‘Behalve het verdwijnen’, immortalised in the area around the Kaai and the Scheldt

During the ‘Dichter bij Water’ literary festival on Sunday 19 May, Stijn Vranken presented Puurs-Sint-Amands’ new municipal poem, entitled ‘Behalve het verdwijnen’. What makes this poem special is that it is actually two poems in one: when the fine print disappears, a beautiful love poem remains.

Puurs-Sint-Amands wanted to embed the poem permanently in the area around the Kaai and the Scheldt. The Lemmelijn–De Smet family suggested affixing it to the façade of their house at Kaai 29.

The result was festively unveiled on Tuesday 12 November 2024 in the presence of Anne De Smet and Jo Lemmelijn, the owners of the house, Ronny Tourné, alderman for Culture, and writer Stijn Vranken. The official unveiling of the municipal poem took place on 18 November 2024.

A wonderful way to showcase art and a love of language in the heart of Puurs-Sint-Amands!

As a partner in the Interreg Flanders-Netherlands project (Be)Leefbare Schelde, the municipality of Puurs-Sint-Amands is committed to projects that emphasise the connection between water and culture. One example of this is the concept development of ‘Water en Woord’, in which the literary festival ‘Dichter bij Water’ plays a prominent role.

Through these initiatives, the municipality of Puurs-Sint-Amands is helping to preserve and promote the natural and cultural heritage of the Scheldt Delta Geopark, whilst strengthening the region’s identity and appeal.