Customs houses - Tolkamer

On the banks of the Rhine in Tolkamer stand six former customs houses built in the early twentieth century. This is where customs officers used to supervise shipping between Germany and the Netherlands. Tolkamer was an important border town for a long time: boats had to dock here for inspection before they were allowed to continue their journey. The customs officers who did this work lived right next to their workplace, in these houses.

The houses were built around 1906 on behalf of the Government Buildings Agency and designed by government architect C.H. Peters. His architectural style, a combination of neo-Renaissance and rational design, is reflected in the details: decorative brick mouldings, tall chimneys and a sober but clear symmetry.

The houses have not been inhabited by border guards for a long time, but they remain a reminder of a time when borders were more strictly guarded and every ship movement had to be registered.