André Rieu's Listed House of Birth Wrong

André Rieu's Wrong House of Birth

Limburger Nov. 2, 2012, by Rob Cobben: Wrong information has been given in the Maastricht Musical Route of the Tourist Office. Not Begijnenstraat 1, as the Tourist Office thought for years, but Plenkershoven 11 is the real birthplace of violinist André Rieu. This is confirmed by his younger brother Jean-Philippe. 

Tourists and André Rieu fans, who like to see the birth house of the famous Maastricht violinist, have been sent to the wrong property address for years! On The Maastricht Musical Route of the Tourist Office's website, the house Begijnenstraat 1 is marked as the place where André Rieu was born on October 1, 1949. 

It is true that the violinist/conductor for a long time lived in the white building along the Jeker River, near Poort Waerachtig (old city Gate), but he was born in the quarter Jekerdal, at the address Plenkershoven 11. André Rieu himself was not available for comment, but his younger brother Jean-Philippe confirms that the information on the tourist website is not correct. "My two eldest sisters were born in Amsterdam. The youngest four of the six of us were born in Maastricht, on Plenkershoven. But we actually considered Begijnenstraat as our birthplace, because we lived there such a long time". 

André's younger brother remembers that the family moved from Plenkershoven to Begijnenstraat. "I was four years old. On a summer day at 12 pm, the teacher of the Kindergarten drove me on a Vespa home to the Begijnenstraat. There a festive lunch was waiting for me and my brothers and sisters. From that day on we lived there. That's almost 52 years ago. It was the first and also the last time I was allowed on a Vespa. That's why I can remember it. 

Janne Baetsen, from the Maastricht Tourist Office says they were not aware of the error on the map of the route. "We never received complaints. The route on the website was created by our management. It is probably an interpretation error, but we will update the information." 

According to Baetsen the Maastricht Musical Route has been on the website of the organization for over two years. Whether the real birthplace of Rieu, the Plenkershoven, will be added on the map Baetsen could not say. "But at any rate we are going to change the text of the property Begijnenstraat 1 from "André Rieu's birthplace" to "House where Andre Rieu was raised".

Thanks to Ineke and Suzy for sending this and Ineke Translating it.