetery that was located around the church. On the outside, on both side aisles, the seam between the 15th century choir section and the neo-Gothic church building can clearly be seen in the masonry. The church was radically restored by the church factory in various phases from 1985 onwards. Rich and versatile interior In addition to some old wooden statues and old liturgical silverware, the church is mainly upholstered by sculptures by the local artist Thomas Watson Hamont is a Flemish town belonging to the municipality of Hamont-Achel in the north of the province of Limburg. Until 1977 it formed an independent municipality, after which it merged with the neighboring municipality of Achel into a new municipality. Hamont was first mentioned in 1257. The name may be derived from Haag-Mont, which means enclosed wooded slope, or from Hameide, which means enclosed place. Archaeological research has uncovered Bronze Age burial mounds. Remains from Roman times, including a coin treasure, have also been found. The area of Hamont, Achel and Sint-Huibrechts-Lille belonged to the chapter of the Sint-Servaaskerk in Maastricht in the early Middle Ages. This is evident from a document from 1139. Since 1275, the domain gradually came under the influence of the lords of Boxtel, who were guardians of the chapter. This led to the creation of the free estate of Grevenbroek, of which Hamont was a part. Hamont had a special status in this. At the beginning of the 14th century it already had an urban character and prosperity increased when in 1307 trading Lombards settled in the town. In the second half of the 14th century, a wall was built with two city gates in it: one at Budel and one at Castle Grevenbroek. A small brick castle was built on the north side, the foundations of which were uncovered in 1994. In 1388 a hospital with a chapel was built and around this time Hamont received limited city rights. An armed conflict in 1401 led to the fact that Grevenbroek, and also Hamont, came under the influence of the principality of Liège. The special status was abolished. In 1468 a punitive expedition took place by Charles the Bold as the princely state of Liège was at war with him. In 1493 there was a city fire. In 1585 the prince-bishopric also bought the other rights of the manor and Grevenbroek was de facto abolished. Hamont was a so-called good city of the County of Loon. Meanwhile, a time had arrived when wars, epidemics and city fires were devastating the economy. In 1595 a tragic witch burning took place in Hamont: the 'witch' Griet and her daughter were burned at the stake. In 1599 and 1600 the city was ravaged by Spanish troops and in 1642 by Hessian troops. Hamont also became a border municipality in 1648, which a customs post from 1662 on Budel's area still reminds. It was not until the 18th century that a revival took place, partly due to the Teuten trade. The Teuten created a number of stately homes, some of which still exist. In 1756 there was another big city fire, after which houses were built with the end to the market. In 1782 Hamont received permission and the necessary funds from the Liège prince-bishop to erect a platform that simultaneously functioned as a water pump and pillory. This pump was destroyed by British soldiers in 1944 due to combat operations at the end of the Second World War and reconstructed in 1989. Incidentally, Hamont lost its city rights in 1796. The Belgian revolt in 1830 caused damage, but then there was a revival. For example, in 1844 the Kempen Canal was dug and in 1869 the construction of the Iron Rhine was started, so that a railway station was also built in 1879. In 1836 the Ursulines settled in Hamont, where they provided education. The Augustinian or Black Sisters followed in 1889. They devoted themselves to care for the elderly, among other things. In 1902 the Salvatorians came to 't Lo, and they founded a college there. In the 19th century, industry came in the form of brickyards, cigar factories and tanneries and in 1853 a wax bleaching factory grew into an important candle factory, the Spaas company, which still exists today and has 220 employees. The First World War brought with it the construction of the Wire. In 1915 the area of Achel-Hamont was thus closed off from the rest of Belgium because this partition came to the south of the villages. In 1916 the wire actually ran along the border and the area was closed off from the Netherlands. On November 18, 1918, a week after the armistice, a German ammunition train caught fire at the full yard and exploded. It is reported that 1,000 German soldiers in the ammunition train and a Red Cross train parked nearby were killed or seriously injured. As if by a miracle there were no civilian casualties. The damage was considerable throughout Hamont. See also the main article: Hamont disaster. In 1977 Hamont was merged with Achel to form the merged municipality of Hamont-Achel, which was elevated to a city in 1985.
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