Equatorial dials

Sint-Martens-Voeren (Belgium)

This dial is a copy of the equatorial dial in Hasselt. The same sturdy, yet elegant construction. The bottom has the logo of the 'Marnixring', the service club that sponsored the dial.

The index, that little ball in the slit-shaped pole-style, is placed much higher here. Its shadow hits the center line of the time scale on July 11, the holiday of the Flemish Community. The picture was taken about a week later. The declination of the sun has decreased, so the shadow falls above the center line.

The date line has the motto: Tempus reditum non concedit, time allows no return. It probably also refers to the long-standing controversy about the political status of this region: Flemish or Walloon? The dispute has been settled in favor of Flanders: Voeren now is part of the province of Limburg. Apparently, not everyone can yet accept this outcome...

The sundial is set in the parking lot of the Flemish Cultural Center "Veltmans Manor" in Sint-Martens-Voeren. Father Veltmans (1866-1954) was a protagonist of the Flemish language and culture in this region.

The dial is a favorite meeting place for inhabitants of the Voer region, as the picture by Guido Sweron, the present resident of Veltmans Manor, demonstrates. Willy Leenders wrote the accompanying Haiku.

A couple of snails suits the action to the word no return allowed

Location: 50.7° N, 5.8° E
Design: Willy Leenders
Inauguration: September 2000