Urban Exploration - The Junk Dealer's House

We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.

This house was explored thanks to a tip from Samuel, whom we would like to thank. Located on the fringes of the Ardèche, this place is impossible to find without precise directions. It is lost in the wilderness, far from everything—a hermitage situated between nothing and nowhere, in the middle of a vast void. The house belonged to Barend B. and Antje B. While her name is Antje, we found letters addressed to "Ank" or "Andry," which are likely nicknames. Both originated from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Antje was born on July 20, 1931. Although we have names, photos, and further details, we are withholding specific identities out of respect, as Barend is still with us.

In early 1992, two people are seen posing together in a Dutch house with a baby just a few months old. This is their son or daughter, and thus their grandson or granddaughter.

By 1988, Antje no longer lived in Amsterdam but in Bussum. She was listed as "Singel," meaning single.

This house in the Ardèche was their second home, like thousands of others in this department. Locally, the place was known as "Le Moulin" (The Mill). Set beside a stream, everything suggests that this name reflects the building's former use.

Art, Recyling, and Memories
Barend may have been a second-hand dealer, which would explain the incredible bric-a-brac scattered throughout the house. Antje was likely an artist. We found enormous stacks of blue paper—stories written in Dutch. Regarding them, a neighbor shared some insight: Barend is still alive and has returned to his home country to continue his retirement. He was passionate about art and everything creative; he wasn't necessarily a dealer, but he loved to recycle and repair objects. He was a cultured and curious man.

The house was flooded, which accelerated its state of semi-abandonment. The same neighbor told us: "About two years ago, the house was flooded, which caused quite a bit of damage, especially in the kitchen and the barn. It was after this event that the family came to 'sort through things' and close up the house."

A Senseless Carnage
The family found themselves more or less overwhelmed by the difficulties, especially the dampness. The house is suffering from severe damage; it is completely moldy, and the smell of humidity is thick and cloying. Since then, the house has been broken into, vandalized, and desecrated. This carnage is deplorable and, above all, a violent affront to the elderly owner. Their Ford car and piano were stolen; everything else was ransacked and destroyed. There is no doubt that, coming from the narrow, crowded streets of Amsterdam, they came here seeking peace and poetry. It revolts me that the place has been deliberately pulverized.

Here are a few fragments of preserved memory concerning this place. May we hope that life returns to these walls one day.