On April 28, 1729, a large fire started in Horst around 14:00. The exhibition ‘What a disaster – Horst is on fire’, goes back to this fatal afternoon and also shows the developments around firefighting over the centuries.
On April 28, 1729, part of Horst was destroyed by a large fire. Within an hour, forty of the main houses and thirty barns, buildings and breweries fell prey to the flames. The residents could only save their bodies.
The exhibition goes back to this fatal afternoon and also shows the developments around firefighting over the centuries, with two fire hoses from the 19th century as showpieces. Until the 17th century it was believed that in the event of a fire you could only hope and pray that it would rain or the wind would turn.
In the 18th century, the first fire hoses were invented. Over the past three centuries, there have been various developments in the way of extinguishing fires. From worn extinguishing syringes that were filled with buckets, the use of wheels to reach the fire faster and easier, steam engines and engine sprayers to the current modern fire trucks. “What a Disaster! Horst is on fire’, can be seen from 15 to 30 October at Open Air Museum De Locht.