Long dark corridors small cells hardly any daylight. This is the Tuchthuis in Vilvoorde. Built in 1779 by architect Laurent-Benoit Dewez it initially housed around 270 prisoners. It wasn’t just any prison. The Tuchthuis was a correctional facility for vagrants beggars and young thieves. The locals called it ‘de correctie’ meaning ‘to correct’.
The Tuchthuis has a fascinating history. It actually replaced a fourteenth-century castle that had served as a state prison since 1408. The old castle was demolished in 1774. The Tuchthuis used the castle’s stones for its foundations.
Imagine the sounds. The creak of old wooden doors. The echoing footsteps of guards and prisoners. The murmur of hushed conversations. The Tuchthuis was more than just stone and mortar. It held the hopes and despair of hundreds of lives.
It wasn’t always a prison though. In 1793 it briefly became a hospital for Austrian troops during the French Revolution. A year later it served as a military hospital for the French. In 1866 it became a military prison for convicted soldiers. It held that function for a century. In 1919 nearby gunpowder factory explosions damaged parts of the Tuchthuis. Half the building was demolished.
In 1974 the army finally left the Tuchthuis. It stood abandoned for years. The Tuchthuis was eventually bought by the city. Today much of it is renovated. The Tuchthuis is now a part of a larger urban renewal project. A hotel and various clubs operate there. Parts remain in need of restoration. Even today you can sense the past within its walls. The Tuchthuis stands as a silent witness to centuries of history. A testament to the changing ideas of justice and punishment. A reminder of both hope and despair.