Attention Stone - Luxor Theater

The working group 'Waalwijk: 100 years together', together with the local history circles, collected information and photographs for 24 attention stones in the municipality of Waalwijk. The selected objects in Baardwijk (4), Besoijen (4) and Waalwijk (9) played an important role at the time of the redivision (1922). All tiles are linked by a QR code to this website, where you can also find the corresponding cycling and walking route, called 'On the road in the historical Langstraat'. This route leads past all 24 tiles.

Luxor Theatre (1928-1969)
In 1928 A. van Berkel built a large hall (entrance Putstraat) behind his café. Architect was A.J.N. (Janus) Snijers from Raamsdonkveer and contractor W. van Heesch. In the same year the 'Florabioscoop' in Musis Sacrum (Grotestraat 279) was discontinued because Wim Govaerts moved into this newly built hall, which was festively opened on January 27, 1929 and named 'New Cinema'. Govaerts repeatedly got into trouble with the municipal (Catholic) film inspection commission, set up in 1928 to enforce the new cinema law. He showed films banned by the commission, which led to suspensions. By 1930, cinema owner Van Berkel was fed up with the situation. The film commission revoked Govaerts' license and granted it to Van Berkel. The "New Cinema" was renamed the "Luxor Theater. The theater was operated by three generations of Van Berkel until 1966.Since 1948, Mechie Trommelen had a butcher shop on the Hoekeinde. This location became too small after numerous years; a renovation was not a solution to his space problem. He looked for a suitable location for new premises. When he got wind of the fact that Van Berkel would cease operating his café and the accompanying Luxor cinema as of July 31, 1966, the matter was quickly settled.

Luxorama 10
On the occasion of the second lustrum of the Stichting Jeugdbelangen and 'De Terp', a party was held in the empty Luxor theater on September 27, 28 and 29, 1968. Mayor J.L.P.M. Teijssen opened the grand party, named 'Luxorama 10'. Part of the hall was used as a stage, on which many amateur orchestras could put their best foot forward. The whole thing was conceived and executed by Mr. Wim Suermondt, assisted by the board of the Stichting Jeugdbelangen. Immediately after Luxorama was over, demolition of the building began.

EMTÉ supermarket.
It was originally planned to erect a supermarket on the site where the Luxor cinema stood. However, in close consultation with Mr. J. Kobben, director of municipal works, it was decided to exchange the Luxor plot for the largely undeveloped land on the opposite side. On this corner were still two houses, which were demolished.
Trommelen was able to build a "huge supermarket" there with a large parking lot and a service station. This transaction enabled the municipality to reconstruct the extremely obscure Grotestraat-Putstraat intersection.
The former Luxor cinema, an eyesore for many a motorist, was demolished in 1969, and the new EM TÉ supermarket was opened on September 9, 1969 by H. Reimer, director general of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Together with his three sons and son-in-law, Mechie Trommelen built up the family business in the following years.