One-way ticket to Venray – The history of psychiatry care

It all began with a accidental train journey in 1904. Businessman and provincial council member Henri Trynes from Venray happened to share a carriage with a few Catholic Brothers of Charity from Ghent. He overheard their conversation about the Province’s plans to build a psychiatric institution for Roman Catholic men suffering from mental illness and nervous disorders in Roermond. This was in line with the 1884 Insanity Act, which aimed to establish proper care for psychiatric patients in Limburg.
Trynes thought: “Not in Roermond, but in Venray it should be, we have plenty of space.”

He managed to convince both the Brothers and the thirty farmers who had to sell their land. One of them later recalled: “We were invited to Café Thielen… there were quite a few empty gin bottles on the table, but we had all said yes.”

‘One-way ticket to Venray’

In 1907, the Saint Servatius asylum for Catholic men opened its doors. Two years later, the Saint Anna asylum for women followed, run by the Sisters of Charity. Remarkably, these two institutions were completely separate, each with its own buildings, rules, and daily rhythm.

The asylums were like small villages, complete with a farm, bakery, laundry, and workshops. Patients contributed with their own work. In this way, Venray developed into the main center of psychiatric care in Limburg. So much so that the phrase “a one-way ticket to Venray” soon became widely known.

And today?

Now, more than a hundred years later, Venray is still a place for mental healthcare. The institute has been renamed Vincent van Gogh, Center for Mental Health. Where once stigma and shame prevailed, today’s care is firmly embedded in society. The human stories and monumental buildings that mark this important chapter of Venray’s history can still be visited. You can also book a guided tour to hear even more stories about this significant period in psychiatric history.