The municipality of De Panne was founded by fishermen. It originated when a group of fishermen, who refused to work for the farmers, settled in the area around Sint-Pieterswijk in de Kerkepanne, or De Panne for short.
A piece of history
While Adinkerke has been around for a very long time, De Panne as we now know it only emerged at the end of the 18th century. Austrian Emperor Joseph II, who was then in power, took measures to boost coastal fishing. That led to the founding of the ‘Societyt van de Kerckepanne’ by several notable citizens of Veurne. They got the permission and land to establish a fishing settlement in the dunes, had some fishermen’s cottages built, and bought some fishing boats. A new fishing community was born. The new village was called Josephsdorp or also Kerckepanne, later shortened to De Panne.
From the mid-19th century, fishing flourished in our municipality and the fishing village grew. However, despite the success of fishing, the population remained poor. To escape this poverty, a lot of De Panne’s fishermen became ‘IJslandvaarders’, leaving annually from the ports of Dunkirk and Gravelines to fish for cod in Icelandic waters for six months. They usually stopped after a few years and many of them bought their own fishing boats.
Fishing in our municipality was at its peak around 1900. De Panne then had the second-largest fishing fleet (behind Ostend) on the Belgian coast. Efforts were made to build a harbour, but the early death of proponent Serpahyn Dequidt and World War I prevented the plan from going ahead. De Panne’s fishermen fled and the fishing industry died a quiet death.
Kykhill Dune: former look-out point for the fishermen's wives
De Panne’s fishermen led a tough existence, whether they sailed to Iceland or stayed at home. Life was also hard on the fishermen’s wives. When their husbands were at sea, the women were left to look after the children. To feed those hungry mouths, they worked in the dune allotments, went net fishing for shrimp, or took a job outside the home.
They also helped their husbands to unload and sell the fish. A popular story in De Panne is that they would stand at the look-out to watch when the fishing boats left or returned. This explains the name Kykhillduin and Villa Kykhill (‘kyk’: from the Dutch ‘kijken’ = to look, and ‘hill’). No one knows whether this is true. But one thing’s for sure: there used to be almost no buildings there, so nothing hindered the view out to sea.
Fishing school
In 1903, a fishing school was founded upon the initiative of Chaplain Vanneste. The lessons took place in the attic of the recently established St Aloysius College, now St Peter’s school. It was no longer enough for a fisherman to be motivated and muscley. The fishing industry was evolving and new technology was being developed, so it was also handy to have some theoretical knowledge. In the past, many fishermen were illiterate, but in the early 20th century, people realised that schooling offered a way to advance in life. Besides theory, in preparation for the shipmate’s exam, the fishing school also gave practical lessons. The boys learned to weave nets, tie knots, and sew sails. Since many fishermen had meanwhile left De Panne or found work in other sectors, World War II also meant the end of the fishing school.
Pier Kloeffe
Petrus Decreton (Pier Kloeffe) (1853-1939) is regarded as the most famous fisherman in De Panne because of the many pictures that were made of him. He did all kinds of fishing.
Struck by poverty, his father died when he was 14, and he soon joined the voyages to Iceland. Six months spent line fishing for cod, ‘flecking’ the fish (filleting/cleaning), and pickling the catch.
After nine Icelandic voyages, Pier, in the meantime married to Leonie Maes (1853-1938), bought a ‘Panneboot’ to do his own coastal fishing: the P 94. Post-World War I, he switched to a small cutter. Working with his friend David Gonzales, he practised quay fishing and took tourists out to sea. A bronze statue of Pier Kloeffe now stands in the middle of the dunes, gazing out over the sea.
Gusta Krokke
Gusta Krokke was of Polish origin and her real name was Gusta Pollefyt. She grew up in Ambachtstraatje, Veurne’s most notorious street. Peddlers, herring and sprat smokers, and scissor sharpeners all lived there, and there were many pubs, which resulted in a lot of drinking and brawls. After marrying Karel Lehouck (Spekke Krokke), she went to live in De Panne.
Together with Spekke, Gusta kept the Het Visscherswelzijn estaminet open for a long time. The café later became the ’t Matroosje Inn. There was also a herring and sprat smokehouse in the courtyard.
Gusta, however, was best known as a fishwife. She toured the streets with her handcart, selling fish to locals and tourists. They also knew her in neighbouring municipalities. There she was mostly to be found when there was a funfair or cycling race. Since Gusta also liked a ‘teusje’ (a local beer), she sometimes had to be brought home in her own handcart.
Fishing boats
A ‘pannepot’ (also called a ‘panneschuit’ or ‘panneboot’) was the type of boat that was used for coastal fishing in De Panne. Thanks to the round hull, these boats were easier to pull high and dry on the beach. Although the term ‘easy’ is relative, as this strenuous task also caused plenty of (groin) injuries among De Panne’s fishermen.
Following the First World War, many fishermen moved away to Nieuwpoort and Ostend. The fishermen who remained for a while in De Panne switched increasingly to the ‘Pannekotter’, an open gaffer that was smaller.
Dunes song 'Leve De Panne'
Zenobie Vermeersch came from a noble family in Veurne, and founded a nursery school there in 1851, followed by the convent of the Zusters van de Heilige Gehoorzaamheid in 1859. Zenobie, who had since become Mother Norbertine, and the other sisters soon realised there was also a need for good education in other places. That was certainly the case in the young fishing village of De Panne, with its many families of abundant children. This was the reason why the sisters founded the Immaculata Institute, which opened on 1 May 1867.
In 1878, Priest Alfons Mervillie wrote the song ‘Leve De Panne’ (Long live De Panne) for the pupils in the school, taught by his sister, Eulalie Mervillie, also known as Sister Josephine. Children from De Panne have been spoon-fed this song ever since. Even though the ‘dunes song’ is in danger of disappearing, it is still known by many locals, and even many a tourist can sing along with the refrain.
More fishing?
Wil je nog meer te weten komen over ons vissersverleden? Breng dan zeker een bezoekje aan het 'Retrohuis De Viswinkel'!
Would you like to know more about the fishing past? Make sure to pay a visit to the 'Retrohuis De Viswinkel'!
