Tournaments

“Apud Berlar” … the cause  to Quondam

Several sources like historian Raymond De Groodt, confirm ’t Hooghuys was the arena of tournaments and shows during the Middle Ages. The castle was called the “Burcht of Berlaer” and “Huus op ten Berch”.

On Quondam, which means “before” in Latin, we want to revive the tournaments of back then. In the oldest known certificate of Berlaar, “Apud Berlar” (1236), is written about divers, successive donations by Gilles II Berthout, the Lord of Berlaer. He used to live in ‘t Hooghuys. Probably, he got deadly wounded during one of the tournaments on his own castle domain. In distress, to get healing, he donated several belongings in less than a week. The abbey of Roosendaal is one of them.