Aarsse-Fritz

Wilhelmina Fritz 1844 x Louis Aarsse 1843

The Aarsse family

1907, March 4. Grandmother and Grandfather Aarsse-Fritz with their grandson Louis Hahn.

The Aarsse-Fritz family on the beach in Scheveningen. 1899. In the beach chairs Grandmother and Grandfather Aarsse-Fritz. In front, Aunt Jet (Aarsse), Grandma (Jo Aarsse) and Uncle Charles.

Louis Johan Jacobus Aarsse, 1843-1926, was a house painter and glazier by profession.

His business was on Paviljoensgracht in The Hague. He had finished secondary school in The Hague and then attended the Drawing Academy, like his father Lourens Aarsse. Lourens, also called Louw Aarsse or Aersse, came from Middelburg (papers with Robert Aarsse). At the time, he had to provide proof of good behaviour or he would not be allowed to settle in The Hague. Lourens’ sister, Aunt Jeanne, was very musical. She was a singer and friend of Mrs Bosboom Toussaint. Aunt Jeanne set the tone at concerts: when she clapped, the others clapped too.

1899 Scheveningen. Aunt Jet Aarsse as a teacher (Miss Aarsse) in the back of this group. [With hat with black feather in Scheveningen]

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The three aunts: Jeanne, Kato and Mina lived with their cousin Louis Aarsse, in the house on the Nieuwe Uitleg. Aunt Kato, also called Koosje, was half-blind. The Aarsse-Fritz family lived in several houses in The Hague, including on Spuistraat. The house on Nieuwe Uitleg was a very long house with a courtyard. Behind the courtyard was the kitchen. Uncle Charles would once give a demonstration on how to flip a pancake in the air, but the pancake disappeared into the extractor hood and was never seen again. It was customary for the aunts to call down, “Will we have another cup of tea?” The aunts also did table dancing. During a séance where Grandma Jo Hahn was present, just when things were getting exciting, she called out, “Will we get another cup of tea?”. The table came down with a big thud and they would not dance after that.

Louis Aarsse was primarily a painter of heraldry. Among other things, he painted the coats of arms of Doorwerth castle near Oosterbeek (his painting box and palette are in Robert’s possession). Grandmother and grandfather Aarsse-Fritz had five children: Louis, Charles, Johanna, Henriette and Guus.

Uncle Louis (1872) fought on the side of the Boers in the Boer War. One of the flags he brought back from that he donated to the first Dutch Scout Troop (Grandpa Louis was in that troop).

Charles en Lout Aarsse	Roderic Aarsse

Uncle Charles (1875) was a legal secretary at the Court of Audit in The Hague.

Uncle Charles and Aunt Cor were both members of the Hague Art Society. They both sang, especially in operettas. Aunt Cor sang mezzo-soprano: she had a beautiful voice.