Dilsen-Stokkem, Limburg
The Robbery of the Vossenhof
On the first Sunday after All Saints’ Day there was a fair in Rotem. This was a busy festival, but also a time of danger. In the evening, the Vossenhof became the scene of a terrible crime.
1 The Nighttime Robbery
On the first Sunday after All Saints’ Day there was a fair in Rotem. Around ten o’clock in the evening there was a knock at the door of the Vossenhof. The inhabitants thought it was the priests, who were in hiding because of the French Revolution. The woman of the house had scarcely had a chance to open the door when about fifty robbers stormed in. They came to steal everything of value.
2 The Chaos and Liberation
Upstairs in the house several people were already sleeping. The robbers bound these people and threw the beds over. The night became a nightmare of violence and robbery. The robbers searched everything thoroughly for money and valuables. After the gang had gathered their loot and plundered the farm, they disappeared into the night. A brave shepherd soon discovered what had happened and freed the bound people.
3 The Recognition
Two weeks later an auction was held in Dilsen. A farmer from the Vossenhof went there with his loyal dog. Suddenly the dog jumped wildly at one of the people present and began to bark loudly. The dog apparently recognized something or someone about the man. All the bystanders immediately understood what this meant. They believed that this man was one of the robbers and that the dog had recognized him during the robbery. The dog had not forgotten what had happened.
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Source:
Vlaamse Volksverhalenbank
Did you know?
This story takes place during the French Revolution, when priests were in hiding.
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