Between 1610 and 1918, tobacco cultivation flourished in the Netherlands. Pigeon poop appears to
be perfect fertilizer for tobacco plants. A lot of pigeon manure ends up as tobacco in pipes,
cigars and plums. And a lot of pigeons end up in the pan, because the meat is loved. The keeping
of pigeons is originally reserved for the nobility. But later farmers and citizens can also
milk pigeons, provided they have at least 4 hectares of land. Pigeon houses are therefore mainly
found in country houses and castles. This dovecote is a copy of the til that stood at farm Prinsenhof
in Hamersveld (near Amersfoort). It is a gift from citizens of Arnhem who find shelter in the
museum during and after the Battle of Arnhem. Oh well, pigeons, you learn something from it.
Reconstruction, built here in 1946.