Aanwas means increase. The term can often be found in reference to increase in land because of river deposits. Laws specified who owned the aanwas. Sometimes neighbors argued about the rights to the newly created land, for example if one property owner lost land because of erosion while his neighbor gained land due to deposits. These conflicts can create civil court records, sometimes including old maps showing the disputed land. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Octrooi
3 December 2018 by Leave a Comment
An octrooi is a patent. Historically, octrooien were not just required to protect inventions, but also to enter into certain types of businesses, similar to what we'd call a permit today. An octrooi could also grant permission to publish a book in a certain area. Octrooien can often be found in the records of the landlords or the government. They typically describe the type of permission that is granted and name the patentee. … [Read more...]
Dutch term – Recht van Windvang
10 September 2018 by Leave a Comment
The recht van windvang is the right to catch the wind. It's a right of a windmill owner to prevent owners of neighboring properties to build high structures that interfere with the operation of the mill. … [Read more...]
