# Wed. Ch. van Gilse
**Wikidata**: [Q107277297](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107277297)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/wed-ch-van-gilse

## Summary

Wed. Ch. van Gilse was a Dutch brewery located in Roosendaal, North Brabant, that operated primarily around 1920 and was dissolved in 1935. The brewery is notable for having a beer bottle from approximately 1920 preserved in the collection of the Netherlands Open Air Museum, providing tangible evidence of its historical existence and operations.

## Key Facts

- **Entity type**: Brewery (instance_of: brewery)
- **Floruit**: 1920
- **Work location**: Roosendaal, North Brabant, Netherlands
- **Dissolved date**: 1935
- **Collection presence**: Netherlands Open Air Museum (has works in collection)
- **Collectiegelderland creator ID**: 847953fa-307a-5f81-8655-3f602fd1d16b
- **Described at URL**: https://www.biernet.nl/bier/brouwerijen/nederland/noord-brabant/roosendaal/anker-het
- **Name structure**: "Wed. Ch. van Gilse" indicates a widow-owned business (Wed. = Weduwe in Dutch)
- **Related collection item**: Beer bottle from Roosendaal, circa 1920 (Collectiegelderland reference)

## FAQs

**What type of business was Wed. Ch. van Gilse?**

Wed. Ch. van Gilse was a brewery—a business that manufactures and sells beer. As a brewery, it operated as a factory and food manufacturer within the brewing industry, producing beer as its primary product.

**Where was Wed. Ch. van Gilse located?**

The brewery was located in Roosendaal, a city in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. This location places it in a region known for brewing tradition.

**When did Wed. Ch. van Gilse operate?**

Based on available evidence, the brewery was active around 1920 (floruit). It was dissolved in 1935, meaning it operated for approximately 15-20 years during the early to mid-20th century.

**What evidence exists of Wed. Ch. van Gilse's operations?**

A beer bottle from Roosendaal, dated approximately 1920, is preserved in the collection of the Netherlands Open Air Museum. This artifact provides physical evidence of the brewery's production activities during its operational period.

**What is known about the ownership structure of Wed. Ch. van Gilse?**

The name "Wed. Ch. van Gilse" suggests the business was owned by a widow, with "Wed." being an abbreviation for "Weduwe" (Dutch for widow). This indicates the brewery may have been inherited or continued by a spouse following the death of the original owner.

## Why It Matters

Wed. Ch. van Gilse represents a piece of Dutch brewing heritage from the early 20th century, a period when small local breweries were common throughout the Netherlands. The brewery's operation in Roosendaal contributes to the broader history of brewing in North Brabant, a province with a significant beer-making tradition. The preservation of a beer bottle from this brewery in the Netherlands Open Air Museum ensures that this small piece of industrial heritage is not lost to history. The dissolution of the brewery in 1935 reflects the consolidation trend that occurred in the Dutch brewing industry during the interwar period, when many smaller breweries were absorbed by larger competitors or closed due to economic pressures. Understanding individual breweries like Wed. Ch. van Gilse helps illuminate the broader economic and social dynamics of early 20th-century Dutch manufacturing and consumer culture.

## Notable For

- Being a historical Dutch brewery in Roosendaal, North Brabant
- Operating during the early 20th century with evidence dating to approximately 1920
- Having preserved artifacts in the Netherlands Open Air Museum collection
- Representing the widow-owned business model common in early 20th-century Dutch commerce
- Contributing to the industrial heritage of the Roosendaal region
- Being documented in Dutch brewing databases and museum collections

## Body

### Identification and Classification

Wed. Ch. van Gilse was classified as a brewery—a business that manufactures and sells beer. As a brewery, it operated as a factory and food manufacturer within the broader brewing industry. The primary product was beer, and the brewery would have included brewing equipment necessary for the production process. The name structure provides insight into the business ownership: "Wed." indicates the owner was a widow (from Dutch "Weduwe"), suggesting the business may have been inherited or continued following the death of a spouse. This was a common practice in early 20th-century Dutch commerce where businesses often continued under widow ownership.

### Location and Operations

The brewery was located in Roosendaal, a city in the Dutch province of North Brabant. This region has historically been home to numerous breweries, contributing to the area's brewing tradition. The brewery operated as part of the local economy, producing beer for sale in the surrounding region. Based on the floruit date of 1920 and dissolution date of 1935, the brewery operated for approximately 15-20 years during the early to mid-20th century.

### Historical Context and Dissolution

Wed. Ch. van Gilse was dissolved in 1935, during the interwar period. This dissolution reflects a broader trend in the Dutch brewing industry during the 1920s and 1930s, when many smaller local breweries faced economic challenges including increasing competition from larger commercial breweries, changing consumer preferences, and the economic pressures of the Great Depression. The closure represents the consolidation that occurred in the Dutch brewing sector during this period.

### Museum Collections and Preservation

Evidence of Wed. Ch. van Gilse's operations survives through material culture. A beer bottle from Roosendaal, dated to approximately 1920, is preserved in the collection of the Netherlands Open Air Museum (Nederlands Openluchtmuseum). This artifact provides tangible proof of the brewery's production activities and serves as a window into early 20th-century Dutch brewing practices. The Netherlands Open Air Museum, located in Arnhem, specializes in preserving objects that illustrate Dutch rural and industrial heritage, making this brewery bottle a significant addition to their collection of industrial artifacts.

### Documentation and References

The brewery is documented in multiple Dutch cultural heritage databases. The Collectiegelderland database records the brewery with creator ID 847953fa-307a-5f81-8655-3f602fd1d16b, associated with the Netherlands Open Air Museum collection. Additional documentation is available through Biernet.nl, a Dutch beer database that tracks brewery information and history. The Collectiegelderland reference includes a specific object entry for a beer bottle from Roosendaal, circa 1920, with reference number 6570bdff-d9a8-56c5-84fb-16102169fefb. These sources collectively provide the evidentiary basis for reconstructing the history of this brewery.

### Relationship to Brewing Industry

As a brewery, Wed. Ch. van Gilse was part of the broader brewing industry, which in the Netherlands has deep historical roots. The brewery would have been distinct from bars and taverns, as it focused on the production and sale of beer rather than serving it for on-premises consumption. The brewery operated as a manufacturing enterprise within the food production sector, producing an alcoholic beverage that was an important part of the Dutch diet and economy during this period. The preservation of the brewery's bottle in a museum collection, rather than in a specialized brewing museum, reflects the broader approach to preserving industrial heritage in the Netherlands.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.biernet.nl/bier/brouwerijen/nederland/noord-brabant/roosendaal/anker-het)
2. [Bierfles, Roosendaal, circa 1920](https://www.collectiegelderland.nl/object/6570bdff-d9a8-56c5-84fb-16102169fefb)
3. CollectieGelderland