Sittard-Geleen just made a special piece of its history visible for everyone. A brand new monument was unveiled on Doctor A.F. Philipsstraat, honoring the city’s deep connection to Philips.
The unveiling was done by alderman Andries Houtakkers, together with Paul Otten, grandson of ir. P.F.S. Otten, who was the CEO of Philips back in the day. A beautiful moment connecting past and present! 🤝
Alderman Houtakkers shared: ‘Monuments like these show where we come from. This monument tells the story of the people who created jobs, innovation, and community.’
A little history lesson:
- In 1947, Philips built its very first factory outside of Eindhoven right here in Sittard 🏭
- At its peak in 1967, a whopping 3,200 people worked at the factory
- The municipality had around 30,000 residents at the time, so you can imagine the huge impact
- The expansion happened during the post-war rebuilding era and helped with the economic recovery of the Netherlands
A wonderful tribute to a period that helped shape Sittard-Geleen into the city it is today.
Source: Municipality of Sittard-Geleen
