Attention stone - Musis Sacrum Concert Hall

Musis Sacrum concert hall (1878-1982) - Grotestraat 279

This location is part of the route "On Path in Historic Longstreet" and leads past 24 attention stones/tiles.

The society "Musis Sacrum" (Latin: Dedicated to the Muses) was already active in 1876 and was part of the Liedertafel "Oefening en Vermaak". They met in a room behind the café and inn "De Twee Kolommen". Until 1900 Waalwijk club life took place in cafes and inns, venues unsuitable for larger performances. The first to realize this was V.J. Gerris, owner of "De Twee Kolommen". Gerris converted the premises into a real concert hall, and gave this hall the name "Musis Sacrum." The inauguration took place on December 1, 1878.

Flora cinema
Starting in 1907, film screenings took place in the hall "Musis Sacrum. Unfortunately, the hall burned down completely. Antoon Gerris Simons rebuilt the music hall. The new theater, concert and film hall was opened on October 15, 1911. Until 1928 the 'Flora cinema' was located here, with 'The Titanic Shipwreck' as its first film. The cinema sourced its films from the French film company Pathé. These were silent films. Such silent films were musically accompanied by piano playing or an orchestra. A so-called "explicateur" provided the whole thing with commentary. Such a man could make and break films with his explanations. The sound film was not introduced until 1929. In 1937, Henk Boers, owner of hotel restaurant 'De Twee Kolommen', bought the four dam houses between the Hooisteeg and the Leeuwenkuil (now a parking lot behind the Hooisteeg).He expanded his premises with a new cinema, also a theater hall, a bowling alley and a tennis court, which required the space occupied by the four cottages. They were demolished that same year.
In addition to the central film board, the Waalwijk cinemas were also supervised by a local committee. The committee included alderman W. Elbers and pastor N. van Riel. At the 18+ films, a seat had to be kept free for the committee. The pastor and chaplain were frequent visitors at the "daring" films.

Mattenkloppers
In 1938, about eight friends decided to form a tennis club. Since most had never held a tennis racket before
and such a tool did bear some resemblance to a mat beater, the decision was made to adorn this club with the name "The Mat Beaters. During World War II, soldiers were billeted in the kindergarten, and in 1945 the children of the kindergarten met with the sisters of J.M.J. met on the tennis court behind "De Twee Kolommen," and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Boers because the kindergarteners had been housed for a time in the Musis Sacrum cinema that had been used as an emergency room. In 1982, shortly after the 100th anniversary celebration, then-owner Dick Boers closed the doors. This was because of declining attendance, competition from television and from the Social Cultural Center De Leest, which had opened in The Els in 1972.