Spiegeltents & Circumstances…

1920

1940

1990

1993

1990 1997

2002

2003

2004

2006

1935

1977

1992

1995

2001

2002

2004

2005

...

Once upon a time …

… in the 1920's, there was a carpenter Willem Klessens who lived in Lommel. He opened a dance hall, and went searching for a dance organ. He found one made by 'Oscar Horebeke' in Antwerp, but it was for sale only as a part of a dance tent. The organ was placed in the dancing hall, and the tent was stored in a shed in the backyard.

The dance hall became well known in the village. Many men came to admire the five beautiful daughters, and the café became too small. It was decided, together with the neighbours, to erect the old dancing tent. And it was a success, the whole weekend full house! Willemke Klessens quickly calculated that he made as much money in one weekend with the dance tent as in three months hard work as a carpenter.

He had an idea,
He finished the carpenter work in his order book, and on the weekends he also did some fairs with his tent. That winter Willem, with his carpentry skills, started to make a new Spiegeltent, made of wood, canvas and cut glass. The next season "The Classique", was built weekly for the village fairs in Willem's region of Belgium.

1935

His son Gust Klessens, took over the business.
He and his wife Lucienne had nine children, and together with the whole family, they assembled and dismantled the tents during the week and in the weekends, they tended the bar.

For more than 50 years, Gust worked with his tents “Le Moulin Rouge” and “La Gaieté”. They became a familiar place for entertainment at the village fairs That’s how he got the name “The King of the Dancing Tents” .

… Thousands of footsteps on the wooden floors sprinkled with sawdust. Tango, waltz, foxtrot, the organ followed the rhythm of the yearning hearts. And every night the moon was full..

The family tradition was enthusiastically continued!
Beginning in 1977, the third generation, Willy Klessens, has been constantly travelling to fairs and special events with his nostalgic Spiegeltents “La Gaieté” and “Moulin Rouge”

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1990

Around 1990, the discotheques and dance halls sprouted like mushrooms in every village. The village fairs were not popular for dancing entertainment, and not enough people came to make it worth setting up the Spiegeltents. That’s why Willy Klessens decided to expand his business, and not just set up his tents in small village squares. He had already rented his tents in the Netherlands and Denmark, always with success! Abroad they had never seen the Belgian mirror tents. People there were very impressed of the legendary dancing tents, with their wooden floors, their leaded glass windows, and their velvet ceilings.

The brilliant reflections of light in mirrors and cut glass, Bring a spark of nostalgia and festive ambience to any event!

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1992

Small festivals became large, and “Moulin Rouge” at 18 meters diameter became too small. Willy Klessens, at request of many customers, made in his own studio a new 22 meter tent called “Palais des Glaces”, in the Art Nouveau style.

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1993

“La Gayola”, an Art Deco Salon made in 1947, was originally a Belgian Spiegeltent. First owned by the Van Bael family, it made history in Switzerland, and was returned to Belgian ownership.

The authentic Spiegeltents were more and more successful in foreign countries. Used in festivals, receptions, concerts, theatre, dinners & all other occasions which want to escape from the ticking of the clock We already have erected our authentic Spiegeltents in Amsterdam, Berlin, Cannes,  as well as in Adelaide, Auckland, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, … There are references all over the world… In the meantime the fourth generation Tom and Johnny caught the “Spiegeltent” bug too. Father & Sons Klessens was a small family company, but they travelled all over the world to share the magic of the authentic Belgian Spiegeltents.

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1995

"Palais Nostalgique" Jugendstil circa1920, was originally called "Dancing Modern", but was renamed after 75 years. The first owner was Louis Meylemans from Westerlo. Willy Klessens bought the tent in 1995, from a bank in Switzerland.  This splendid Spiegeltent is the eye-catching setting for “Teatro ZinZanni”, on Pier 27-29 in San Francisco, California (USA)

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1990-1997: A separate Story

…the family tradition continued,
At a certain age Gust Klessens had transferred ownership of his Spiegeltents to his sons Willy and Ric. But he doesn’t want to be too far away from his 'Good-Ones', with oaken interior and made by his father Willem in the 1920’s. On one occasion, a Spiegeltent was built for a village fair in Hoeileden. Vandals set a fire, and the Classique was destroyed.

This is a disaster for the Klessens family; it was as if a family member had died. Father Klessens, almost 70 years old, can’t live without a Spiegeltent! That’s why he started with the construction of a new Spiegeltent. For seven years Pa and Ma worked their life dream project. All of the construction, the wooden floors, leaded glass windows, and oak interior, everything was made by hand in their own small work shop. It had to be ready for their 50th, Golden Wedding Anniversary. On February 6, 1997, together with the whole family, there was a fantastic party in their Spiegeltent “Classic”!

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2001

"Ideal", Art Nouveau Spiegeltent, circa 1948, was made by the Laurijssen brothers, who were 4 carpenters and an engineer. At the old village fairs the "Ideal" stood many times beside a 'Klessens Spiegeltent'. The family Laurijssen knew that their family treasure would be in good hands with the Klessens family, so they contacted Willy, and asked if he wanted to buy the "Ideal" tent.
In 2001, Willy and the Klessens boys completely restored “Ideal” in the Klessens workshops.
* To hire for periods of minimum 2 months

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2002

'Teatro ZinZanni ', a Theatre-Dinner-Spectacle-Show, has been incredibly successful with the oldest Spiegeltent. The show has been playing to sell-out crowds in San Francisco (USA) since 2001. In January 2002, "Le Moulin Rouge" crossed over the ocean to America, and is the setting for another crowd-pleasing “Teatro ZinZanni” spectacle in Seattle.

Spiegeltent "Classic, (to hire on fixed location: Klaterstraat 8 in Rijkevorsel 'contact')For five years after the ‘Golden Anniversary’, Pa Klessens Spiegeltent with Decap organ ‘De Kempenaar’ had been set up and standing their garden. But weather and wind had done no good for the tent. He wanted to keep it in the family, and he wanted to set up his life’s work inside our building shop, therefore the tent was moved to Rijkevorsel. Since 21 April 2002 father Klessens life’s work has been inside in our hangar:
Each Thursday and Sunday, Spiegeltent "Classic" is open for the public.
The ‘Decap Organ’ plays from 13:00 till 18:00. Guaranteed wonderful time for everyone!!

Pa Klessens was the DJ of his Decap-organ until he was 82 years old.
(Now we miss him, he passed away on May 6, 2004)…
and as he has asked, we will continue in his footsteps …

Wat wij graag willen: Het herbeleven van de tijd van toen, met de mensen van toen, … én hun nakomelingen… Heimwee naar de goeie ouwe tijd…

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2003

May & Willy Klessens repair a splendid Art-Deco little house built in1922, behind the house a small Spiegeltent was built on, with a cosy terrace and ?????
The interior and design of ‘t Spiegelhuisje was entirely our own design and made in own work shop. It is always agreeable to visit in the restaurant ‘De Cirrek’, by far the most sociable place in Vosselaar, May’s birth village... Visit the website here www.decirrek.be

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2004

April 2004: We are now up to the fourth generation of tent-builders! Brothers Klessens, Tom & Johnny want to continue the family company together and Grandfather Klessens saw it was well… ° 4 August 1921 † 6 May 2004

"Toury Spiegeltent ",a family-heritage of Jean-Pierre Toury, was also used for many years, week after week, always together with their Decap-orgel `Century’.  It was erected at the village fairs in its region near Brussels. Our thanks to Jean-Pierre, because of he entrusted to us his authentic Spiegeltent.
* To hire for periods of minimum 4 months

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2005

"Dancing Palace" II, authentic `Verbeelen’ tent. It was for many years built on fixed location in Germany, and returns again to Belgium. It fits perfectly in our “Nostalgie” collection.
* To hire for periods of minimum 4 months

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2006

The Klessens Empire extends… The fourth generation would like to build a Spiegeltent of their own. "Salon Revue", Jugendstil 22 meters diameter, was made from start to finish, in our own Klessens atelier.
It is a magnificent jewel, we are all very proud of it!

And look … a ray of sunshine, tumbles in through the colourful leaded glass. And reflects in the cut mirrors at least a thousand times… You are lost … this is not an illusion… It is like a fairy tale … everything sparkles… Just start by looking in the mirror. Can you see it You are already at the party with us…

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Up to the 5th generation... -  ELIAS             °03 july 2003 -  YNEAS           °30 september 2004 -  LAURENS       °30 november 2005 -  RHENO          °11 february 2006

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